Luan plywood?

Should be fine. We use 1/8" luan for curved fixture work all the time. Amongst other things. Bender board, Ultra curve, sonotube. Depends on the application what we use, but the luan we get from the vendor is commercial grade. No voids. But I would think even the stuff at Home Depot would be ok. Its a diaphramatic application correct? How thick are you using?
fitz
 
Thanks.

The Luan is very nice (no voids looks like mahogany). The panels are diaphramic and use 1/4 and 1/8 thick sheets. They are Ethans traps. I was curious about the differences in construction between the two plywoods and if that would change the response of the panel? I can get real nice birch ply with a clearcoat on one side for cheap but I like the darker look of the Luan


Kirk
 
Kirk,

> Is it acceptable to use Luan plywood instead of AC grade plywood on panel absorbers? <

Absolutely, as long as it's decent quality as Fitz suggested. I've built many panel traps with 1/8th inch Luan.

--Ethan
 
Kirk
Go for the birch !! The other stuff is so dark, the grian in birch looks better anyway. Your putting it up there, mind as well be something that looks good. Is there much of a price difference.

Tony
 
Hello Michael, Luan is short for Italian Poplar. Its a real light color, almost white, and some vendors will put a very thin skin of Phillipine mahogany, or other wood on it. Commercial grade has no veneer ply. Luan is really a tight grained italian poplar in three plys. We use it in combination with 2 layers of bender board, which is 5/16" thick, and has three plys also. But the outer plys run lengthwise and are an 1/8" with a inner 1/16" ply running the width direction. But it is all Phillipine mahogany, and 2 layers is only 5/8" so for curved items requiring a 3/4" substrate, we add a layer of the Luan.
Then we either veneer, or post lam plastic or chemetal type laminates. The Luan is a stable backer for paper backed veneers, which are very thin. Especially birds eye types or book matched species. Also, when we use veneers, we have to use water based adhesives because of the environmental laws here, and so lacquer solvents won't loosen the contact adhesive bonds. These water based contact adhesives work wonderful on luan ply, but not on bender board very well because of the open grain.
Hope that explains it.
fitz
 
Fitz,
I could'nt have said it better myself:D

I made a polycylindrical diffusor out of it. Luan ply that is..

Tony
 
Thanks for the answers.

The difference in price between the birch and luan is about 5.00 a sheet. 4'x8'

I think I will go with the luan if I can locate both 1/4 and 1/8 inch sheets?

Thanks again everyone
Kirk
 
Yep!!

Dunn Lumber in Seattle, about 15.00 for 1/8 luan, about 21.00 for the clear coated birch also 1/8 inch. I will go back to look further into this.

The price difference made me think something was wrong with the luan.

Kirk
 
I just got some1/8" birch ply at home depot for $15.97 woo hoo!!
The 1/4" was $19.97.
The luan was about ...11.87(1/8"),$15 bucks and change for 1/4".

Kirk , they had it clear coated? Cool, that took most of my time, geting the stuff to dry so I could put it up. 21 buck is not bad.about 6ducks for clear coat.

The luan is alot more rough texture, at least what home depot had.

Good luck

Tony
 
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