Useful to know

Construction plywood is widely used for many purposes, e.g. furniture, constructions, pavilions, artwork and packaging.

The material is made up of layers of spruce veneer and is therefore less expensive than birch plywood.

Construction plywood typically has one more attractive side, where knots and similar defects have been smoothed out and improved, and one side that may contain knots, dents and similar defects.

Vector and raster engraving

Construction plywood can be vector engraved. The material gains a darker tone where it has been engraved. The thicker the engraving, the darker the colour. The colour of the engraving, just like the colour of the wood, can vary from sheet to sheet.

With thick vector engraving, some staining around the engraved area may occur. However, this can easily be removed by light sanding.

Avoid burning marks

A protective film on top of the sheet can be added when ordering to avoid the worst soot and burn marks from the laser.

Direction of the wood grain

The grain direction on our construction plywood sheets runs longitudinally across the sheet. You should remember to take into account any preferences for the grain direction, when you are preparing your file for laser cutting.

Laser cutting

Top –  A slight darkening of the wood will appear along the score lines. This can be removed by light sanding.

Edges– The edges are brownish and can rub off. This can be removed by wiping with a cloth or lightly sanding. The thicker the material, the more soot that will accumulate around the edges.

Bottom – There will be a certain amount of smoke and marking along the score line, depending on the surface on which the material is cut. If the bottom is visible in the final product, it is usually sanded or painted.

Finishing treatments

Plywood can be used untreated, but can be painted, oiled or lacquered to seal and protect the surface.