Re: ATM - density of plywood ??

["Bill T." <twentiethwave@hotmail.com>]

I agree with those who point out that the H.Depot furniture plywood is
comparatively cheesy stuff, but I have built several very satisfactory
scopes from it.

IMHO, 1/2" wall Dobs up through at least 20" simply don't require the extra
strength of the denser plywoods.   My 108 lb 20" would weigh ~123 lbs had I
used Baltic Birch instead of Cheesy Ply.  The Baltic would have contributed
only to appearance, and not to performance or stability.  I could have cut
15 lbs of holes out of the Baltic, but by then it would have been weaker
than non-holed Cheesy!

I regard Cheesy Ply not as a compromise, but as a good engineering pick for
scopes in this range when cost-weight-strength-thickness are balanced.  I
feel we would need to be thinking in terms of 3/8" walls to justify the
denser plys.

Also, void problems are way down, and consistency way up, from a few years
ago at both H.Depot and Lowe's.  New manufacturer?

Bill T.