Form plywood

[Danne_83]

Where do you buy affordable form plywood (or other boards?) for your casting projects? I have some walls and an arch to cast and will be able to reuse the boards a few times, so I thought about buying form plywood. Previously, I've cheated with OSB.

Byggmax seems to have form sheets 1200x2500x12 as chipboard for 399kr each. Feels like an expensive made-up chipboard. Bauhaus has a similar board in plywood form for about the same price, but it received criticism for poor quality from someone in this forum. Beijer sells their equivalent board for just over 600kr. What to choose?

I need at least 20 of them, so every 100kr per board matters a bit. Is it wise to buy 1200mm wide to get fewer seams, or is it better to opt for 600mm wide for easier assembly?

 

[justusandersson]

If you are planning to get as many as 20 sheets, it's worth requesting a quote. Generally speaking, regular hardware stores tend to be expensive when it comes to plywood, especially better qualities. It might be worthwhile to visit a carpentry that buys in bulk and ask. Be careful with the dimensions, as there are some unusual variants. 600 mm wide sheets are much easier to handle if you are alone. The reduced stiffness is negligible when it comes to a form.

 

[Danne_83]

If you're getting as many as 20 sheets, it's worth requesting a quote. Generally speaking, regular hardware stores are expensive when it comes to plywood, perhaps especially the better qualities. It may be worth going to a carpentry shop that buys a lot and asking. Be careful with dimensions, there are some odd variants. 600 mm wide sheets are much easier to handle if you're alone. The poorer stiffness is negligible when it comes to a form.

Yes, it's probably wise to ask about the price. Previously when I've done it, the prices usually ended up in line with Buildmax and similar. Unfortunately, there's a shortage of some materials now, so I don't think they'll do much on the prices at present.

When I think about it, it seems smart to go for smaller sheets; I know how tricky it is to haul around a full-width gypsum board.