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I'm replacing some old plywood that's been used to shuttle small objects around on a conveyor system. I had thought to use some sort of fiberboard, but I don't think it's tough enough - each wooden piece has to be strong enough to withstand years of being jostled around on a conveyor, clacking into its neighbors as it goes around corners, etc. I think plywood's dimensional stability is the best fit for the job. So, I was wondering. What sort of plywood is relatively light (the drive motors don't have infinite torque) and strong enough to take the punishment? Moisture resistance is also important, but not as important as lightness and durability. If there is some sort of moisture-resistant coating that I can apply that won't make the surface slippery, that would also help. Thanks for any advice you can give.

I use Baltic Birch for this type application. It is a plywood that is all hardwood plys and the plys are thin and many compared to construction plywood.

Does it have to be wood? Some plastics (like those used for cutting boards) would be up to the job.

Out of curiosity, what does old plywood appear to consist of, and how long did it take to fail?

nitewatchman wrote:I use Baltic Birch for this type application. It is a plywood that is all hardwood plys and the plys are thin and many compared to construction plywood.

^this^ If you can find the 7 ply stuff instead of the 5 ply variety, that stuff is awesome. Often times the veneered plywood at home improvement stores is the nicest construction material that you'll readily find, and while you pay for the veneer, it's nicer "under the hood" too.

It doesn't "have" to be wood. It will routinely have hot liquid spilled on it, up to 100C, from time to time. I hadn't really considered plastic because my plastic experience is solely with the kind that comes on spools. I don't know where I might find a suitable plastic. I don't know how well it would stand up to the abuse, especially as the hardware will be screwed in and I don't know if the force of being jostled all the time might cause problems. I also don't know what types to look at or how easy they would be to mill, whereas we already know plywood works quite well in this application. The existing wood was used for about ten years so far, flipped over about halfway through that time so that the worn surfaces were face down, but now both surfaces are worn.

I will look further into Baltic birch plywood. I don't know whether a varnish would harm or help. On one hand, it would repel moisture. On the other, we can't have the surface slippery, so it can't reduce the friction too much. It would be better if the moisture stayed on the surface rather than flowing over the edge and gumming up the conveyor rollers. Is there some kind of coating I might use?

How much are you looking for? One of our very good friends brokers and sell plywood and Baltic Birch in his day job. He deals in both new sheets and in cutoffs and drops usually in carload or trailer load lots.

He wouldn't be able to help in small quantities but if you need a lot I know he has handled it in thicknesses ranging from 1/4" to a couple of inches.

Contact me off line if you wish and I can put you in contact.

It's a good offer, and I thank you, but it looks like you're in Alabama. We're in Los Angeles, so I'm probably outside the service area. We do have some industry contacts that we can use to get plywood in big lots. But, if your friend ships to Cali, let me know and I'll PM you for details.

Actually ships worldwide.

Maybe consider an epoxy coating on the selected wood, they make non-slip / textured epoxy coatings. Some simple ones would be the floor ones intended for use at places like a marina, such that it has to be durable for foot traffic and resiliant to the environment without becoming a slip hazard.

Cool - PM sent.

lordbinky, I will look into this. Do you have a favorite product?