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Making Birch Veneer Plywood

Bob visits the Georgia Pacific plywood plant near Savannah, GA to see how Birch veneer plywood is made. Most of the products made in the GP plant originate from resources in North America. First the Birch veneers are graded into face or back. The internal layers are made of actually made of Yellow Poplar. Each of the layers in the plywood has its grains cross-laminated, which adds strength. They are then put together on a glue spreader and using urea formaldehyde glue stuck together (The glue is specially formulated to contain only a small amount of formaldehyde) GP uses both heat and pressure to bond the layers and then uses precision saws and giant sanders to insure the boards exactly 4� by 8� and smooth.
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Making Birch Veneer Plywood

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Debra you're making birch veneer plywood hardwood plywood near where all the raw material come from. All the raw material comes from North America mostly from the United States threat some from Canada what's happening here. Here Sonya Davis one of our fifteen year employees is grating that faith back in here. -- That the first quality -- doubt he would separating faces from back the birch plywood and -- on the fate and on the back. He has nineteen different -- characteristic that -- keeping in mind about the work. You give us that they -- them back but it's all very beautiful clear birch. The end out of the plywood -- out of a cheaper wood right the end out of plywood very different it. Yellow poplar I can tell you what. How we put it together over here. The birds -- in this case that the oak instead of bird and the grain is running the long direction of the plywood. The next in the air is what we call the cross band and this is the yellow poplar. It may not appear extremely beautiful to you but it's virtue is that it's relatively solid yeah. Though that when you drill a hole and it you will hit wood for -- through various order your other picture right there. Plywood is cross laminated every adjacent layer is perpendicular to the other. And finally hurt them by product we get to the back yeah so that's the secret of the strength is that your. Alternating the direction of the grain vertical horizontal or vertical horizontal. And all you've got a very thin veneer on the outer edges which is the beautiful stuff. Are you literally. We put it together on a -- spreader we'll go over -- look at that right now all right."

" Coming about the nature of the blue I don't think goes on those roller up there yet though they're double roll voters they are applying your -- From now and hide glue. -- both -- And every other into the air that break layup then -- plywood I don't and there are great deal of concern about admission from the kind of little. Yes there -- the very important if -- dark that night positive fluids actually formulated. Name a small amount of formaldehyde to begin with a spinoff of its name. Gathered -- Went behind the formaldehyde into the product and did not allowing for the big in the atmosphere. It is important as to whether we can never understand that as."

" Well forearm millwork here because they have to work around it all the time that help you -- here yeah. What happens when they create an audience now -- let me over here what happened. Well they are headed for the mall rat in the neck area snap it right and went together. Rent at the other end here that did not directly apple. How much pressure it put 200 -- fifteen minute time. All of breath after that it I'm right where I'm here. About hundred. The degree temperature her. That family. Breath together you need that heat and record or glue bond."

" All right bill you know every builder after being. I'd card that he gets revived by the -- plywood or lumber heart that you make sure that in the cutting operations you're gonna come out or my -- they did. And not have any barrier. Let -- that Bob that we have a fit on line. Rotary saw blade carbide tip. Overall event but -- the next step. Elevate them and they ought."

" I get pretty noisy here I think that you do and -- What does that look like Bob it looks like god a belt for the belt Sander further donning green. And then it is back it very similar belt you have at home here belt Sander except that it that it is why it. And it's six feet long what you pay for them like that. And the -- that -- that we buy them are only fifty dollars. A lot of we're the standard developed back in here standard that we. Right back I'm going to open it yet."

" But that's only hitting one side is -- right. Iraq. The bottom of the panel. Behind further down alive and I've got hope that a standard inverted and on Bob. Defendant -- out. I'll let you actually taking off the island we're taking off about head -- and now the evidence. -- but really it really and then we'll have."

" Quality control. Andy is our -- and no greater in here he's using three mayors look at all six edges of each and -- determine a grade and then drop the panel and one of --"

" Bob than they had to defend their lives. The panels fall it was then that you know like ray -- there. Been there. And that particular band. We're finding our highest grade of birch plywood. Hey want them over here and -- the eyes. The greater name about. That's how proud armor pilot. That's right back for the door."

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