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High-quality commercial & technical plywoods

Okoume Lightweight Marine Plywood

Okoume Plywood
  • 4mm-40mm thick (composites up to 100mm)
  • Light in weight (average 450kg/m3)
  • Stock thickness: 4mm-25mm
  • Stock size: 2500x1220mm
  • Special sizes up to 3100x1830mm
  • Supplied raw or coated with primer, melamine laminate, lacquer or paint
  • Suitable for extreme moisture conditions
  • Performance supported by Lloyd's of London approval

Overview

Okoume plywood is sometimes known in the UK as gaboon plywood and is incorporated into a wide range of end-uses. It is regularly used in the manufacture of yachts and other vehicles where a lightweight plywood product is required that takes surface finishes well, or where a guaranteed exterior performance is a necessity.

Other exterior applications where okoume plywood is regularly used include the manufacture of external window shutters, or other parts of buildings, such as external facades and claddings. It is also used in other applications such as furniture, musical instruments and packaging.

Because okoume takes paint and other surface coatings very well, it is often used to achieve high quality coloured or clear lacquered finishes. It is also available prelaminated with high quality films for further decoration or silk screen printing.

This wood is also available as okoume fineline plywood

Panel types

Winwood Products is a marine okoume plywood supplier offering the following configurations/options:

Okoume lightweight marine plywood

Okoume Plywood: Okoume throughout marine plywood)
  • Sold in pallet quantities
  • Prompt delivery of 4mm-25mm 2500x1220mm
  • To special order 1.5mm-40mm
  • Panel sizes: 2500/3100x1220/1530mm & 3100x1830mm
  • Can be supplied raw or precoated with primer, lacquer or special finishes

This group of lightweight plywoods is most often ordered by customers in its marine form. This is produced using veneers of okoume throughout its core.

Plywood of this nature is regularly used in the manufacture of boats & luxury yachts, exterior joinery, exterior cladding and toy & model making.

This product is often ordered as Lloyd's Approved BS 1088 Okoume Marine Plywood, for the manufacture of boat hulls and other applications where it will remain permanently wet.

Okoume throughout plywood is also available at a lower nett price in its standard form, i.e. without its marine credentials. This product used for lower moisture areas where a good quality core & face is required, or for exterior applications where the atmospheric condition will not be as harsh.

Okoume faced plywood

Okoume Plywood: Okoume/Fir combi plywood
  • Sold in pallet quantities to special order
  • To special order 6mm-40mm
  • Panel sizes: 2500/3100x1220/1530mm & 3100x1830mm
  • Can be supplied raw or precoated with primer, lacquer or special finishes

Okoume faced plywood is available on a core of okoume alternating with another species (described as 'okoume combi plywood'), or with just the face in okoume on a core of 100% another species (called 'okoume twin plywood').

Typically, okoume is combined with lightweight poplar plywood and the resultant panel described as 'okoume/poplar combi plywood' or 'okoume/poplar twin plywood'.

Due to its lower cost and lighter weight, this contruction is used extensively in the manufacture of vehicles and structures where a lightweight panel is required.

Information

Okoume plywood is available with glue bonds suitable for performance in accordance with EN314-2 Class 1 (interior & moisture resistant applications), Class 2 (covered/protected exteriors & high moisture areas) and Class 3 (fully exposed exterior applications), and can be supplied in a range of sizes.

Lloyds approved BS 1088 Marine Plywood available in all thicknesses & panel sizes

Technical details (general)

  • Thickness:
    • 4-40mm - thicker plywood by arrangement
  • Standard sizes:
    • 2500x1220mm
    • 3100x1220mm
    • 2500x1530mm
    • 3100x1530mm
    • 3100x1830mm
    • (others by arrangement)
  • Special sizes:
    • Other sizes available, subject to agreement up to maximum 3120x2030mm
  • Tolerances:
    • As per EN315 (others by arrangement)
  • Face grades:
    • I/II, II/II, II/III, III/III
  • Certification:
    • Lloyds approved marine plywood (available in all panel sizes & thicknesses)
    • BS 1088 marine plywood
    • CTBX marine
  • Specification:
    • EN 636-2 - Covered exterior usage
    • EN 636-3 - Fully exterior usage
  • Other features:
    • Available with no open defects throughout the core
    • Also available with unidirectional veneers
    • Can be supplied as 100% okoume throughout plywood, or with a core to any required mix of other species
  • Standard thicknesses:
  • 4mm =1.8 kg/m2
  • 5mm =2.3 kg/m2
  • 6mm =2.7 kg/m2
  • 8mm =3.6 kg/m2
  • 9mm =4.1 kg/m2
  • 10mm =4.5 kg/m2
  • 12mm =5.4 kg/m2
  • 15mm =6.8 kg/m2
  • 18mm =8.1 kg/m2
  • 20mm =9.0 kg/m2
  • 22mm =9.9 kg/m2
  • 25mm =11.3 kg/m2
  • 30mm =13.5 kg/m2
  • 35mm =15.8 kg/m2
  • 40mm =18.0 kg/m2

Quality according to BS 1088 (summary)

  Outer veneer Inner veneer
Pin knots Max. 6/m2 of panel surface No limit
Closed splits Max 2 per metre width with a total length of 200 mm No limit
Open splits Not permitted Max 1 split <0.5mm wide on any panel edge
Worm holes< 1.5mm dia Up to 2/m2 permitted. Holes in plane of veneer not permitted Permitted provided they do not produce voids
Worm holes > 1.5mm dia Not permitted Not permitted
Variation in colour Low contrast permitted if free from fungal decay Permitted, if free from fungal decay
Minimum distance between edge joints on face veneers Peeled veneers = 300mm
Sliced veneers = 100 mm
No limit
End joints Not permitted Not permitted
Compression failure Not permitted Not permitted
Knots other than pin knots Not permitted Not permitted
Fungal decay Not permitted Not permitted
Repairs Not permitted Properly made and tightly fitted glued patches with their grain aligned with the grain of the veneer and having a maximum dimension of 60mm permitted up to 3/m2