> Looking for a source for 3mm okoume plywood in the Chicago land
> area. Any help will be greatly appreciate. Thank you. Donald Burton
> E-mail homestay@indianvalley.com

There is an ad in WoodenBoat magazine for Wood World, in Glenview, IL, which is a bit north of Chicago. The phone is 847-729-9663 and the web page is www.woodworld.com.

You might also try Owl Hardwoods. They have an outlet west of Chicago in Lombard, and another one north of Chicago, near O'Hare. I'm not sure of the exact town, but I think it is Elk Grove Village or Arlington Heights. Phone company's directory assistance for that area should get you the phone number. I do not recall seeing Okume at their Lombard store, but ask them if they have it, or can get it for you. Owl, by the way, is selling 3 mm Maranti plywood for under $8 a sheet. I'll be using that for two stitch and glues later this summer, time permitting. It is designed as underlayment, but is exterior glued, has one finished A grade side, and no apparent voids. A couple of panels I got had some bad areas on the back, but it did not bother me. Cutting around them is cheap. This stuff is usually in stock, but on my first visit to the Lombard store they were out. They restock fast. I went back the next day and got 8 sheets for a total of just under $63 (U.S.), including tax. According to the staff in Lombard, their other store is about twice the size.

Before I told anyone why I wanted the stuff, the first salesman I met there told me that he had been thinking of building a kayak from Maranti. Nice people there. You can tell they know what is important in life. :)

If you are planning on carrying 3 mm plywood home on roof racks ( as I did) take special precautions. It flexes like crazy and has definite aerodynamic properties at speeds over 25 mph. It is tough driving when the stuff flaps over the windshield and totally blocks your vision. If you can't carry it inside a van or closed trailer you may have problems. I've considered sandwiching it between two layers of 3/4 inch 4x8 particle board or plywood just to keep it from flapping around. If I had to move the stuff in a trailer or a pick-up truck I'd weight down the panels with cinderblocks or sandbags. Okoume or any other 3mm ply is going to be about as flexible.

Hope this helps. Paul Jacobson