Okoume plywood
After the plywood is made, thin Okoume veneers are used as the upper and lower sides of the plywood. This is Okoume plywood. The core can be made from pine, poplar, or hardwood to increase its strength.
Okoume wood:
Okoume is a tropical hardwood that grows only in parts of Africa, including Central Africa (Gabon), and is sold around the world. Okoume wood has a delicate structure, small color difference, straight texture, moist surface, and few scars; corrosion resistance, high strength, good toughness, strong nail holding power, moderate bending strength, good steam bending performance, and the cut surface after deep processing is smooth and dry After cutting into straight boards, it is not easy to deform and crack. Okoume trees have large trunks, up to 6 feet in diameter, and grow rapidly. It has a straight to slightly wavy texture, and the texture of Okoume looks beautiful. The beautiful texture pattern makes it unique and popular. Okoume wood is mainly used as plywood for the manufacture of furniture and similar items. Okoume is also one of the optional raw materials for marine plywood.
Okoume plywood uses:
Okoume plywood is used in a variety of wood products projects including furniture making, boat building and construction of wood products/objects with aesthetic requirements.
Because it is a strong hardwood and bends easily, it is most commonly used in the construction of boats and other lightweight wood products. Wood is not completely waterproof and requires a layer of adhesive or glue to make it waterproof. Marine plywood also has the option of using Okoume as the raw material. It is the easiest to bend marine plywood, making seam and glue type boat construction easier. Okoume Marine Plywood is the lightest marine plywood product available. It has the best strength to weight ratio. Okoume’s tools are sturdy and easy to use. It has moderate resistance to rot and mildew. It is used in hull and deck components, bulkheads and hatches where weight is an important factor.
Due to its natural beauty and luxurious appearance, it is also used to make kitchen cabinets and modern furniture. Wooden door manufacturers around the world prefer Okoume veneer poplar core plywood for their door skins.
The lightness of Okoume wood and the beauty of its grain also make it ideal for a variety of woodworking projects, including furniture making and kitchen cabinet renovations.
Okoume panels are extensively used by race class boat builders, rowing shell builders and many other applications. 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 colored or clear lacquered finishes. It is also available prelaminated with high quality films for further decoration or silk screen printing.
Due to its lower cost and lighter weight, this construction is used extensively in the manufacture of vehicles and structures where a lightweight panel is required.
Okoume plywood maintenance
Rotary cut panels are light pinkish brown in color, sometimes glossy, have variable interlocking textures and can be painted or glossy. The natural durability of this species is extremely low and all surfaces, faces and edges must be treated with care. Often recommended for use with epoxy saturation systems, the panel exhibits high strength to weight ratios.
Because Okoume plywood is not rot-resistant, it must be thoroughly sealed to prevent moisture from penetrating. Okoume panels and projects made with them are normally painted of finished with epoxy and varnish to prevent potential problems caused by exposure to the moisture typical of marine and aquatic environments.
