Why Five by Five?

[Gilman]

Anyone know why Baltic/Russian Birch plywood is 5' x 5'?

It isn't due to metrics because 5' = 152.4cm

Tom's intrugued with his microwave, I puzzle over birch plywood.  :D

[SwampDonkey]

Possibly the same reasoning that the US gallon is 8 oz less than the Imperial Gallon. ;D ;D

[DanG]

The only thing I can think of is, why not??

[Phorester]

I reckon they like squares better than rectangles. 

Somewhere there's a couple of Russians downing Vodka and  wondering why our American plywood's not square. ;D

[Onthesauk]

I haven't seen it in awhile, but it use to be beautiful plywood!  Great stuff to work with.

[Gilman]

I'll add a question. Are there other types of plywood besides birch that is 5 x 5?

[rebocardo]

Is it 5x5 feet or 1.5x1.5 or 2x2 meters?

[Tom]

All of the sales outlets that I've found list it as a five feet by five feet square sheet.

[Gilman]

It's 5' x 5' +- 1/16"  Definitely cut to 5',  It's not near any metric integer.

DanG!, you all telling me that I stumped the FF knowledge base?

8) 8) 8) 8)

[Tom]

Not yet!   I've been looking and asking all over the place.

One suggestion has been that it might have something to do with the European  32mm Cabinetry standards imposed after WWII.   I've been studying the standards and can find nothing directly calling for it.  But, it still might be an effort to make "fitting" the building standards easier.  I reserve comment till I find out.

[Gilman]

 :-\

[CHARLIE]

Did it ever occur to y'all to look up a plywood company on the internet and ask them via an 3-mail? ;)  Sounds like a simple way to find out.  There is a product out there called Appleply that is also 5' X 5'.

[Gilman]

Charlie,

"ApplePly is manufactured in 6', 8' or 10' lengths and 4' widths."
Source: http://www.statesind.com/prod/ind_2a2.html

:(

[Gilman]

Fine Charlie, I'll get off my lazy butt.

I called appleply and they said it was probably a european standard.  Oddly enough the product apleply manufactures is a baltic birch core that they skin in the US.  ???

I told the saleman that 5' doesn't translate to a metric number and he just laughed.

He did say that the europeans buck their logs in 5' multiples instead of our 8's.

Europeans must have narrower road and grow to about 4' tall?

[SwampDonkey]

Why didn't the guy just admit he didn't know ???  ;D

[Tom]

I've got the "road" thing covered.  :D

link to explanation

[Tom]

Gary K.  over on Wood Magazines General woodworking forum provided an answer.  It is based on the size of the equipment that was origionally used.

Here is the link to the thread there that i started.
Wood Magazine

[Bro. Noble]

Jeeze you guys make life difficult :

Tom gave the answer in his reply #7 and didn't even realize it ;)

THAT'S HOW IT'S LISTED AT ALL THE SALES OUTLETS!!!!  ------   If they list it that way and try to sell 4X8 then you got a right to complain,  so ease up  :D :D

[Gilman]

Noble  :

Tom,
I went over to Wood Magazine and posted a reply. I'm not sure I did it correctly.  After posting, I waited a bit and hit [F5] to refresh the page, but my post didn't come up. ???

The 0.4cm (3/32") isn't adding up the sheets are purposely being cut to 5' not 152cm or 153cm.  Maybe they are being cut to 152.5cm?  2.5cm of trim sounds reasonable since that is about how much trim is added to Melamine and particle board.  Those two have 3/4"-1" of trim or about 2.5cm.

[Tom]

I looked today and see that your post did take.   Perhaps someone will find mor info.   It might be that a plywood manufacturer will have to be called.  If so, I guess it will have to be one of our European members that finds it.

I wonder if Serg would know?

[Gilman]

Well at least I can sleep now.  150cm + 1" of trim?

It's still the only plywood with trim that I know of though.

Serg you out there?  ;D