Control Panel Top piece of wood hollow on the inside?

[rdowdy95]

This is a weird deal.  I should of checked the wood more thoroughly.  On one side of the wood which I was going to use as my main side to play on on the right hand side of the wood you can feel underneath that there is some wood like missing.  Like the right hand side near the edge.  Like I can push it with my fingers and it goes down a little.  I tried to shove a bunch of woodfiller in there but it was too tight in between there.  I am thinking there is one ply in there that is messed up.  It is hard to describe.  Should I use the other side of it, or should I just pay 10 bucks and get another 3/4" 2x4 sheet of Birch ply.  See I can turn it over and not worry about it making the spot on the other side of the panel.  Will this rot or get worse over time though.

[MikeDeuce]

Sounds like your plywood has voids :\

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is one of the gambles when going with home store plywoods, particularly if it's chinese made or not made by one of the more reputable plywood manufacturers.

Nothing should change in terms of the condition of the wood itself, but there might be a few more voids you haven't noticed yet. If you could turn it over, I would.

[nostrebor]

Consumer level plywood is allowed to have a certain percentage of voids. I have used the Lowes/HD Birch plywood on projects and usually there are very few/no voids in it but I have ran across some.

Unless the "soft spot" is in an area where you are going to be putting constant pressure, or where you'll be cutting the plywood and expose the void, I wouldn't worry about it. It wont rot or get worse. It might crack or break if you have something impact it at the point where the void occurs.

[ChadTower]

Worst case you can break out the top of the void and fill it with bondo.

[WaRpEd]

You might try Gorilla glue (urethane glue) to fill in the void it expands when damp and should fill small gaps.

[rdowdy95]

Thanks guys.  Atleast I know the name of the word.  VOID!  It was made in China wood.  I will keep it for a practice panel.  Next time I go I am going to inspect better and knock on the wood to see if I can hear the hollowness inside the wood.

Thanks again guys!

[DrewKaree]

"Made in China wood"?

It actually had "made in China" stamped on it?

[rdowdy95]

Drew,

For real man.  On the side it says MADE IN CHINA stamped on there.  What's up with that!  Now these were 2' x 4' sheets of birch plywood to redo my control panel box bottom and another control panel top.  My final control panel top.  I don't know what the 4' x 8' sheets said cause I didn't look.  Man the China stuff is kind of made half ()().  After I finish trimming a little of my baseboards I am going to be putting the base together.  Then recut a new control panel top since the other one had a pretty good sized void in it.  Man I can't wait to get this done.  Man so much to do in so little time though.  Wife, 2 yr old, work....Strife,  thing is my wife she works when I dont so I am on toddler patrol.  I can only work on this stuff when he is asleep in bed for the night or taking naps.