Building benchwork: plywood v dimensional lumber

 I have a couple advantages over a lot of other layout builders when it comes to benchwork. After that, not so much.

On AIR1 I used birch plywood ripped into 2 1/2” strips, or 1x3’s.

I am used to building out of 1x3’s because of what I did for a living.
I owned the pneumatic nail/staple guns, chop saws, table saws, compressors, etc to easily put it all together, fast.

I fully understand that many layout builders do not have the investment, at hand, in power construction tools

I am still very much in favor of using plywood as opposed to dimensional lumber for benchwork.

From time to time at my work, I was able to order some dimensional lumber of EXCEPTIONALLY good quality, that would have made great bench work material. But that was ALWAYS hit or miss. When I ordered lumber  I got what I got. I suppose I could specify better graded lumber, but in those cases the decision was always based on price. Also I ordered, generally, in full lifts. 144 - sixteen foot boards.

With plywood and my table saw, I am guaranteed a good product, EVERY TIME. 

I can get 18 pieces of 1x3x8’ out of one sheet of plywood. Based on prices from my local Home Depot for plywood, my price would be between $2.75 and $3.00 per stick for these plywood 1x3’s.

My local Home Depot has 1x3x8 kiln dried pine for $6.54 each. Of course my labor costs something, and I need a new blade for my saw. But you see, basically, where I’m coming from.

Plywood does not split AS EASILY when you screw or nail near the ends. Plywood does not deform AS MUCH due to humidity changes ( I do have a de-humidifier in the train room currently).

I am not GENERALLY in favor of painting all the benchwork, simply because of the work involved pitted against the relatively small movement caused by humidity changes IN PLYWOOD. On AIR1 during hot summer days a number of heat kinks appeared. I ASSUMED this was because the rail heated up, not so much the plywood. I do not know. But it was because the train room was up stairs from the garage, the room was not air conditioned on those days, and the room temp was over 90 degrees for at least two days. On most occasions when I turned the A/C on, prior to each op session, the layout cooled and heat kinks disappeared.

Currently plywood prices are several times what they were when I built AIR 1. However they are still low enough in relation to dimensional lumber to make it cost effective for me to make my own dimensional lumber out of plywood.