Original Sources of Plywood

History

• Similar products to plywood, with various layers of wood glued together, have been found in ancient civilizations such as Egypt and China. The Chinese shaved wood from trees and glued the shavings together to form a strong wood-based product for furniture production. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the gluing of numerous layers of wood for increased strength was used in Europe to create furniture products. The first patent for the production of plywood products was granted in 1865 to John K. Mayo of New York, with no mass production taking place until the early 20th century.

Mass Production

• The Portland Manufacturing Company created the first modern plywood products for exhibition at the world's fair held in Portland, Oregon, in 1905, the Engineered Wood Association reports. The panels made for the world's fair were produced from softwoods grown in the Pacific northwest of the U.S., mainly from the Douglas Fir. By 1907, the production of plywood products by Portland Manufacturing had increased to 420 panels per day. The Engineered Wood Association reports that by 1929, 17 plywood mills had opened in the Pacific Northwest producing plywood using the Douglas Fir as source material.

Spread

• Until the middle of the 20th century, plywood was sourced and manufactured in the Pacific Northwest using only softwoods. Research was undertaken to find ways of gluing other softwood species together for plywood and to allow the use of hardwood tree species. In 1964, the Georgia Pacific Company created a system for manufacturing plywood from southern pines and opened a mill in Fordyce, Arkansas. Around two-thirds of the plywood manufactured in the U.S. is now made in the southern states of the U.S. using species from the region.

Development

• Since the introduction of technologies allowing the use of soft and hardwoods for plywood production, the types of plywood have increased to include interior, exterior and marine versions. To create exterior and marine plywoods, manufacturers use waterproof adhesives that hold the veneers in place in harsh environments. Veneers with more decorative grains are used to manufacture furniture, with less decorative hardwoods used in exterior construction.