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MG TD TF 1500 - Seat material (wood)

Has anyone used pressure treated plywood for the wood in their seats. Any downside? Any better material?

Thanks

Tim
TD12524
TW Burchfield

Gents,

I used marine plywood available locally because Florida is the land of boats.


Jim Haskins 1953 TD
J M Haskins

Baltic birch plywood 3/8" or 1/2" if you cannot get 3/8", sealed and 3 coats of Marine enamel paint on all surfaces. Will last forever.
... CR
C.R. Tyrell

PT wood, an I do not believe PT plywood is different will have considerable moisture content. If used in an application like this it should be dried for several months.
In addition, basic plywood will have many, unpluged, holes in the inside layers. These will leave gaps on the edges and unless plugged with filler (plastic wood, Bondo, sawdust and glue, etc) they will lead to delamination.

In Baltic and Marine ply-woods, these holes, (knots defects, etc) are plugged and the edges will be sound.

Attaches is a cross section of Baltic Birch sawed at about a 7 degree angle. I drilled the holes.
There are no gaps.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

I used 1/2 marine plywood for seat bottoms and seat back. Original wood had delaminated for both bottom and back. seal with polyurethane.
Marine plywood is expensive but has no voids or knots.

save the old wood for pattern.
R W Hinton

General purpose ply will do the task and will see your seats serviceable for your lifetime and well into the future of your progeny who are more than likely to show no interest in your "old car". Save yourself some pennies.
G Evans

I used general purpose plywood for the seat base and aircraft grade ply for the curved seating area.

Regards
Declan

Declan Burns

Declan, that is beautiful work.I remember when I lived in Paris I bought a few 2 x 4s. They cost a fortune compared to US prices. I shudder to think what that aircraft grade ply cost in Germany.

Tim
TD12524
TW Burchfield

Tim,
Left over from my aeromodelling days. Yes aircraft grade ply is pricey but does the job perfectly.
Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

I am a believer in marine grade plywood, coated with oil based primer, then painted with oil based paint.

Pressure treated plywood leeches ar*enic, salt, and other nasty chemicals into the material surrounding it, that could cause damage to that material over time.

Erick Blackwelder
My Vernon, VA
1952 MG TDC
2008 BMW 328i, last of the inline 6 cylinder engines.
EB Blackwelder

I imagine that most of our cars will do just fine with regular plywood. After all, unlike the original owners, most of us will not drive these cars in the rain, snow or sleet or store them outside (yes, I know there are exceptions). But since the seats are apart I decide to go with marine plywood based on the comments here. Not too expensive and good preservation properties. Thanks everyone for the helpful and knowledgeable comments.

Tim
TD12524
TW Burchfield

This thread was discussed between 06/02/2016 and 10/02/2016

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