[Rod]

Thanks for the nice comments. If you are looking for a good cheap ply for an octagonal tube, I’ve found Bunnings’ red oak 7 mm thick works well. The tube comes out a bit stronger than the birch ply I normally use. I think it may be because the individual plies are thicker. You need to check the sheets carefully. The veneer quality can vary as can sheet flatness.

I use to use polyurethane glue for these tubes but now I find Titebond 2 is just as strong and much cleaner to work with.

Rod