Baltic Birch Plywood prices?

[Tony Shea]

I have been looking all over for people locally that stock BB plywood and have had very limited results. Most places do have the ability to order it for me. I am very new to BB plywood and have heard very good things about it, with the most important being that it is very stable.

What is a fair price range that I should be willing to pay for 3/4" and maybe even some 1/2". The one place that had 3/4" gave me a quote of something like $79 per 5x5 sheet. I was not expecting that kind of price on a small 5x5 peice of plywood. Does this sound reasonable or should I not dream of paying that?

[Garrett Ellis]

I paid 30 for a 4x4 sheet of 1/2" today... I was also surprised at how expensive it is

[Walt Pater]

My supplier stocks two grades, A and B. The B grade has patches in places (maybe 2-3/side), which is fine for drawer stock, which is what I use it for. 15mm (~5/8") BB in B grade costs me $40.00/sheet. This is from a sheet good wholesaler. $79/sheet for 3/4" A grade might be a little high, but doesn't surprise me, especially if you're getting it from a lumberyard ordering it from a wholesaler.

You might be able to get away with thinner stock in BB, given its lumber core. Ask about the prices on other thicknesses. Good luck. Walt.

[Andrew Schlosser]

about $75 for 3/4 sheet is what I have seen also. Appleply, a similar product made domestically, is also in that range, but for a 4x8 sheet. I think even less people stock that.

[Jeff Nolan]

All plywood is stable. The advantage that baltic birch and its many cousins have is that the core construction provides a very appealing edge, and it is free of any voids (although it's certainly possible to get void free sheet goods in many other grades and brands).

As has already been mentioned, ApplePly is a domestically produced product that uses 1/16" laminations of birch and alder, and it comes in 4x8 sheets at a fraction of the cost of baltic birch (or finnish birch).

As for suppliers, the easiest way to find a local source is to use google... failing that call a local cabinet shop and ask them where they buy from. It will be available locally for you and in the worst case scenario you will have to drive a little (I have to run up 25 miles each way for my preferred local supplier).

[John Sanford]

All plywood is stable.

Not so!! All plywood is dimensionally stable as far as length and width goes, and for all practical purposes, thickness, but all aren't stable in configuration. When a flat sheet of plywood goes to a potato chip configuration, I would classify that as "not stable."

Because of the higher number of plys and likely the higher proportion of resins/glues in Baltic Birch, it much more resistant to warping than less expensive plys.

[dan sherman]

I was out pricing Birch plywood for my router table project today.

Menards
1/4" Baltic Birch, 4' by 8', 5-ply, BB/CP grade, $23 (sale price)
1/2" Baltic Birch, 4' by 8', 9-ply, BB/CP grade, $49 (sale price)
3/4" Baltic Birch, 4' by 8', 13-ply, BB/CP grade, $60 (sale price, normally $70)

Local woodworking store
1/4" White Birch, 4' by 8', 5-ply, C-4 grade, $27
1/2" White Birch, 4' by 8', 9-ply, C-2 grade, $42
3/4" White Birch, 4' by 8', 13-ply, C-2 grade, $53

6mm Russian Birch, 5' by 5', 5-ply, B/BB grade, $24
12mm Russian Birch, 5' by 5', 9-ply, B/BB grade, $40
18mm Russian Birch, 5' by 5', 13-ply, B/BB grade, $48

[Scott Schwake]

Some prices in WI: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ws...527885316.html

[Alexey Semenov]

I was out pricing Birch plywood for my router table project today.

Menards
1/4" Baltic Birch, 4' by 8', 5-ply, BB/CP grade, $23 (sale price)
1/2" Baltic Birch, 4' by 8', 9-ply, BB/CP grade, $49 (sale price)
3/4" Baltic Birch, 4' by 8', 13-ply, BB/CP grade, $60 (sale price, normally $70)

Local woodworking store
1/4" White Birch, 4' by 8', 5-ply, C-4 grade, $27
1/2" White Birch, 4' by 8', 9-ply, C-2 grade, $42
3/4" White Birch, 4' by 8', 13-ply, C-2 grade, $53

6mm Russian Birch, 5' by 5', 5-ply, B/BB grade, $24
12mm Russian Birch, 5' by 5', 9-ply, B/BB grade, $40
18mm Russian Birch, 5' by 5', 13-ply, B/BB grade, $48

Here is pricelist from another place on the internet:
http://eastcoastplywood.com/wholesal...-pricelist.htm
Not Bad at all

[Jon Endres]

I bought a dozen sheets each of 1/4" and 1/2" baltic birch ply to make drawers for my kitchen and bathroom cabinets. I got it in 4x8 sheets from Maine Coast Lumber. I don't recall the prices, but they were reasonable to me. MCL delivers anywhere in New England. It's not cheap enough for shop cabinets and such, but the scraps make great jigs and fixtures, obviously.

[Dave Gaul]

Here is pricelist from another place on the internet:
http://eastcoastplywood.com/wholesal...-pricelist.htm
Not Bad at all

Prices on sheets seem great... put one sheet of 1/2 CC grade Birch in my cart, went to checkout, and they want $175 for S&H

[Alexey Semenov]

Prices on sheets seem great... put one sheet of 1/2 CC grade Birch in my cart, went to checkout, and they want $175 for S&H

I mentioned that it's better that you call them. Since it's a large size they go by freight rates. So if you get 1 sheet or 10 sheets price will be the same. Ups will not take these nor any other shipping service.

[Matt Meiser]

I just bought a 60x60 sheet of 3/4" last weekend from Toledo Plywood and paid $28. Really. Its supposedly not Chinese, has the familiar stamp I'm used to seeing on BB, and even if it was its flat and consistent. We walked out to inspect it in the warehouse and the 1/2 and 3/4 was all flat. Slight bow in the 1/4 but I've never seen 1/4" plywood completely flat. I was shocked. Should have bought more.

[Rob Fisher]

about $75 for 3/4 sheet is what I have seen also. Appleply, a similar product made domestically, is also in that range, but for a 4x8 sheet. I think even less people stock that.

Andrew and others in central PA area,

Industrial plywood in Reading, PA has 5x5 Baltic Birch for $34 for 3/4" BBB grade, which I believe is patches on at least one side. They also deliver pretty inexpensively.

Rob

[Brian Kent]

Glenn,

Only a panel or two at the Ontario Rockler? Just out of curiosity, what day are you going there to buy some? I think I may be going the day before that.

Brian