Baltic Birch Plywood prices?

[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

[Dan Forman]

Re: Appleply, I just priced some locally and it was $111.45 for 3/4", $79 for 1/2", for the 4 x 8 sheets. Nobody actually stocks it, but they can order it for me.

Baltic birch in the 5 x 5 (the good stuff) was about $70 for 3/4" last time I checked, and about $35 for the patched.

The bad thing about BB is that my truck is only 4 ft wide, so I have to trim off a foot just to get it home. And if I didn't do that, I couldn't get it down into my basement shop anyway - 4' is the limit there too.

One shop that carries the top grade BB said they had some 4 x 8 BB too. I told him they don't make genuine BB in that size, and he said this was Chinese BB. I told him I wasn't very happy with the other Chinese plywood I had gotten, and he said that in that case I probably wouldn't like this either.

The other Dan

[Glen Butler]

This is what I pay for 5x5 Baltic Birch, one side will have occasional patches.

1/4" - 17.20
1/2" - 25.80
3/4" - 48.30

[Rick Fisher]

We sell "B" Grade, 5x5 .. about 3 patches on the face..

1/4" is $16.99 Cdn..
1/2" is $25.99 Cdn
5/8" is $33.99 Cdn

We don't stock 3/4"

Baltic Birch fell hard in price in the last 2 years. .

Those prices are very low margin for that type of ply.. We buy it by the lift and make about 15% on it .. A bit more on the 5/8"..

Its premium stuff ( from a very good mill ) not "A" grade, but good ply..

The bizarre thing is that it doesn't actually sell that well.. A lift of 1/2" will last about 4 months..

We have one customer who insists we keep those sizes in stock .. Its priced low (retail) so it turns...

[Marty Paulus]

Russian Birch 5X5 B grade:
1/4 - $24.95
3/8 - $29.95
1/2 - $39.95
3/4 - $49.95

The 3/4 is 13 ply.

This company also has 7 ply birch plywood G2S in 4X8 for $44.95.

They are in Detroit.

[Ken Becker]

What is the name of the company, Marty?

[James Jaragosky]

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

Another supplier for those in PA,TN,KY,IL,IN and OH.


http://www.distributor-service.com/locations.html

[Dan Forman]

Is there any other difference in the grades other than patches? Are the lower grades more likely to warp or have voids? Can somebody list the various grades and what they mean? Thanks.

Dan

[dan sherman]

Is there any other difference in the grades other than patches? Are the lower grades more likely to warp or have voids? Can somebody list the various grades and what they mean? Thanks.

Dan

from my notes.

1/4" has 5 ply
3/8" has 7 ply
1/2" has 9 ply
3/4" has 13 ply

Baltic Birch Veneer Grade Summary

Grade B - This is a selected one-piece face, which is generally light and even in color. Some very small,
closed pin knots may be allowed, as well as some brown streaks. No patches, voids, or mineral streaks
are allowed. The surface is well sanded.

Grade BB - This is a one-piece face, which is generally light and even in color. Occasional pin knots and
mineral streaking is allowed. All open knots and defects other than those allowed in grade B have been
cut out and replaced with oval patches. The patch veneer is the same grade and specie, and is typically
of the same color. The surface is sanded.

Grade CP - This is a face that has been graded out from BB for small defects and mineral streaking. CP
typically has more patches than grade BB that may not always be matched for color. Some splits of less
than 0.5mm are allowed. The surface is sanded.

[John A langley]

1/2 BB 19.00 5x5 my shop cost

[Tony Shea]

I found a place that said they can get some that is BB/C grade for $45. They said it's 7 ply. What would you expect with this grade of plywood? Not looking to make cabinets but need it more so for some jigs I need to make up, including a cross-cut sled. Do you think that this stuff would be flat enough to create a base for a cross-cut sled? C can't be a very good quality side, but does it really need to be if that face isn't showing?

[Brian Tax]

Seattle Dunn Lumber has 3/4" 5x5 for $48

[Rick Fisher]

Tony, the " C " Grade is really nice for Jigs and projects that just need quality product rather than beautiful product.
Baltic is my favorite ply to work with.. I use it for all sorts of stuff ..