Shopsmith Forums

Several weeks ago, I purchased the 3/4" Birch plywood when it was on sale for 1/2 off. To me, it seems like nice stuff. And as Paul mentioned, they have the 1/2" on sale.

Paul, you mentioned there are a lot of places to buy the hardwood plywood here in the Portland area. I've been looking at a project that going to run approximately 5 sheets of 3/4", 4x8. I saw some projects made out of alder. It really looked nice. Where would be a good place to purchase in the Portland area?

I have used the Woodcraft Birch ply. But a few months ago our Woodcraft store closed. I got some nice cabinet grade Ply at Lowe’s last week. But I really miss the Woodcraft store.

Thanks for all the inputs!

I'm going to be putting in an order this week for a sheet from Rockler. I'm going to for the time being use that for my design pending any problems or dislikes on my part of the real product. I'm also wondering how they ship it and how well it arrives.

So far as I know you have two different forms of this material that looks pretty much alike. The material they sell at woodcraft is Finnish Birch plywood and has exterior glue and can be used outside.

The item from Rockler is Baltic Birch plywood and that means it is for indoor projects because of the glues used.

At least that is the way I learned it.

I will do a review of the material as to how it preforms for the task I want it to work for. I'll not be cutting wood for a while yet so this thread will be well down in the list so it will most likely be as part of a new post when it happens.

Ed

shydragon wrote:Paul, you mentioned there are a lot of places to buy the hardwood plywood here in the Portland area. I've been looking at a project that going to run approximately 5 sheets of 3/4", 4x8. I saw some projects made out of alder. It really looked nice. Where would be a good place to purchase in the Portland area?

Emerson Hardwood Co
Mr Plywood
Isobord Enterprises Inc
Arclin Surfaces Inc

I have used the first two above.

reible wrote:Thanks for all the inputs!

I'm going to be putting in an order this week for a sheet from Rockler. I'm going to for the time being use that for my design pending any problems or dislikes on my part of the real product. I'm also wondering how they ship it and how well it arrives.

So far as I know you have two different forms of this material that looks pretty much alike. The material they sell at woodcraft is Finnish Birch plywood and has exterior glue and can be used outside.

The item from Rockler is Baltic Birch plywood and that means it is for indoor projects because of the glues used.

At least that is the way I learned it.

I will do a review of the material as to how it preforms for the task I want it to work for. I'll not be cutting wood for a while yet so this thread will be well down in the list so it will most likely be as part of a new post when it happens.

Ed

That's interesting definitions of Baltic versus Finnish ply. I always thought Baltic Ply was made from Baltic Birch and shipped in 5x10 sheets which usually got cut down to 5x5 sheets.

All I ever knew was you could get it with marine glue and it was solid ply (no voids). I never knew one was Baltic and one Finnish.

Ed in Tampa wrote:That's interesting definitions of Baltic versus Finnish ply. I always thought Baltic Ply was made from Baltic Birch and shipped in 5x10 sheets which usually got cut down to 5x5 sheets.

All I ever knew was you could get it with marine glue and it was solid ply (no voids). I never knew one was Baltic and one Finnish.

Now is a fine time to do a search but as it turns out I did find this:
http://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-g ... or/?page=3

Ed

reible wrote:Now is a fine time to do a search but as it turns out I did find this:
http://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-g ... or/?page=3

Ed

Thanks for the referrence. I can't wait to drop this one on my supplier. He just calls them both Baltic one with marine glue and one with regular glue. He probably toss me out and I will have to find another place to buy ply.

Now how do you knowWoodcraft is the Finnish (exterior glue)?

Ed in Tampa wrote:Thanks for the referrence. I can't wait to drop this one on my supplier. He just calls them both Baltic one with marine glue and one with regular glue. He probably toss me out and I will have to find another place to buy ply.

Now how do you knowWoodcraft is the Finnish (exterior glue)?

Hi,

If you have a current catalog go to page 146 and read the description, about 3/4 the way into it.

Ed

Hi,

Just a bit of general information on the plywood front.

I ordered the 3/4"x24"x30" sheet (63453) from Rockler on the evening of 2/5, it arrived today. The piece I got measured .70"x23-15/16"x29-31/32" and the bathroom scale says it is 9 pounds. A check for square (diagonals) show it to be off some in that respect.

Both surfaces have plugs but for the purpose I intend to use it for this is not an issue. I can see no evidence of any internal voids by looking at the exposed edges.

As far as packing it came in a cardboard box close to the size of the plywood, no extra padding or protection but there was no damage to the box and the wood look like any other wood you might pick up at a store.

At this point it looks identical to other plywood of this type that I have picked up locally.

I haven't purchased any locally for a while but I think it was in the $1.75 a square foot range for a whole sheet. This purchase was in the $4 a square foot range. The nice part was it was dropped at my door. Had I wanted to get a full sheet I would have had to removed my seats in the van and drive to and from the store and worst of all if I wanted to break it down I would have to do it out in the weather.... and of course put the seats back in the van... this is however a digression from the reason for do this in the first place.

Again the reason for do the order is that almost anyone here can place an order and have the same material to work with if they chose to do so on an up coming project.

Ed

reible wrote:... the reason for do the order is that almost anyone here can place an order and have the same material to work with if they chose to do so on an up coming project.

Ed

Hi Ed,
Are you suggesting a group project?