Replies

1. 
   douglas2cats | Mar 11, 2006 04:26am | #1

   BB ply is great stuff to work with. It's probably the best choice for workshop jigs, stands, etc. and it's good for using under veneer or plastic laminate too. I think Rockler's allure as a source for BB ply is mostly for folks wanting smaller pcs for projects. It's normally a 5' x 5' sheet from cabinet ply suppliers. I think Rockler sells 2' and 3' pcs in various widths. It's been quite a while since I've bought any but I think 3/4 x 5' x 5' was around $60 - I could be real wrong on that price though. It's obviously going to cost more at Rockler for the same sq footage vs buying full sheets under normal prices, but at 50% off it might actually end up less. I'd try to find a cabinet ply supplier in your area and call to see what the full sheet cost is just so you have something to compare Rocklers prices to.

   If you build it he will come.

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 11, 2006 08:21pm | #2

   I think you're right, Douglas, Rockler's BB ply is hobby-sized stuff.  At least in Seattle, I don't remember seeing full sheets there.  It gets real expensive when you buy it in 1x2' sheets or whatever. (Not that it isn't already expensive, LOL).  Great stuff. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   forestgirl | Mar 11, 2006 08:23pm | #3

   If you have room to store 2 or 3 extra sheets of plywood, just pick up a sheet of BB the next time you're at your hardwood or plywood dealer (not a Big Box).  When I go to Seattle, via ferry, to get hardwood, I have to justify the cost of the trip by picking up as much stuff "over there" as is reasonable.  Sometimes, I'll add a sheet of BB to the list, whichever size I don't happen to have and might need.  It always gets used!

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   

1. 
   10450 | Mar 13, 2006 05:15pm | #4

   What is it about plywood bought from the big boxes that is so different from the rest? Just wondering.Kurt

1. 
   highfigh | Mar 13, 2006 06:26pm | #5

   The big box plywood is cheaper and lower quality, in my experience. Every time I buy it from there, it turns into a potato chip and whenever I buy it from a plywood dealer or a particular lumber company, I can keep it in my garage for months without any problems. They may only save a few cents/sheet, but with their volume, they make a lot more money on it. Even though it's not a huge difference in price to the end user, it seems that most people are willing to put up with that garbage. I'm done buying plywood from them. It's not worth it for the things I use it for.If, on the other hand, you took BB to be Big Box, that's not what it means. It's Baltic Birch.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

1. 
   Glaucon | Mar 13, 2006 07:07pm | #6

   The nice thing about Big Box ply is that it comes pre-warped... haven't tried jointng it yet...

   The stuff is so useless- I can't understand how anyone can use it for underlayment, let alone any more critical application..  I think of it as a very large, flat, inconvenient version of firewood.Glaucon

   If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

2. 
   forestgirl | Mar 13, 2006 07:11pm | #7

   My comment about big boxes in this particular instance was more related to the fact that they rarely carry Baltic birch.  I did find some once at Home Depot, but the quality was far below that of the stuff at my hardwood dealer.

   Big Box plywood can often (but not always) be sub-par in quality (voids, consistency of thickness are two factors).  That's certainly where I buy most of my utility ply.  But if I were building really nice cabinets, I'd be extremely careful picking stuff out there, and not be surprised if they didn't have the quality I needed.

   Extra care is required when picking from that $30 1/2" or 3/4" oak pile that is such a "great buy."  That stuff can be really bad sometimes.  It pays to remember that with Home Depot, Lowe's and whatever other big-box stores there are out there, cost is their major focus and they're not near as concerned about quality as we'd like them to be.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

   Edited 3/13/2006 12:13 pm by forestgirl

1. 
   10450 | Mar 13, 2006 09:15pm | #8

   Thanks for the tip. I have often bought the 4 x 8 sheets of Birch from the boxes but haven't done anything nice enough yet to really know the difference. What can I expect to pay for the same amount of quality Baltic Birch or other plys for that matter?

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 14, 2006 12:07am | #9

   Hopefully you've figured out that "Birch plywood" and "Baltic Birch plywood" are two different things.  I won't go into the explanation unless you indicate otherwise.  Wow, cost of BB?  Not cheap.  It's been several months since I last bought a sheet (they come in 5x5' sheets).  I think 1/2" runs around $40/sheet?  Maybe some others will pitch in here.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   DougU | Mar 14, 2006 05:37am | #14

   FG

    I think 1/2" runs around $40/sheet

   I get mine for about $22-24 a sheet. Your not inland that far, I'd think that you'd get yours as cheep.

   Doug

3. 
   douglas2cats | Mar 14, 2006 01:15am | #10

   If you saw Baltic Birch ply and regular cabinet grade birch ply side by side, there's a noticable difference. For any given thickness, BB ply has 1.5 to 2 times more plys than the cabinet grade ply. Each layer is thinner, so there's more of them. This tends to make the sheets more stable and less prone to warping as well. Plus BB ply typically doesn't have any of the football shaped plugs for voids that lesser ply has (not including cab grade birch ply here) and you'll rarely see a gap in BB ply layers along the edges.If you build it he will come.

3. 
   tangomike | Mar 14, 2006 01:18am | #11

   Baltic Birch plywood is very nice (and if Rockler is offering it half off then they are probably selling it for just about what you would pay for it anywhere else) but if you find a sheet goods specialty shop you can get a product called Appleply that is every bit as good as Baltic Birch, comes in 4x8' sheets and is about half the cost.

   Do yourself a favor and search out a place that sells sheet goods to cabinet shops, you will be amazed at the variety of products they have, everything from multiple grades of MDF (I use the lightweight kind for a lot of projects now) to prefinished maple plywood to beautiful walnut and teak put-a-big-hole-in-your-wallet sheets of plywood.

4. 
   Marion | Mar 14, 2006 02:52am | #12

   I was in Rockler today. The 3/4"--12"x5' was 8.00. I didn't get any.

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 14, 2006 05:27am | #13

   "I was in Rockler today. The 3/4"--12"x5' was 8.00. I didn't get any."  That was the price with the discount applied?  Actually not bad!  Extrapolated out to a full shee, it would be 5x$8 = $40 for 3/4"  Not bad at all, if you happen to need some that's only 12" wide.  Good for jigs and such.

   When I buy a sheet, it always has to be cut down anyway to fit in the 47-15/16" wide opening into the Blazer.  Can't believe they made that opening a smidge less than 48" -- must not have any woodworkers on their design staff.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   Marion | Mar 14, 2006 04:06pm | #15

   If it had been half sheet size, I would have picked it up. As it was, yes jigs and such.