Why no poplar plywood?

[Jamie Buxton]

The other day I was buying materials for some painted cabinets. The basic requirements for paint-grade are fine grain and low cost. Here, that means C3 maple plywood, and poplar where I need solid lumber -- edgebanding, face frames, and the like. Poplar lumber is less expensive than maple, so presumably poplar plywood would be less expensive than maple plywood. However, I've never seen poplar-faced plywood. I wonder why.

[Chip Lindley]

And then there is Birch ply! Tight grain, and much harder than poplar!

[Nate Carey]

...our Millwork Shop (www.t-n.com (http://www.t-n.com)) tried poplar plywood a few years ago; the stuff was made in China and had a tendency to delaminate, we went back to maple and birch in short order. Our wholesale suppliers discontinued offering poplar plywood after that experience.

For painted case work our preference is - 3/4" B-2 maple at about $1.35/sf in quantity and 3/4" A-1 birch at about $1.65/sf in quantity...

[Prashun Patel]

We can get poplar ply around here. Both BORG and some hw lumber stores carry it.

[Sean Nagle]

...our Millwork Shop (www.t-n.com (http://www.t-n.com)) tried poplar plywood a few years ago; the stuff was made in China and had a tendency to delaminate, we went back to maple and birch in short order. Our wholesale suppliers discontinued offering poplar plywood after that experience.

For painted case work our preference is - 3/4" B-2 maple at about $1.35/sf in quantity and 3/4" A-1 birch at about $1.65/sf in quantity...

That's exactly what our local supplier carries for this type of application at almost exactly the same price.

[Nate Carey]

Sean, what region of the country are you in?

[Sean Nagle]

Nate, I'm actually in Northern Colorado. We have one of the best hardwood and sheetgood suppliers anywhere. They also have a good woodworking tools offering. They run a millworks too that supplies regional builders, so they have a very diversified business.

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

In MA, Home Depot sells poplar 3/4 ply for $40

[Craig Coney]

...our Millwork Shop (www.t-n.com (http://www.t-n.com)) tried poplar plywood a few years ago; the stuff was made in China and had a tendency to delaminate, we went back to maple and birch in short order.

For painted case work our preference is - 3/4" B-2 maple at about $1.35/sf in quantity and 3/4" A-1 birch at about $1.65/sf in quantity...

Like Nate said, it had a tendancy to delaminate, so alot of suppliers stopped carrying it.

[Jason Beam]

My local lumber yards all have poplar ply - none of my local BORGs do, though.

[John Thompson]

I can get all I want at my local hardwood supplier here in Atlanta. They mark all ply with either Domestic or Import and the poplar comes from China. I purchased one sheet of 1/4 to test for chest dust backs. That will be the last sheet I purchase as it de-laminates as mentioned and the 1/4" I got basically looked like my grand-mother's ripple wash-board she used at the creeek to wash clothes on after the sheet came out of the stack.

I will pass on the poplar ply personally... ;)

Sarge..

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Nate, I'm actually in Northern Colorado. We have one of the best hardwood and sheetgood suppliers anywhere. They also have a good woodworking tools offering. They run a millworks too that supplies regional builders, so they have a very diversified business.

Sean, who is that supplier? I usually go to Woodstock Supply in Rapid SD for my needs, but if there is something closer...

[Sean Nagle]

Steve, the name is Sears-Trostel. They are located in Fort Collins, CO.

[Peter Quinn]

I'm no plywood expert here, but I use a fair amount at work. most of the maple ply we use for paint grade is C-2, and all but the face veneers is in fact poplar. Made in USA or Canada, ANSI rated, and mostly poplar by volume. I guess when it comes down to the final veneer the cost of materials is not significant relative to the cost of processing, and as maple performs marginally better than poplar relative to closeness of grain there is no incentive to offer a paint grade plywood with a poplar face veneer?

i have seen and used that Chinese poplar plywood from the Borg, and I am looking for a word to describe it, lets see, its on the tip of my tongue, oh here it is..... JUNK. Regardless of the face veneer, if the delaminations and glue bubbles telegraph through the painted finish, it is not even shop grade IMO. I didn't know you could have tension wood in sheet goods, but they have done it at the borg.