ApplePly Equal Or Better Than Birch Ply?

[David Perata]

I'm very interested in using States Industries ApplePly in place of birch plywood as a substrate for vacuum veneering. The first problem is that a person seems to need to buy an entire stack of the stuff to get it.

And I was told by a supplier that quality birch ply is just as good.

I'm looking for stability. It will be cut into smaller squares but they need to be absolutely warp and bend free. Even plywood warps, as I've seen.

Anybody find a source for single sheets of ApplePly cut for shipping?

Any thoughts on the stuff?

[Jamie Buxton]

Appleply has hardwood interior plies -- usually aspen -- and maple faces. Appleply has few interior voids. Birch ply, depending on what you mean, might have softwood interior plies, and might have internal voids, but will have birch faces. Baltic birch has hardwood interior plies, like Appleply. There's also very cheap birch-faced ply which is coming from the Orient, and is sold in big-box stores. It has poplar or the like for its interior plies. It has a bad reputation for warping and such.

Stability usually refers to movement after the product is put in service. Appleply and good conventional birch ply are quite likely to be stable. That Oriental ply may not.

If you really need "warp and bend-free", you might consider MDF from a good supplier. MDF will bend and warp more easily than plywood, but if it has been shipped and warehoused correctly, it stays flat. I hate working with the stuff, but it is inexpensive and readily available.

[Matt Armstrong]

I'm very interested in using States Industries ApplePly in place of birch plywood as a substrate for vacuum veneering. The first problem is that a person seems to need to buy an entire stack of the stuff to get it.

And I was told by a supplier that quality birch ply is just as good.

I'm looking for stability. It will be cut into smaller squares but they need to be absolutely warp and bend free. Even plywood warps, as I've seen.

Anybody find a source for single sheets of ApplePly cut for shipping?

Any thoughts on the stuff?

I agree that MDF may suit your application a little better... or MDF core, anyway.

[Howard Acheson]

Let me just add that both Baltic Birch and Appleply have a high number of internal plies. Because the plies are thinner, they tend to be more warp resistant than stand birch faced plywood.