HD ply: Caveat Emptor

[brent lenthall]

I've read about many people picking up Birch/Maple ply at HD for around $29. I built some shop storage with them with decent results (very thin veneers). However, the last couple sheets I picked up must be from a different supplier. Patriot was stamped on the side. I've had multiple splits in the veneer and have to redo two shelves that split right before I was ready to spray primer. Very frustrating. The $12 I saved over my normal supplier was definitely NOT worth it.

As Mr. Brady told Greg when he was buying his first car... Caveat Emptor... Let the buyer beware.

[Steve Clardy]

That's why my material comes from a cabinet material supplier. I've looked the big box ply about every time I venture into a big box, and the quality usually doesn't compare.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

We found that a whole stack in the Mesquite, Texas store had ripples in the veneer....BIG ripples standing 1/4" off the surface!!

[John M. Cioffi]

I agree with you Brent,normally.As I went past the stack, I inspected several sheets & they were all of good quality. I purchased 2 sheets for the cover on my attic stairs & they turned out great. Maybe a right time;right place sort of thing???

Very sorry for your project re-do. Hope everything works out to your benefit.

John

[Jim Becker]

I've had very good luck with the $42 HD birch ply (did all my kitchen cabinets with it last year), but was not happy with $29 maple/birch stuff...very poorly made and would not cut cleanly, or at least to my standards. I am curious about the poplar ply that some stores sell...we finally just got it recently. I don't use sheet goods much and generally only for utility, so the big box ply generally works for me. But if I buy for a real cabinetry project or furniture...it will come from a plywood supplier via a friendly local cabinetmaker or two.

[JayStPeter]

I've had very good luck with the $42 HD birch ply (did all my kitchen cabinets with it last year), but was not happy with $29 maple/birch stuff...very poorly made and would not cut cleanly, or at least to my standards. I am curious about the poplar ply that some stores sell...we finally just got it recently.

I'm with you. I think the HD birch is very nice. After searching through a few batches, I managed to find some real nice figure a couple times.
The cheap $29 stuff doesn't cut real clean, but works pretty well for things like shelves in shop cabinets where a little tearout or gap on the edge isn't real important. I prefer it over MDF for those kind of things. I will probably try one of the poplar sheets for that soon, to ease my curiosity.

Overall, I've found it necessary to really inspect each piece I buy from anyone. I've bought $130 book-matched cherry sheets that were delaminating. So, now I just flat out reject any piece with a defect, and I look close. Bubbles or waves are often indications that you will not like the result if you cut there. But, most suppliers of the "good" stuff will stand behind the sheet. When I brought half a delaminating sheet back (the other half was OK), they gave me half of another sheet they had in stock.

I've also found that some of the "good" stuff has real soft layers underneath. The aforementioned cherry must have pine inner layers. The shelves and cabinet bottom I made out of it ding really easily. From now on, I'm going to find out the mfr. from my ply suppliers so I know which to take and which I didn't like.

Jay

[Kevin Arceneaux]

I have 2 hardwood stores here in town and it just depends on what I want the plywood for. They are very competitive with the big box stores. The only problem is I need it on a Saturday and of course they are closed. :) But the folks at Lowes are getting used to me rooting through the stacks looking for the best sheet. There is a fellow there who will come and help me.

[Chris Padilla]

The $42 birch ply at HD has worked very well for me. I recently picked up some $31 maple ply...we'll see but so far, so good.

[Dan Mages]

Lets restate that title.... Buy from HD - Caveat Emptor. I never trust the Borg. ;)

Anyhow... I have always found that HD sells the cheapest grade that they can get away with. I am a business man and I always look at return on investment. What return do I get from spending an extra $12? Thicker veneer? clearer surface? Does the pluses justify the higher price? Stuff to chew on...

Dan

[Steve Clardy]

Heres some poplar ply that a customer brought to me to save on his material bill. I just put these sheets back and used some of mine and absorbed the added cost.
I'll turn them into shop cabinets or something one of these days.
Notice all the voids.
Whoever makes this stuff doesn't butt the inner cores together, they just overlap them and depend on the press to press them flat.

[Charlie Plesums]

...When I brought half a delaminating sheet back (the other half was OK), they gave me half of another sheet they had in stock...
The several times I have found delamination in a piece of plywood, I have been given a whole sheet as a replacement, one time even delivered free, each time with an apology (and clearly the hope that I wouldn't charge them to redo whatever used the other part of the bad sheet).

[James Carmichael]

I've had very good luck with the $42 HD birch ply (did all my kitchen cabinets with it last year), but was not happy with $29 maple/birch stuff...very poorly made and would not cut cleanly, .

What Jim said. Actually, the birch/birch is down to about $35 of late. The Birch/Maple stuff has been bad, I've found some bulges in the panels and the veneers are very thin. I think a lot of it I get locally (the good birch) is Boise-Cascade??

Lowes birch ply is awful, even more undersized than usual, a 3/4" panel was around 43/64" and full of voids.

[Ted Shrader]

. . . I am curious about the poplar ply that some stores sell...we finally just got it recently. . . . Jim -

Some poplar showed up in the HD closest to my house a couple of weeks ago. It is a good batch! When I went to get some, what started as a double pallet stack was down to about 10 sheets. Flat, good laminations, no voids. Better than the "Virola" ply stuff they usually stock. Bought two sheets for shop furniture. Pictures to follow in a couple of days.

OBTW our Borg stocks what appears to be actual baltic birch in 2' x 4' pieces. I know "real" stuff comes in 5x5 sheets, but this sure looks like it.

Regards,
Ted

[Mark Stutz]

Ted,
One of my local hardwood places has what looks like Baltic Birch in 4X8 sheets. I can't remember the name right know, but is U.S. made.