A-1 Plywood Where to buy it

[Rob Holcomb]

Hello all and Happy Thanksgiving! I decided it's time to stop thinking about new kitchen cabinets and get to work making them. Do any of you know where I can buy 4X8 sheets of A-1 grade Oak or Cherry plywood (LOML hasn't decided which she wants) in the western NY area? I won't even consider the Borgs China made crap and special ordering from them will surely bring some very bad banding indentations when it arrives. My local lumber stores are great for providing construction grade materials and are quick to tell me how I should just buy pre-made cabinets but I want to build them myself. Many of the cabinets will have the sides exposed to view so I need plywood that won't have flaws and if I'm going to do it, I might as well have the interiors of the cabinets be visually appealing too. I'm willing to drive a couple hundred miles if I need to, to get really good material but for the life of me I can't find anyplace that sells this stuff. Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Stephen Cherry]

I'm certainly not an expert, and that hasn't stopped me from giving advice in the past, but if I were looking to build a cabinet, I would think real hard about a box of prefinished maple, wrapped in the hardwood faceframe and frame and panel ends. Basically, all hardwood from the outside, and easy to clean inside. Also, anything you can do to soften the corners is a huge plus.

http://columbiaforestproducts.com/Retail

[Rob Fisher]

I'm not sure where you are in western NY but I get my plywood from http://www.industrialplywood.com/. They are in Reading PA and Lewisburg PA and they have lots of stuff. I have only gotten Baltic birch from them. Also they deliver to my area, which is less than a hour from their warehouse. Call and find out if the will deliver to you. You may even be buying enough to get a discount, which for the BB was a skid of 30 sheets I think.

[John TenEyck]

I've had good luck with Gui's Lumber (NF, Amherst, and Springville) when I've wanted to order topnotch stuff. They get it from Babcock Lumber and Allied Plywood, I believe, which won't sell to an individual. Anyway, if you specify exactly what you want, like flat-sawn red oak both sides, cabinet grade, good 2 sides, that's what you'll get. I got some beautiful red oak MDF that way recently. It ain't cheap, but it's the best I've been able to get, and I can buy 1 sheet if that's all I need. In your case, you may be able to get a bit of a discount buying enough for a whole kitchen. If there's a way you can get them to send you a sample, or maybe buy one sheet first, you can verify it's what you want at low risk. If it works out and you want to order a whole bunch, they also will deliver it for a reasonable fee. Good luck.

[Peter Quinn]

I'm certainly not an expert, and that hasn't stopped me from giving advice in the past, but if I were looking to build a cabinet, I would think real hard about a box of prefinished maple, wrapped in the hardwood faceframe and frame and panel ends. Basically, all hardwood from the outside, and easy to clean inside. Also, anything you can do to soften the corners is a huge plus.

http://columbiaforestproducts.com/Retail


Uh, What he said, on both accounts. I suppose you can use A-1 for interiors and boxes if it pleases you, but that is IMO a huge waste of your money. I use prefinished maple for interiors, I'd use A-1 in the veneer to match your exteriors for open shelf areas or cabs with glass doors. Otherwise its easily twice the price for cherry versus maple, you have to finish it all, that adds up quick.

[Chad Bender]

I'll second the recommendation for Industrial Plywood. I've used the Lewistown branch and been very pleased. No idea if they'll deliver to NY though.

[Clisby Clark]

Stephen's Absolutely right on this one. Please consider the prefinished ply(I prefer domestic, but it cost much more than Chiwood-you get what you pay for). Domestic prefinished will cost less than A1 and with a F/P end cap will look better than a slab of A1. You'll also save time and $$$ on finish(ing) all the carcasses.

[Craig Kalkman]

Try Atlantic Plywood in Rochester. They have a web site with limited information, only sell through dealers, but they have good quality plywood, way better than the big boxes. They have multiple varities of unfinished and pre-finished plywoods. You can purchase through Rochester Lumber at reasonable prices then go to their wholesale warehouse on Lyell Avenue and pick it up. I've had good luck with the pre-finished maple plywood for cabinet frames, and the cherry I've seen looks very good also.

[Rob Holcomb]

Thank you all for your replies. I wasn't thinking about pre-finished ply but that certainly would save a lot of time. I will be checking prices at the various places suggested and hopefully be able to get under way right after Christmas. Thanks again and I hope you all have a wonderful and joyous holiday season!

[Rick Moyer]

I'm not sure where you are in western NY but I get my plywood from http://www.industrialplywood.com/. They are in Reading PA and Lewisburg PA and they have lots of stuff. I have only gotten Baltic birch from them. Also they deliver to my area, which is less than a hour from their warehouse. Call and find out if the will deliver to you. You may even be buying enough to get a discount, which for the BB was a skid of 30 sheets I think.

Darn Rob, you had me all excited as Lewisburg is only fifteen minutes away! Then I looked at their website and discovered they're in Lewistown! that's more like an hour and a half.:(

[John TenEyck]

I might have been mistaken when I said Allied Plywood, because when I saw Craig's recommendation about Atlantic Plywood in Rochester I think that's more likely one of the two places I've gotten plywood from through Gui's Lumber in our area. I've never used prefinished plywood. I've heard others have had good luck with it, but I've always been afraid of how I would fix any scratches I got on it moving it into and around my shop before I actually got the box together. I'm sure it makes sense for the pros to use it; not so sure for others like me, to say nothing of the price.

[Jim Neeley]

Rob,

My suggestion would be to make a few phone calls to your local custom cabinetmakers and ask them where they but their wood, when they need it immediately. Here in Anchorage there's a place specializing in just that. When you see it's only open 7am-4pm M-F, you know their focus is the Pros.

May not be the cheapest but likely top quality stuff.

Jim

[Aleks Hunter]

Hey Rob, Happy Thanksgiving back at you.

I don;t know where you are in Western NY, but just off Rte 31 in pittsford, just outside of Rochester, is the Pittsford lumber company. Tons of nice hardwood all stored in climate controlled buildings and plenty of very nice plywood. They are good abut letting you sort through their inventory. Be advised, the good stuff does cost a good deal more than the Pith core that at the BORG. If she opts for oak, They also carry quartersawn white oak veneered plywood which you' never find in an orange bigbox.

[Rob Holcomb]

Thanks for that info Aleks. I'm about 3 hours from Rochester but I have a very good friend that lives there so I could make a day of it. Actually he will be down here in Jamestown next weekend so I will talk to him about buying him lunch and in return he gets to go shopping for plywood and help me load it :)

[Rob Fisher]

Darn Rob, you had me all excited as Lewisburg is only fifteen minutes away! Then I looked at their website and discovered they're in Lewistown! that's more like an hour and a half.:( I'm sorry I did get that wrong. I would still check them out, they may deliver to where you are. And if you look at their website you can see they have quite a selection.

[Rick Moyer]

I'm sorry I did get that wrong. I would still check them out, they may deliver to where you are. And if you look at their website you can see they have quite a selection.

Thanks Rob. "upon further review" they are just over an hour away so that's doable if I need something.

[Chad Bender]

Thanks Rob. "upon further review" they are just over an hour away so that's doable if I need something.

FYI, I've had them deliver to State College, also about an hour away. I believe they charged me ~$10 on a $100 order, which was a bargain.

[Chris Hackett]

Rob,
I didn't see anyone mention Thruway Hardwood, but I would consider them.
http://www.thruwayhardwood.com/Default.aspx

[Jim Becker]

I purchase cabinet grade veneer plywood from Industrial Supply in Reading PA...and they deliver to me free if the order is over $300; otherwise the delivery fee is $25. You should be able to find a similar situation up where you are. Ask around some local cabinet shops where they buy from. You may even be able to piggy-back on one of their orders...some places will do that to help keep their volume up while making a small markup on the material.