Sheet goods sticker shock

[John Renzetti]

Hi All, Not paying attention yesterday cost me about $160 more than wanted to pay for some maple veneer. Went to my supplier yesterday to pick up a few sheets of oak, one of cherry and 4 of maple. The maple is for some shop storage cabinets. This supplier carries real nice material.
I knew the plain sliced cherry would be high and it was at $80/ea. I wanted what is called "shop grade" maple. But they only have that on occasion. The counter rep said they had their standard grade. Without thinking or asking (I was trying to act like I knew more than I really do. :) )
Got the truck loaded, signed the bill and drove off.
Then I looked at the bill. $90 a sheet for the maple. I was thinking it would be around $50 like the oak.
Got to admit the maple veneer is definetly A grade. My wife complains already that the furniture in my shop is better than what we have in the house.
Next time I'll definetly ask what the cost of their "standard" grade is.
take care,
John

[Jim Becker]

You'll have to use figured maple for the solid stock now, John...but it will look really nice! :D :D :D Think of your shop as being a showroom for your work... ;)

[Dennis Peacock]

I hear ya John....The other thing that "gets" me? The thickness of the veneer faces on the hardwood plywoods these days. I was upset with the BB stores and the paper thin veneer on the oak plywood.....so I ordered some birch A/B cabinet grade from my not so local hardwood/sheetgoods supplier, Hogan Hardwood. At $49 a sheet, I got good looking stuff....but the veneers are so thin that you have to hand sand with 220 grit, but only a few swipes or you'll sand through the face veneer.

I also priced some QSWO Plywood and it was $115 a sheet. Walnut Plywood was $140 a sheet. Oh well.......Gotta watch that sticker shock!!!

[Steve Jenkins]

Whenever I buy oak ply I ask for domestic not import. The veneer on domestic is thicker than the import stuff. I'm not saying it is thick just thickER.

[Dave Tinley]

I just picked up 3 sheets of plain sawn natural maple from my dealer in Austin, and it was $47.09 per sheet. I priced some rotary cut white oak, it was $80 per sheet, I asked how come such a price difference and the salesman told me its all about supply and demand. Lots of kitchen, bath cabinets made out of red oak, maple, birch so the price is alot lower.
Interesting tidbit tho, with this dealer there is a price break on orders of 5 or more sheets, and then at 35 sheets.

Dave
BTW- They had some mesquite plywood that sold for $7.50 per square foot. :eek: Only about $240.00 per sheet.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

We are working ona stain grade Maple project and our plywood was $40 a sheet here in Terrell. It's beautiful stuff, but it's also very, very thin veneer. We have had to replace a couple of shelves already due to veneer peel. Might have to get out of working with ply altogether.

[Jim Hager]

I hear ya John....The other thing that "gets" me? The thickness of the veneer faces on the hardwood plywoods these days. I was upset with the BB stores and the paper thin veneer on the oak plywood.....so I ordered some birch A/B cabinet grade from my not so local hardwood/sheetgoods supplier, Hogan Hardwood. At $49 a sheet, I got good looking stuff....but the veneers are so thin that you have to hand sand with 220 grit, but only a few swipes or you'll sand through the face veneer.

I also priced some QSWO Plywood and it was $115 a sheet. Walnut Plywood was $140 a sheet. Oh well.......Gotta watch that sticker shock!!!

Hey Dennis, I had a Hogan Hardwoods salesman come to my shop the other day and tried to get some of my business. He gave me one of their encyclopedias of hardwoods and plywood and stuck around for quite a while. I think he was wanting me to place an order.

How are they to deal with? Like you I work at another full time job and my shop is a part time shop. Sometimes I'm not available when a supplier comes by to deliver. My supplier right now is Bennett Lumber in Tuckerman and I sorta have them trained as to what to do. Some of the ply I've been getting from them is really thin too and they sometimes use a long stick when they scale my lumber material.

How does Hogan hold up on those issues? Do you think I could be happy with them? How does their lumber stack up against other dealers according to quality. I usually buy FAS 13/16 straight lined and several different plywoods like china birch, baltic birch, MDF, Melamine, b-2 red oak ply, cherry ply and sometimes a little walnut. Their prices look pretty good but I hate to get a bad load of material!!:eek: What can you tell me about them?

[Robert Mayer]

wouldnt it be cheaper to use solid wood instead?

[Steve Clardy]

I deal with rising, fluxactuating prices all the time on sheet goods. As Jenkins stated, domestic veener is somewhat thicker. Also higher in price.
I use shop grades for bottoms, insides of cabinets. Use A-2 for outsides. Save a few dollars a sheet that way.
Some Oak cabinets, I'll use birch veener on the inside bottom cabinet to cut cost. Just stain them with oak stain.

Several years ago I read a veenering article about slicing veener. USA was getting 40 cuts per inch on veneer logs. Japanese were getting 60 cuts per inch. Now that's what I call less than paper thin!!

[Steve Bagi]

John,

Just curious, who is your supplier? I live in Chester County also and haven't been able to find any decent plywood. Thanks.

[John Renzetti]

John,

Just curious, who is your supplier? I live in Chester County also and haven't been able to find any decent plywood. Thanks.


hi Steve, I use Russell Plywood in New Castle DE. I have a cash and carry account. They sell to most of the cabinet shops in the area. You can find them on the web, just by putting russell and plywood together.
take care,
John

[Bob Weisner]

Why not just buy a plain sheet of plywood and glue on some thick veneer? 1/16" Oak veneer is only $1.50 a sq. ft.

[Bill White]

We use them for a lot of our materials. Good company, and they are competative.

[John Renzetti]

Why not just buy a plain sheet of plywood and glue on some thick veneer? 1/16" Oak veneer is only $1.50 a sq. ft.

hi Bob, Not sure if I'm seeing any savings here. I paid $1.675/sq ft for a sheet of A-1 Rotary cut 3/4" oak on a veneer core, plus it had an oak veneer backing. This is about $53/sheet. A sheet of veneer at $1.50/sq ft would come out to $48 just for the material, plus I would still have to get the backer and the 3/4" core material.
take care,
John

[Chris Padilla]

hi Bob, Not sure if I'm seeing any savings here. I paid $1.675/sq ft for a sheet of A-1 Rotary cut 3/4" oak on a veneer core, plus it had an oak veneer backing. This is about $53/sheet. A sheet of veneer at $1.50/sq ft would come out to $48 just for the material, plus I would still have to get the backer and the 3/4" core material.
take care,
John

True, but it would be more "fun", right? :o :eek:

:p

[Kelly C. Hanna]

That might work for small stuff Bob, but with big hobs like the Steve's & I do....it would be a nightmare.

[Corvin Alstot]

Then I looked at the bill. $90 a sheet for the maple. I was thinking it would be around $50 like the oak. Got to admit the maple veneer is definetly A grade.
JohnI got some quotes in Houston when I was looking at plywood (all rotary cut):
4x8 x 3/4 A1 Maple $98
4x8 x 3/4 B2 Maple $91
4x8 x 3/4 C3 Maple $60
4x8 x 3/4 E4 Maple $40

4x8 x 3/4 A1 Birch $70

4x8 x 3/4 B2 China Birch $42

I also saw figured maple plywood but the quote was around $400!\
There are a lot of options out there.
Corvin

[Richard McComas]

Sticker shock :confused: I just bought plain slice cherry of what I'd call very average for $113 per sheet :eek: With energy prices escalating so fast I wonder what the next batch will cost.