Any thoughts on good places to buy cabinet grade plywood...

[Matt Tawes]

Hey guys & gals,

I'm always at odds when it comes to getting cabinet grade ply that I use for some furniture pieces and of course cabinets. My local dealers and of course the likes of Home Depot/Lowes are getting ridiculous on price and poor quality. Of course I'm asking for dealers that ship ply in in either the std. 24x32" pieces or 48x96". My preferences are Cherry, Pine & Birch 3/4 & 1/4. Any suggestions on best dealers? I tend to order 4-6 sheets at a time so I'm ont overy concerned about freight costs (within reason). I'm used to paying about $50-75 for a 6 full sheet order. Looking for best deals and quality.

[Doug Jones from Oregon]

I'm from Portland, OR area, but, we have no less than 4 suppliers that would fill the bill of cabinet grade ply, as well as a wide variety of hardwood species for the frames, etc. In Portland one would find them in the phone book under "lumber-wholesale" or "hardwoods-wholesale". I know that at least two of them would be happy to sell to the hobby shop class that is tired of the borgs. As for delivery charge, I'm a good 40 miles from the supplier of choice for me and the delivery charge for any size order is $15.00...great bargain in my mind.

Doug

[Tom Leavitt]

I'm also in Portland and use Crosscut Hardwoods. they are owned by Emerson Hardwoods here and offer all types.

http://www.emersonhardwood.com/cchw/categories.asp

Click on one of the links to the 3 different sites in the upper left hand corner.

[Brian Hale]

I've had good luck (and good prices) from Steve Wall lumber. They shipped to me via Wilson trucking and my last load (6) 4'x8' of birch ply, (4) 60"x60" 1/2" baltic birch and 150 bd ft of hardwood cost $125 for shipping (2 pallets). The ply is veneer core and i never found a void. It also measured .750 thick. The face veneers were beautiful, about twice as thick as what you find at the BORG and the sheets were flat and stayed that way even after several months of basement storage.

Right now, 3/4" birch is $50.

www.walllumber.com (http://www.walllumber.com)

Brian

BTW, where are you located? I'll be needing some oak and/or ash ply in the near future and maybe we can split the shipping.....

[Steve Rowe]

I avoid the borgs completely for plywood. They offer poor quality and high pricing. Plus, they let every bozo who wants, pick through their sheet stock and this frequently results in edge and face damage to whatever is left.

I suggest calling some cabinet shops in your area and find who they purchase from. If it is a large shop and they buy in quantity, they may even sell to you from their stock. In my area, I buy from Hogans Hardwoods and previously Paxtons (they were bought out at least in my area by Hogans a while back). I have found that this ply has a far greater selection, is much better quality and is less expensive than the borgs.

[Chris Barton]

I also, believe that Steve Wall is a great business to do business with. But, for plywood in my area there is a company that deals directly with cabinet shops and the like and their prices are fair and their product is good; Nashville Plywood.

[Burt Waddell]

Check with the local cabinet shops. In my case for example, I buy from a variety of wholesalers. These folks aren't interested in Selling a couple sheets of plywood. Most talk something like 500 board feet or a $500 minimum order. Don't expect to get boards x long by y wide either. If you do, it will cost. Also expect to find a lot larger range of plywood. Anywhere from "AA" to "D4". Some cabinet makers like myself also sell some hardwood to local craftsman. I can usually get a person what he needs but it may not be at a price I would consider reasonable.

[Matt Tawes]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the replies and info. guys. Located on the east coast in MD I try to deal with suppliers a little closer due to frieght costs. While I do own a cabinet and custom furniture shop I cant buy the volume that the some guys who just build kitchens do to get the very best prices. I have looked at Steve Wall for ply and some hardwood (I'm already satisfied dealing with Hearnes and Groff & Groff for HW in PA). Steve's prices seem pretty good and I've yet to ask him about the wholesale. I was just curious what others were using for dealers. Believe it or not the larger cabinet shops that buy wholesale don't get that big of a break unless buying 50-100 sheet orders and when they sell to others from their stock they charge close to $100+/sheet for cherry and $75+ for birch and pine.
My FIL worked for a lumber dealer that ordered cabinet ply and the only I reason I bought there at the time was for his discount (cost). The prices they charged the cabinet shops was about 15-30% over cost.

[Chris Mann]

Have you tried Allied plywood in Alexandria? I think their prices are good and they're a breeze to deal with. I'm not sure if they ship though, but they are relatively close.

[Joe Mioux]

Someone else mentioned this and I have mentioned it in a different thread, but find a local cabinet shop.

I am fortunate, I live 18 miles - 20 minutes - from a cabinet shop that also retails wood. They also have a really nice selection General Woodworking machines.

If you know of a cabinet shop in your area, give them a call or stop in and ask them if they would be willing to sell you some plywood. The only difference between them selling you a cabinet made of plywood and the plywood is the labor it took to build the cabinet, either way they are going to make money.

Joe

[John Lucas]

Home Depot and Lowes. Now wait a minute. Before you think I have totally lost it, both those stores are supposed to have deveoped ties with major plywood suppliers (not the ones that stock their shelves.) Up here, Atlantic PLywood is a superb cabintemakers supply house that I am able to use because I have finegled my way in, but they require a 10 sheet minimum for delivery to me. But if I go to the local HD and their contractors desk, they have a page of the panel goods they can buy from AP and have it to the store in 2 days. ANd they can order since sheet quantities. Most of the HD contractor desk clerks dont know much about it but it is worth my time to walk them thru the process. So far the panels I have ordered come in in good shape. If I order 4 or 5 different panels, they come in with cardboard wrap and banding.

[Peter Stahl]

So far the panels I have ordered come in in good shape. If I order 4 or 5 different panels, they come in with cardboard wrap and banding.

John, You've been lucky.The Home Depots in my area seem to bang everything up. I also thought you were located south, saw your RI in the message header. Do you have a calendar of your shop Ladies for 2006? Like you web site, keep up the good work!

[Matt Tawes]

As John mentioned. You can get some very nice cabinet plys ordered from any Lowes or Home Depot (unlike what they stock). I've asked the contractor desk at both stores for pricing in the past and here's what I got. Cherry 3/4 finish grade 2 sides $155.00, Birch $98, Knotty pine $125.00. This is per sheet price and no minimumorder required. If I adjusted my prices to accomodate theses material costs I would be out of business.

I know you guys keep suggesting contacting a local cabinet shop but the few that are within 50 miles of me already buy at the same places I do (including Lowes, HD, DHP, Allied, Horstmeyer ,DE Lumber Sale etc.) which is why I'm saying that unless buying 50-100 sheet orders none of us get any deals. I'm just looking or other dealers that I've yet to find out about.

Anybody here every deal with www.Panoplycorp.com (http://www.Panoplycorp.com) ?

[Steve Rowe]

As John mentioned. You can get some very nice cabinet plys ordered from any Lowes or Home Depot (unlike what they stock). I've asked the contractor desk at both stores for pricing in the past and here's what I got. Cherry 3/4 finish grade 2 sides $155.00, Birch $98, Knotty pine $125.00. This is per sheet price and no minimumorder required. If I adjusted my prices to accomodate theses material costs I would be out of business.

I know you guys keep suggesting contacting a local cabinet shop but the few that are within 50 miles of me already buy at the same places I do (including Lowes, HD, DHP, Allied, Horstmeyer ,DE Lumber Sale etc.) which is why I'm saying that unless buying 50-100 sheet orders none of us get any deals. I'm just looking or other dealers that I've yet to find out about.

Anybody here every deal with www.Panoplycorp.com (http://www.Panoplycorp.com) ?

Those prices are about double what you should be paying. Have you considered approaching the other cabinet shops for a possible cooperative purchase of full units? At the prices you quote, I suspect that each of you could overstock and still be ahead depending on your volume.

[Joe Mioux]

Matt those prices seem pretty steep.

I just checked my local cabinet shop Cherry 3/4 good 2 sides $119 Birch 3/4 good 2 sides $64. 5 sheets 5% discount, 10 sheets 10 pct discount 20 sheets 20 % discount.

Joe

edit: After typing my initial response, I realized that there maybe price differences in various regions of the country.

[Barry O'Mahony]

I'm from Portland, OR area, but, we have no less than 4 suppliers that would fill the bill of cabinet grade ply, as well as a wide variety of hardwood species for the frames, etc.
Other than Emerson/Crosscut, which is who I usually go to, what are the other 3? Any of those sell retail (i.e., less than a full unit of ply)? I'm just a hobbyist.

[Phil Maddox]

In Baltimore, I buy from North Bay Distributors. Try here:

www.northbaydistributors.com/northbay.htm (http://www.northbaydistributors.com)

They are nice to work with and have good prices. They are mostly commercial and may require that you be in business to buy from them.


EDIT - that link is wrong and I can't find the right one. Do a google search on North bay distributers.


Good luck!

[Matt Tawes]

Thanks for the additional info.
Yes those prices I mentioned are high but thats what dealers do over this way when it's not a commonly stocked grade or you order less than $500 worth of s single size/species of veneer. Cooperative purchases that I've tried to arrange were met with little interest as that larger cabinet shops actually buy lesser grades than I want around here and use alot of 1/2" & 5/8 for casework whereas I use only 3/4". Small Custom shops like mine which are fewer here on the shore mostly don't want to spend on stock till they have a job to commit it to and there just are not enough to compile a minimum order of each size/species to make it worthwhile.
Furniture and cabinet making is my full time business which most wholesalers recognize (since I have a resale tax license) but the answer I usually get is... we will be glad to sell to you and price based on volume but, sorry cannot deliver to residential (my shop is on my residence property) only business route delivery. I'll agree that lumber on the east coast seems a bit higher. Wall lumber looks pretty good and I will likely give him a shot since they sell and will ship a 5 sheet minimum vs. the 20 sheets the wholesalers require for best price break.