Uugg, did I pay way too much?

[Phil Winn]

Uugg…
I needed some plywood (Bending and regular ¾” and ¼”) for this weekend, I called the second store (Downes & Reader), and asked the price & if they had the Bending 1/8” plywood in stock—“$34.00 and no”; then I called the following store, Boulter Plywood, the 1/8” Bending Plywood was $34.00 and it was in stock….I never asked the pricing on the other stuff….
*****
Boulter Plywood in Somerville Massachusetts
www.boulterplywood.com (http://www.boulterplywood.com/)
The Baltic Birch is under the Multi-layer Plywood link. This store sells “only plywood”,
and does a tremendous business; they sell to the local WoodCraft store, Rockler, etc with no discounts.
Bought some plywood ¾” 5’ x 5’ Baltic Birch, was $69.00 a sheet;
also bought some ¼” 5’ x 5’ Baltic Birch, was $35.00 a sheet.
also some 1/8”, 8’ x 4’ Bending plywood for $34.00 a sheet.
The plywood does look “really nice”, seriously.
When I got home, my wife said you spent over $800.00 on plywood???
*****
Well then I called the second equally large store:
Downs & Reader in Stoughton Massachusetts
www.downesandreader.com/plywood.html (http://www.downesandreader.com/plywood.html)
They had some Russian Birch,
the ¾” , 5’ x 5’ was $27.00 a sheet
the ¼” , 5’ x 5’ was $22.00 a sheet
They did not have the Bending Plywood in stock…
There is a 10% restocking charge, AND I needed to rent a van + gas for $85.00 to pick-up the plywood…..So to return the plywood would be very expensive….
Is there a big difference between Baltic Birch and Russian Birch? Or did I …..
Phil

[Jon Eckels]

Well around here, 3/4 Birch is 58.00 for a 4x8 Sheet, though I couldn't tell you exactly what Species it is. It's a veneer core furniture grade. 1/4" is 40$. None of the yards around here stock 5x5.

As far as the Bending Ply goes. I'm just wondering what you're using it for? Are you staining it? Painting? Or just using it for some utility purpose?

I think the bending ply is a little expensive unless you're staining it. Local yards here carry 1/8" luan for utility bending or for doing laminate bends. OR 3/8" Wiggle board (Bendable fir ply - also available in pine). The wiggleboard can make pretty tight bends and is still fairly rigid since it's thick. That stuff goes for about 38$ a sheet. You can also get some good bends out of 1/4" rangerboard.

And in the interest of full disclosure I'm on eastern long island.

[Art Mulder]

I have no idea if there is any real difference between Russian Birch and Baltic. Sounds like marketing to me.

However, around here I can buy 3/8" Baltic Birch for $24, 1/2" for $27,
and 3/4" for $40 -- those are 5x5 sheets, and that is Canadian Funds.

...art

ps: Jon, 4x8 Birch Plywood is VASTLY different from 5x5 Baltic Birch plywood: no voids, thinner plys, and the plys are all hardwood.

[Doug Shepard]

The BB ply I'm able to get around here is much closer price-wise to the stuff you bought - maybe a tiny bit cheaper, although I dont recall the exact price. Without seeing it, for $27 (3/4) I'd really have to wonder what was wrong with it or why it was so much cheaper. Maybe made in China from Russian birch ?? As far as I know Baltic Birch is really from trees in Russia anyway, so labor, glue quality, ply quality and thickness has to factor into it somewhere.

[Don Baer]

I just bought 1/2 BB for $22/sht and 1/8" for $11. 3/4 is $33/bd last I checked.

[Jon Eckels]

ps: Jon, 4x8 Birch Plywood is VASTLY different from 5x5 Baltic Birch plywood: no voids, thinner plys, and the plys are all hardwood.

in the 5x5 or 4x8? the 3/4 4x8 that I use is a 9 ply with poplar core. It's pretty dang good as far as what is available out here. There's definately lesser grades in different yards, but I would think that those characteristics you're talking about would vary more by the mill that it comes from rather than the sheet size. It would make more sense to me to vary by the grade rather than the size. (A/AA, B/BB, C etc.)

[Steve Clardy]

Looks like the prices bounce all over.
I buy 1/2" 5x5 for $18.50 sheet. Good stuff

[Joe Jensen]

I've had mixed experience. Most has been great and stable. I bought some 5 by 5 sheets a while ago that warped like crazy. I think they were not "Baltic Birch", but I can't be sure. I remember them being much cheaper than I expected.

The local retail hardwood/tool store had 5 by 5 sheets of BB for $69 on Saturday. Their prices are always really high, maybe 40-100% above wholesale...joe

[Larry James]

From Menards big box store sales flyer:

"all plies are high quality, high density, Baltic Birch. Face and inter plies all equal in thickness for more stability. Extra thick sanded face veneer."

Same price for Birch, Red Oak or Maple Face veneer.

1/4" $18.99
1/2" $42.99
3/4" $57.89

[Gary Keedwell]

Wish we had a Menards around here in Taxachusetts. lol:rolleyes:

Gary K.

[Scott Thornton]

There are many different qualities for Baltic Birch. Most 3/4 sheets 13 ply will run about 45 - 60 per sheet, depending on grade.

I usually buy the cheaper, as I don't use it for finish projects, but more for jigs etc.

Finnish Birch is more expensive and better than Baltic. Russian Birch is just another variant of Baltic and probably made a few miles to a few hundred miles away from Baltic.

You probably did okay.

[Norman Hitt]

in the 5x5 or 4x8? the 3/4 4x8 that I use is a 9 ply with poplar core. It's pretty dang good as far as what is available out here. There's definately lesser grades in different yards, but I would think that those characteristics you're talking about would vary more by the mill that it comes from rather than the sheet size. It would make more sense to me to vary by the grade rather than the size. (A/AA, B/BB, C etc.)

Jon, true Baltic Birch only comes in 5 x 5, never made in 4 x 8. Unfortunately, I think there must be some counterfeit "Baltic Birch" being sold here in the US these days, because I have sure seen a lot of variance in the quality over the past year or so, but in my part of the country the price sure hasn't been lowered for the lower quality material I have seen showing up in numerous places. :(

[glenn bradley]

Down the street in SoCal, 5x5 BB $36, one side with dutchman, one side clean, 13 ply, haven't found a void yet but I do get some dark spots in the plys . . . . it's plywood.

[Ed Blough]

Why not go look at the other stuff and see if there is a difference.
It it is lesser quality you will feel better, if it is that same then you may want to consider returning what you purchased.

[David Rose]

I think part of the confusion comes from the fact that Russian Birch sold at Home Depot in our area has "Baltic" stamped on it somewhere. It is 4x8 foot sheets, and has too few plies to pass for what others call Baltic. The borg Russian does have a few more plies than their other plywoods. It also seems flatter and with fewer voids visible. If it comes from the Baltic, I guess it is Baltic. Maybe there needs to be another term for the many many ply that is "real" Baltic.

David

[Brad Hume]

Phil, I was in Downes and Reader 3-4 weeks ago, and remember seeing the Russian birch on the rack and thinking that was a good price. If I remember correctly, it looked pretty good, at least the exposed edges had no voids and nice even plys, and the good face on the top of the pile looked good. But I didn't pull a piece off or really look that closely, since I wasn't looking for plywood at the time. If it is bugging you that much (I know it would bug me) you may want to head over there and look.

As far as names go, Russian, Baltic, and Finnish Birch are, or at least used to be, more or less the same thing (quality variations aside), and mostly come from Russia. They started importing it during the cold war, and the marketers decided Baltic might sound a little better than Russian...

And Apple ply was named in response, not because it contained any apple wood, but because it was a competing product made in the USA (and most likely Canada), and they wanted it to sound patriotic.

--Brad

[David Rose]

Brad,

Some places carry what they call "Baltic Birch" that has at least a couple more plies (than the Russian) and is in 5x5 foot sheets. Our closest WoodCraft is one of these places. It is suppose to have no voids. The Russian Birch (that has "Baltic" stamped on it somewhere) that I've bought at our local Home Depot is very good, but I have found internal voids. I have always heard that true Baltic Birch is only available in 5x5 sheets.

I do know that the 5x5 sheets with more plies is more expensive. I think that is what the OP was wondering.

David


Phil, I was in Downes and Reader 3-4 weeks ago, and remember seeing the Russian birch on the rack and thinking that was a good price. If I remember correctly, it looked pretty good, at least the exposed edges had no voids and nice even plys, and the good face on the top of the pile looked good. But I didn't pull a piece off or really look that closely, since I wasn't looking for plywood at the time. If it is bugging you that much (I know it would bug me) you may want to head over there and look.

As far as names go, Russian, Baltic, and Finnish Birch are, or at least used to be, more or less the same thing (quality variations aside), and mostly come from Russia. They started importing it during the cold war, and the marketers decided Baltic might sound a little better than Russian...

And Apple ply was named in response, not because it contained any apple wood, but because it was a competing product made in the USA (and most likely Canada), and they wanted it to sound patriotic.

--Brad

[Russ Filtz]

True BB is always measured in metric too I believe?

[Brad Hume]

Brad,

Some places carry what they call "Baltic Birch" that has at least a couple more plies (than the Russian) and is in 5x5 foot sheets. Our closest WoodCraft is one of these places. It is suppose to have no voids. The Russian Birch (that has "Baltic" stamped on it somewhere) that I've bought at our local Home Depot is very good, but I have found internal voids. I have always heard that true Baltic Birch is only available in 5x5 sheets.

I do know that the 5x5 sheets with more plies is more expensive. I think that is what the OP was wondering.

David

I am fairly sure it was the 5x5 , high ply count (~13 ply at 3/4 in) that is normally called "Baltic". It was definitely a step up from anything that the local HD caries around here, where the closest thing is 4x8 sheets with higher ply counts but a few voids and overlaps and poplar face veneers. Whether it was top-of-the-line furniture grade BB plywood, I just didn't look that closely.

ANd I believe Russ is correct, true Baltic birch is normally metric. a 5' x 5' x 3/4" sheet is actually 1.5m x 1.5m x 18mm

--Brad

[Larry James]

Some help understanding?
what-is-baltic-birch (http://alliedveneer.com/what-is-baltic-birch.html#1)

[Howard Acheson]

In general, there are two "grades" of baltic birch. One is made in Russia and uses a non-waterproof adhesive. The other is made in Finland and uses an exterior adhesive. The Finish made is generally thought to be a little better qualitity but both Finnish and Russian are "B" grade outer faced veneer. Neither is what would normally be furniture grade veneer.

In my experience, the Finnish stuff is 10-20% more per 5'x5' sheet. I will buy the Russian because it is less expensive. I don't need an exterior rated product for my furniture, fixture and jig uses.

[Michael Panis]

Hi Phil,

I live pretty close to Boulter, so I've used them several times. I've always been impressed with the quality of what I got there. I used their Birch plywood to practice making bookshelves, and I can only hope the real ones come out looking so nice. There's a noticeable difference between their wood and what I could find at Lowes or Home Depot.

And my wife asks me the same question.

---Mike

PS I've also been impressed with Boulter's service. The last time I screwed something up, they stayed open past normal hours so I could run down and pick up another sheet.