HW Ply - How mcuh $$ should I expect to pay?

[Charles Wiggins]

In reference to Charlie Barnes recent post on the poor quality of HW ply at the Borgs (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=68250), and my own recent disappointments with the same, I have realized that I need to start purchasing sheet goods from the HW dealer. What price range should I expect? I'm not sure how much competition controls the prices around the Asheville area. Seems like just about everything is more expensive here than a lot of other places.

[Danny Thompson]

I've thought the same about prices being high in Memphis. I can get 3/4 "Imported Birch Ply" for $40/8'x4' sheet. Other hardwoods range up. I think Maple is about $70-75. Walnut is about $95.

[James Phillips]

$40 or so for red oak up to about $100 for walnut and cherry. I would steer clear of the imported birch

[Montgomery Scott]

Around here plywood ranges from about $80 for A1 birch to $140 for teak 3/4" sheets. I buy A1 maple and cherry for about $100/sheet.

[Jim Becker]

BB (5'x5') runs me about $55 and 1/4" cherry is $70. These are "contractor" prices. I haven't bought anything else lately.

[Dan Lee]

Friday I was at my plywood supplier and he had 3/4" Wenge plywood for I believe $210 a sheet :eek: . Cherry goes for around $120 for 3/4"

[Rod Sheridan]

Baltic Birch plywood at the retail level in Toronto is as follows for 3/4 ply.

5 X 5 sheet $47.49

4 X 8 sheet $95.00

All prices in $Canadian.............Rod.

[Dave Watkins]

Charles,

I'm too lazy to mapquest your location, but take a look at Wall Lumber in NC. He's got a price list and it always kills me to look at it cause it's WAAAAYYYY cheaper than up here (Central NJ). I'm staying away from borg sheet goods now too, last experience was way bad.

Good luck,

Dave

[Gary Herrmann]

Wow. 3/4 cherry is $200 for a 8x4 sheet here.

[Todd Burch]

I just got some prices the other day:

3/4 African Mahogany $74.95/sheet
3/4 Stain Grade Birch $53.95/sheet
3/4 Cherry - MDF Core $74.50/sheet
3/4 Cherry - Veneer Core $89.50/sheet
3/4 Walnut $95.50/sheet
3/4 Ash $67.95/sheet

Todd

(Single sheet prices - delivered)

[David Weaver]

I got 3/4" cherry from a millwork shop for $99 a sheet about 8 or 10 months ago. That may be out of date now, though. For that price, I'm beginning to consider making hardwood panels for everything that I need unless I really need the stability of ply. I would gladly pay more and be content with it if they could put veneer greater than 1/42nd of an inch on the outsides of the ply.

It's gotten to the point here that anywhere you can get low doses of plywood - it's hard to find sheets that are really straight. Have to go to a millwork shop and get them. They're friendly, but it's probably a pain for them to deal with people like me getting one or two sheets at a time.

[Mike Scoggins]

Hey Todd,

Are those prices by chance from Mason's Mill & Lumber?

Mike

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I just got some prices the other day:
3/4 African Mahogany $74.95/sheet

Don't feel to bad. I paid $110 for 3/4 African Mahogany about 8 months ago...and I found some small brads in it.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/Beff2/NailinPlywood.jpg

[Todd Burch]

Hey Todd,

Are those prices by chance from Mason's Mill & Lumber?

Mike

Yuuuuuuuuuup.

[Todd Burch]

Don't feel to bad. I paid $110 for 3/4 African Mahogany about 8 months ago...and I found some small brads in it.


I don't thing the issue there is the brads in it!!

[Bob Reda]

You better check again if you haven't in the last couple weeks. I just got 1/2" BB 5x5 for $40 a sheet from DSI, up from $19 a sheet a month ago.:eek:

[Jeff Raymond]

Jeffrey:

You need to find a new plywood guy! The condition of the ply itself is lousy per your picture...and the brads, well...

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Jeff & Todd

The veneer that you see is the backside or "B" of the plywood which I had to reduce in thickness with a sander to meet a project need. The quality of veneer was descent before sanding, and the veneer on the "A" side was quite nice.

But what about those brad nails? I have not yet gathered enough guts to look at my saw blades. :(

-Jeff :)

[Todd Burch]

I don't shy away at cutting through brads. I don't cut through framing nails**, but pins and brads - sure.

An example I can think of was when I was building a lightweight trunk for air travel. I used 1/4" ply for the sides. I then surface glued and stapled 3/4" pine for a frame (all butt joints to make the frame - I was in a hurry). I did this with all 5 panels for the trunk and the lid was a bit different construction.

When gluing on the pine, I made each of the 5 panels oversized, and then cut them all to size so the edge where the "ply meets the pine" would be dead on. Some edges just got cut, while other got rabbeted.

Zing, zing, zing. It's carbide. They sharpen.

Todd

And NO, I would not expect them to be in a new piece of ply and would raise an issue with my supplier if I found any.

(** I do with my Skil Worm Drive!!)

[Roy Hatch]

Charles, Back to your question - you have received prices from around the country and they vary as expected. I too have noticed prices in this area are higher than I experienced in MD. You didn't mention where you moved from, but it seems many people in this part of the country are imports. I see you are a bit north of Asheville and I'm 20 miles south.

You might check with Gennett in Asheville if you haven't already. Unfortunately, I'm not sure they have any competition other than the borgs. My next thought would be to consider the nearest large city, but then the cost of gas may kill any deal you find.

If you find anything worthwhile, I would be interested in hearing about it.

Roy

[John Lucas]

I don't thing the issue there is the brads in it!!

Todd, I agree. That sheet looks worse than the 1/4" luaun that is banded as an outside protection sheet for other goods. I cant beieve that is a 3/4" sheet that any reputable dealer would sell as premium. The two brads and the cross sanding/wear is shameful. The dealer should give that free along with a sheet of quality 3/4 neh. that was ordered. I don't mind paying a good (high) price for hardwood ply...but the sheet should have two good surfaces and a tight, no void core.

[Charles Wiggins]

Charles, Back to your question - you have received prices from around the country and they vary as expected. I too have noticed prices in this area are higher than I experienced in MD. You didn't mention where you moved from, but it seems many people in this part of the country are imports. I see you are a bit north of Asheville and I'm 20 miles south.

You might check with Gennett in Asheville if you haven't already. Unfortunately, I'm not sure they have any competition other than the borgs. My next thought would be to consider the nearest large city, but then the cost of gas may kill any deal you find.

If you find anything worthwhile, I would be interested in hearing about it.

Roy

Roy,

I'm not new to the area, just new to buying outside the box. I've only dealt with Gennett once and I found it humiliating. They didn't want to mess with me because I wasn't ordering hundreds of bf.