'DIY' plywood...good idea?

[Michael Donahue]

My plywood sources are somewhat limited. My hardwood supplier has some real high end stuff, but I can't afford to spend $90+ every time I need a decent piece of oak plywood. Then there's my local borg which sells oak but it's usually junk. It's made by Columbia, but it's either C3 ($51) or B2 ($67ish) and both are usually junk. I've seen quite a bit of factory sandthroughs and filler even on the B2 stuff :mad: That and radially slice plywood rarely looks right if you want to make something halfway decent IMO.

Funny thing though is that the 1/4" chinese oak at the borg is usually pretty nice on one face (usually plainsliced and clear of defects) and it's only $22. I was thinking that I could laminate some of this on either side of some 1/4" or 1/2" MDF and have 'DIY' plywood almost :D The cost would end up being on par with the B2 stuff at the borg (if not cheaper on some applications where you don't need a good veneer on both sides.)

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I have to ask, don't you have a decent lumber supplier in your area? There is in mine, and I can't imagine being further into the sticks. Your idea would work, but what is your time worth?

[Michael Donahue]

I have to ask, don't you have a decent lumber supplier in your area? There is in mine, and I can't imagine being further into the sticks. Your idea would work, but what is your time worth?

My lumber supplier charges upwards of $90 for a sheet of oak plywood. My time has value, but I have more time than I do money (and that's not saying much!) :D

[glenn bradley]

As Steve says, it would work. I have built my own when I needed a small amount of odd thicknesses and didn't want to store the rest of a thick (1" plus) sheet for who knows how long. If you're talking an entertainment center's worth, I would re-think. The amount of glue and effort to get flat panels would steer me to shipping some wood in or getting a group to go in on a lumber run.

P.s. Solid wood is good ;-)

[Thomas S Stockton]

I think the amount of time it would take would offset any savings. I think you would be better off posting your location and finding some other options for suppliers. $90 for a sheet of a-1 red oak ply seems a little steep but not horrible, You might find someone who carries a shop grade that should be better qaulity than the borg for about the same price. Try www.woodfinder.com you might find something close by.
The chinese ply is junk it is OK for cabinet backs but the qaulity isn't consistant and the top veneers are really thin.

[Paul Steiner]

For the amount of time and money there are 2 better options. Solid wood or drop a veneer on a substrait. Shop around your local BORGs and suppliers. In VA some BORGS sell 6 layer Oak ply, others sell 10 layer oak ply. Both are sold for around $50, but the 10 layer is a much better board.
If you want to save money on wood find a sawyer or someone with a saw mill. You could maybe buy would from them or bring your own. Find a kiln or dry your own. I have a guy find and mill wood for me, 50 cents a BDF for oak, $1.00 for cherry and walnut. There is a kiln one county over that charges 25 cents a bdf to dry your wood. I have not paid more than $2.00 a bdf in a very long time.

[Eugene Wigley]

Another vote for solid wood. Glenn and Paul are right. Solid oak is cheaper than $90.00 for 32 sf. I never use plywood for carcase because I can build it from solid wood cheaper and better.

[Aaron Black]

Try making a deal with a local cabinet shop. Thats what i do he just adds in a couple sheets with his order, or he just sells me a couple sheets however he does add the price of a beer to each sheet 2bucks at the local. Just a thougt you might try.

[Aaron Wingert]

The veneer thickness is usually a lot thinner on import plywoods than it is on domestic plywoods. I've tried the Chinese stuff, and had to be very careful not to sand right through it. Occasionally I'll use it and save some money, but the important projects get the domestic stuff.

[Jim Becker]

While I have used 1/4" veneer plywood (QS cherry) to cap other sheet goods for both effect and extra thickness on a couple cabinetry projects, it's not something I would want to do on a regular and wide-scale basis.

[John Keeton]

Try making a deal with a local cabinet shop. Thats what i do he just adds in a couple sheets with his order, or he just sells me a couple sheets however he does add the price of a beer to each sheet 2bucks at the local. Just a thought you might try.
This is the best option - my local shop gets ply for $52 - $60/sht., and adds a little for the trouble. I also buy some of his scraps and cutoffs every now and then. They make great jig/fixture material, and come in handy for various projects. He piles them up in a corner for future use or to discard. I stop in every now and then and pilfer.

[Thomas S Stockton]

Michael,
Just for kicks I called my local retail/Wholesale supplier about red oak ply their prices were $66 plain sliced a-1, $55 rotary cut a-1 and $45 for shop, these are wholsale prices but in single sheet quantities so you might pay $5 to $10 more a sheet but still a lot less than what it cost now. This is not a big dealer but they carry all the popular stuff for cabinet shops and furnituremakers. I would ask around and see who else sells plywood in your area. The closet city to me is about 80k people and we have 2 good suppliers and everybody has red oak.
Tom

[Michael Donahue]

Michael,
Just for kicks I called my local retail/Wholesale supplier about red oak ply their prices were $66 plain sliced a-1, $55 rotary cut a-1 and $45 for shop, these are wholsale prices but in single sheet quantities so you might pay $5 to $10 more a sheet but still a lot less than what it cost now. This is not a big dealer but they carry all the popular stuff for cabinet shops and furnituremakers. I would ask around and see who else sells plywood in your area. The closet city to me is about 80k people and we have 2 good suppliers and everybody has red oak.
Tom

If I could get A1 stuff for $66 I'd be thrilled! :eek: One problem I'm worried about also though is getting the material home. I don't have a truck, but the guys at HD or my local hardwood place can at least do some rough cutting for me (I can get a sheet up to 36"x8' in the back of my car with the trunk open). There are a few places within 20-30 miles or so who deal with commercial shops, but if I told them I don't have a business and need 2 or 3 sheets, they'd probably tell me to pound sand.

I'm in north-central Connecticut for what it's worth. Anyone know some decent places to get plywood?

And I appreciate all the advice so far in this thread! FWIW, if I were to go the DIY route it be for smaller projects. I wouldn't dream of redoing my kitchen like that :D

[Bill White]

Try making a deal with a local cabinet shop. Thats what i do he just adds in a couple sheets with his order, or he just sells me a couple sheets however he does add the price of a beer to each sheet 2bucks at the local. Just a thougt you might try.

Buddy up to a cab shop.
Bill

[John Lucas]

Don't give up on Borg. I dont have that store but I do have Home Depot. Try this: go to contractors desk when they are not busy and ask to see their veneer plywood notebook. In HD case, all local mgrs were told to develop this book and it has the wholesale company's wood showing. In this area, that company is Atlantic Ply and if I call them, they will tell em wholesale only. If I want 10 sheets for cash they will take the order. BUT, they have a contract with Home Depot and the price I pay this way is not bad. Delivery is usually 2 to days...at HD. When I want delivered to me, then I pay that charge whiich varies all the time from 25 to 50.

[Paul Steiner]

1. Get friendly with the lumber managers at your local BORGs so you can buy their damaged ply at a discount. This can be difficult because staff turnover is tremedous at these stores, but usually managers stay for awhile. I buddied up with a lumber manager and would sell me all the slightly scratched or damaged pieces at 80% off.

2. Are you military? Have a friend that is military? Many military bases have woodshops as part of their MWR (Morale, welfare, and recreation). These shops usually have lumber at a discount. My father is retired Air Force and I ride along if he is making a lumber run to the base.