Baltic birch

[Tom Krueger]

Thanks for all the help guys!
I have sent an email to a “local” woodworking store (about an hour away). He replied saying he has real bb plywood in 5x5 sheets for 75$. He also has 1/2 sheets.
Also found out local big box has 4x8 for 150$, with free shipping to store.
Leaning toward driving an hour. Price didn’t really seem way ot of line, considering the last plywood I got from him was a sheet of qswo (1/4”) for 98$.
Making a good table saw sled, so I want good ply. (Woodsmith ultimate crosscut sled)

[Tom Krueger]

Jim, pretty sure I used that same crappy ply you’re talking about. I think it was the boss that got some for a project we needed to get out. At first I thought, wow, look at all those plies, this is some nice ply. That feeling lasted until the first cut! I swear, the face veneer can’t be much more than .005”!

[Alex Kapl]

Anyone know of a source of BB in northern NJ? I found one place but it hasn't been in stock for a while. Keep calling weekly but so far no luck

[Jim Becker]

Jim, pretty sure I used that same crappy ply you’re talking about. I think it was the boss that got some for a project we needed to get out. At first I thought, wow, look at all those plies, this is some nice ply. That feeling lasted until the first cut! I swear, the face veneer can’t be much more than .005”!

Yea...that sounds like a similar product. I should have known better just based on the price. LOL You will not regret using the BB for your shop fixtures as well as for many other things. And I never throw out the scraps, even small ones, of that stuff, either. If I"m culling shorts, etc., the BB stays no matter what.

[Michael Drew]

For what it's worth, the store I buy all my hardwood and sheet goods sells both sizes. 5X5 and 4X8 sheets. They are similar, but not the same. Both are very nice to work with, same number of ply's (13 for 3/4 stuff), but they are not from the same manufacture. The 5X5 stuff is what they call their "real" Baltic Birch. The 4X8 stuff is what they refer to as "Russian" Birch. The Russian stuff has a thinner outer ply and it does take much sanding to work through it. Where as the Baltic will take more sanding and just seems to be a bit higher grade ply. I also find these odd looking plugs in the outer layer of the Russian stuff that the factory uses to fill out and make the outer layer flush. They take paint fine and you can't see them after paint, but if you use stain, they pop and become very visible. I am generally using this stuff for shop fixtures and furniture so appearance doesn't matter too much.

[Edwin Santos]

For what it's worth, the store I buy all my hardwood and sheet goods sells both sizes. 5X5 and 4X8 sheets. They are similar, but not the same. Both are very nice to work with, same number of ply's (13 for 3/4 stuff), but they are not from the same manufacture. The 5X5 stuff is what they call their "real" Baltic Birch. The 4X8 stuff is what they refer to as "Russian" Birch. The Russian stuff has a thinner outer ply and it does take much sanding to work through it. Where as the Baltic will take more sanding and just seems to be a bit higher grade ply. I also find these odd looking plugs in the outer layer of the Russian stuff that the factory uses to fill out and make the outer layer flush. They take paint fine and you can't see them after paint, but if you use stain, they pop and become very visible. I am generally using this stuff for shop fixtures and furniture so appearance doesn't matter too much.

Do you notice a darker line in between the plies in the 4x8 product as compared to the 5x5 when you look at it in cross section?

[Jon Endres]

I used to buy 4x8 and 5x5 sheets from a supplier in Maine (Maine Coast Lumber) which was bought by another outfit called Downes and Reader. MCL delivered right to my door in VT, they had a set shipping schedule for each area of New England. This was 15+ years ago though. Now, I travel 25 minutes north to get 5x5 sheets or 2-1/2 hours north to buy either 4x8 or 5x5. Personally I don't notice a difference in quality. I bought 4x8 sheets to build all of the drawers in my kitchen and bathroom vanities for my house. I definitely like BB to build drawers and shop jigs, and anything else that needs to be relatively durable. I find that sanding and slightly rounding edges will make it pretty damage-resistant. Right now, $35 a sheet for 1/2" BB. I keep a couple sheets in inventory.

[andrew whicker]

Here's a photo of my BB bought at MacBeath in SLC, UT. 4x8 sheets. The veneer doesn't look too thin to me. Again, I'm sure I have 5x5 scraps floating around here somewhere, but I wouldn't know which are which anymore.



BB.jpg

[Jim Becker]

That does look like good material, Andrew!

[mark mcfarlane]

$56.09 for 1/2" 5x5 BB in Houston 2 weeks ago at Clarks Hardwood. Edge routing this stuff is more like working with solid stock than it is any other plywood, except it is more stable than solid stock. Great for building drawers.

Huge fan of real BB plywood here just for the little extra joy it brings me when building something.

I confess I do use cabinet grade birch plywood for big cabinet projects but it's just not the same as working with BB.

[andy bessette]

Another fan of Baltic Birch plywood. But it is heavy!