The prices for Baltic Birch here in Calif 3/4-5x5 = $189.00 and 3/4-4x8 = $295.00. Yikes! I know lumber got spendy, but never realized to what extent.
The prices for Baltic Birch here in Calif 3/4-5x5 = $189.00 and 3/4-4x8 = $295.00. Yikes! I know lumber got spendy, but never realized to what extent.
Holy cow. That's up $150 from the last time I stocked up. There are a lot of items that I just stopped buying a couple of years ago. I assume others did as well since the prices are back down quite a bit. As long as we pay $12 for bacon they will continue to sell it for that .
Last edited by glenn bradley; 08-01-2022 at 11:04 AM.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
I can't even order it at any price around here (central OH). There is some speculation st my local sheet good supplier that a company in Canada is building a plant to make BB-like product but no idea when that would be online.
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher
The lumber yard I visit said a tax or tariff was put on Russian birch plywood. To help fund the war we aren’t in I guess.
Good Luck
Aj
My local supplier had some a few weeks ago and appears to be very reasonably priced compared to what I'm reading here (it was still just under $100 for 18mm 60x60 late June).
They stressed that they are searching for alternates, hinting that they are uncertain when or if they'll be able to re-stock Russian/Baltic Birch.
At the numbers I'm seeing here, glad I stopped making drawers with the stuff a while ago. At $300/sheet, you're talking $12 bd ft. vs 1/3 of that for actual lumber.
Never was furniture grade, regardless how often it's been used as such in contemporary pieces.
At this point, I think we all simply need to figure out something else to build with.
Bonhoff Lumber in East Los Angeles has 12 ply 8x4 baltic birch here for $180. Regular 6 ply baltic birch ply, baltic birch on the outside, doug fir in the center is $120, which is what most of the cabinet makers here have switched to.
Regards,
Tom
I purchased a 5x5 sheet of 3/4" Baltic Birch at Reel Lumber in Riverside for $111 two weeks ago.
PK
I also hope that the industry picks up on this, given there's a very real possibility that the supply of BB from where it used to come from will remain greatly restrained or non-existent. Excellent quality multi-ply is an essential material for both industry and wood-butchers-for-fun alike.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
It surprises me some that other countries like Finland haven't filled the gap, at least somewhat.
I recently built a prototype product for my employer using the last 6mm BB I had. It won't work with the domestic 1/4" plywood like Purebond which only measures 0.194 in thickness and is also not rigid enough since it is a single ply core. Oh well..
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher
Brian, I suspect that manufacturing in Finland hasn't decreased, but it can't make up for anything close to the volume that's off the market at this point. That's yet another reason that I hope North American and other areas seriously get involved in producing a similar, high quality, multi-core product in the volume necessary to support both industrial and retail markets that want it.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
This is too funny. I just called my supplier of choice for some pricing:
1" Medex, $96.48CAD
3/4" Medex, $132.00CAD
18mm BB, 5x5, $177CAD
18mm BB, 4x8, $165CAD
BTW, the 4x8 BB is not technically BB. It has the same multiply construction and is made of the same birch veneer from Russia, but it is made into plywood in China. China and Russia are still playing nice so there is no supply problem with it.
Every shipment they get the prices are different and these prices are for what they have in stock. The thing I dont understand is why these prices are so much lower than a lot of US pricing. It's usually the opposite.
I have some large subwoofer cabinets to make and I think I'll go with the 1" Medex.
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher