The best plywood money can buy?

[fshanno]

I'm looking for super high quality plywood.  A-A with the edges are intended to be a visible design feature. 

Has anybody ever seen anything like that?  Is appleply that kind of product? 

 

[bertv]

Over here in Europe Finnish ply (as in originating in Finland) is the beste stuff available. The base materials are better (slow growth) and the plies (as in multiple of ply) are thinner, resulting in more layers and flatter material. AFAIK only spruce– and birch plywood are produced. The spruce is not as nice as the birch (the sides are uneven); the birch is excellent.

Don’t know about the availability in NA.

 

[sancho57]

I'm looking for super high quality plywood.  A-A with the edges are intended to be a visible design feature. 

Has anybody ever seen anything like that?  Is appleply that kind of product?

Dont know aout apple ply . However depending on what your going to build, Ive seen Baltic Birch used with out any edge banding as it has mutiple plus and no gaps.

Not sure but I think apple ply is about the same with different veneers.

 

[Cheese]

I read somewhere that the edges on ApplePly® finish better than Baltic birch because they fray less. And if you go to the ApplePly® website, they tout using the ply with the edges exposed.
https://www.statesind.com/page/art-appleply
https://www.statesind.com/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/ckeditor/ApplePly_SpecSheet.pdf

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[fshanno]

The baltic birch I've seen and used would provide the edge I'm looking for and it is flat enough, but the faces don't quite measure up.  The birch is just not quite pretty enough. 

This is for modern dining room furniture for my daughter.  I did her kitchen in German beech.  What would be ideal would be super quality A-A beech.  I used very nice A on one side beech ply on the kitchen.  But it wasn't nearly good enough to use in mod furniture.

If you are familiar with Kerf Designs cabinets then you can see something of what I'm shooting for.  It's the same kind of design style though what I'm doing will be a bit more radical.

I'm also looking for 1" material, or even thicker.  That way it would be clear to the most casual observer that this isn't from the pile at Low's or Home Despot.

I'm probably dreaming.

 

[peter halle]

For your desired results you will have to try and deal with a cabinet shop supplier.  And they will possibly have to order something in.  Hopefully for your costing you could arrange your schedule to allow that to piggy backed on one of their normal orders.

Peter

 

[fshanno]

For your desired results you will have to try and deal with a cabinet shop supplier.  And they will possibly have to order something in.  Hopefully for your costing you could arrange your schedule to allow that to piggy backed on one of their normal orders.

Peter

It wouldn't be a cabinet shop. No cabinet shop within 500 miles of me is going to order a truckload of this kind of exotic plywood. 

Perhaps a small manufacturer of displays or office furnishings in the Houston area.  But that's probably a pipe dream as well. 

It's a nonstarter from the first.  Oh well.  I can do what I want to do with hardwood.  Probably end up cheaper in the long run too.

In fact, the only one I know of in the whole world is Kerf Designs and they aren't a cabinet shop but a manufacturer.  I might be able to talk them into selling me few sheets but but they are a 4800 mile round trip away.  The manufacturer of Appleply, States Industries,  is in Eugene Oregon, a 4600 mile round trip from me.

It's a pipe dream.  Foolish speculation.  Like Harry Callahan said, "A man's got to know his limitations."

 

 

[rvieceli]

[member=2018]fshanno[/member] State Industries lists these folks in Houston as a dealer, might want to give them a call. Not across the street from you but not 4800 miles either.

Dakota Premium Hardwoods, LLC
5910 West by Northwest Houston, TX 77040

(713) 939-9663

Here's one south of Lafayette La

AWP Wood Products - LAFAYETTE
1636 Walker Road Scott, LA 70583

(800) 985-7385

Ron

 

[pixelated]

In addition to the distributer mentioned already, States "where to buy" link also shows Lowes as a retailer, getting them to special order ply might be a challenge, but it's easy enough to go to their contractor's desk and ask.

Another possibility might be applying your own choice of veneer on baltic birch panels.

 

[sancho57]

I just had a thought (which is usually a brain fart  [big grin]) But If you can get a hold of a copy of woodworker West their usually free at most lumber yards, there are a lot of advertisers who sell ply and lumber on line.

Perhaps you could find one there. That magazine has info thoughout the Western US including a section for Tx.

Just a thought. This is their site to show you what the Mag looks like has the cover of the most recent issue. Funny they charge for a subscription on their site yet the lumber yards I go to give them away free. Anyway just go to a lumber yard and see if they have a copy. I dont think the big boxes carry them.
http://woodwest.com

 

[Big Taco]

Suppliers of Plywood like Kerf uses:https://www.mckillican.comhttps://www.columbiaforestproducts.com

 

[semenza]

I would google "plywood supplier in Texas" (actually I just did and got a bunch of results). Contact them, see what they have. Even if they only sell to businesses they should be able to tell you who can order it for you.

Seth

 

[DashZero]

Suppliers of Plywood like Kerf uses:https://www.mckillican.comhttps://www.columbiaforestproducts.com

Thank you for these two links.  I’m looking at Columbia Forest right now.  Lots of good information and they explain the different types well.

 

[Big Taco]

McKillican has an office in Houston, I believe.

 

[Dane]

I use exposed edge ply a lot.  Appleply is great.  Lowe’s stopped selling it a number of years ago, not sure why they still advertise as doing so.  You can buy it online at buyappleply.com.  Columbia’s multilayer product is also great and can be ordered through most Columbia distributors . Baltic birch can be ordered through rockler and woodcraft and basically any lumber yard. I can get this stuff ordered to the middle of rural Montana- there is zero chance it can’t be gotten in your area.  Go to your local hardwood supplier and lumber yard and start asking questions.  If they can’t buy it directly, they’ll know who can.

 

[LZ]

S.I. selles appleply on line. You can get it in several different thicknesses, and finished. When I needed some, I was unable to find a supplier in Florida. Shipping is expensive but they packaged it well and there was no damage. Seehttps://www.buyappleply.com.  You can order smaples

 

[mkurtis]

Kerf Design uses Columbia Forest Products plywood. They have varying grades, but maybe you can find some. I think they have good distribution.
https://www.columbiaforestproducts.com/profile/kerf-design-inc/

 

[travisj]

If those avenues don’t yield results, you could laminate sheets of 1/2” or 3/4” Baltic birch to get your desired thickness and then apply a face veneer of your choosing to match the beech.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[harry_]

For your desired results you will have to try and deal with a cabinet shop supplier.  And they will possibly have to order something in.  Hopefully for your costing you could arrange your schedule to allow that to piggy backed on one of their normal orders.

Peter

It wouldn't be a cabinet shop. No cabinet shop within 500 miles of me is going to order a truckload of this kind of exotic plywood. 

Perhaps a small manufacturer of displays or office furnishings in the Houston area.  But that's probably a pipe dream as well. 

It's a nonstarter from the first.  Oh well.  I can do what I want to do with hardwood.  Probably end up cheaper in the long run too.

In fact, the only one I know of in the whole world is Kerf Designs and they aren't a cabinet shop but a manufacturer.  I might be able to talk them into selling me few sheets but but they are a 4800 mile round trip away.  The manufacturer of Appleply, States Industries,  is in Eugene Oregon, a 4600 mile round trip from me.

It's a pipe dream.  Foolish speculation.  Like Harry Callahan said, "A man's got to know his limitations."

It's not about ordering a truckload of what you want. It's about getting them to add the few sheets of what you want to the truckload of what they are getting. This way you don't get the pants beat off of you with shipping.

 

[DeformedTree]

Veneering onto BB I would say is an option, I've consider that. Good reason to put together vacuum bag setup.

Getting nice Plywood is definitely an issue. It took me a long time to find a way to get real BB.  Places sell it, but they are to business accounts only, lumber yards don't carry it. Finally found one place within an hour drive that sold it, limited hours so it's a pain, but there was a way. Depending on where you live, there might be lots of options, even if in middle of no where. Other times you would think there would be a many, and there are none.  I looked at online in the past, I don't think I found anyplace that ships full sheets.  Apply ply isn't BB, it's some US based non metric similar product, and I don't think they shipped full sheets when I looked at it.  Still even if someone sold online, I would want to see it in person, or get hands on samples first before I start buying. Lumber/Wood is something you need to see in person, and just to verify things like dimensions. Plywood being classic example as so many places refuse to say what it is.  3/4" Baltic Birch is a thing that doesn't exist.  3/4" material does exist, and Baltic Birch exist, but not in the same breath, so who knows what some of these places are selling.

I very much understand the frustration.