What do you pay for a sheet of 3/4 Baltic Birch?

[vwdave]

My HD's birch ply is pretty nice.  They used to sell garbage but got alot of complaints about it.  There used to be alot of voids in the ply core.  They switched to a new manufacture and its even made in the US last time I got it.  I don't know if each HD can decide if they would like to carry a product or not??

Dave

 

[mastercabman]

Do you suppose china actually does make quality plywoods but doesn't export & keeps for themselves? 

It's possible!  I guess we will never know![laughing]

 

[harry_]

My HD's birch ply is pretty nice.  They used to sell garbage but got alot of complaints about it.  There used to be alot of voids in the ply core.  They switched to a new manufacture and its even made in the US last time I got it.  I don't know if each HD can decide if they would like to carry a product or not??

Dave

It is my understanding that ALL ordering is done from their corporate hq. in Atlanta. I think this leads, in part, to the store's general inventory schizophrenia. In the Home Depots that I use, I have not seen any Chinese plywood in a minimum of a year, which is probably more like two. As for the cabinet grade ply, the biggest problem I have had with it is that it is not predictable whether a given store will have any or not. Most of the time there is not even a place for it on the rack to indicate that they even carry it and when a lift of it comes in it is usually gone within a day or so.

 

[RONWEN]

My HD's birch ply is pretty nice.  They used to sell garbage but got alot of complaints about it.  There used to be alot of voids in the ply core.  They switched to a new manufacture and its even made in the US last time I got it.  I don't know if each HD can decide if they would like to carry a product or not??

Dave

It is my understanding that ALL ordering is done from their corporate hq. in Atlanta. I think this leads, in part, to the store's general inventory schizophrenia. In the Home Depots that I use, I have not seen any Chinese plywood in a minimum of a year, which is probably more like two. As for the cabinet grade ply, the biggest problem I have had with it is that it is not predictable whether a given store will have any or not. Most of the time there is not even a place for it on the rack to indicate that they even carry it and when a lift of it comes in it is usually gone within a day or so.

In all fairness, it has probably been a couple of years since I've even looked at HD plys.  I was so put off that I have just refused to even consider it.  There may have been enough complaint that a) HD stopped buying it from china or b) HD buys enough from china to have a strong voice in the quality it receives.  My rant may no longer be valid.  [unsure]

 

[AlexThePalex]

Do you suppose china actually does make quality plywoods but doesn't export & keeps for themselves? 

It's possible!  I guess we will never know![laughing]

I rather think they keep the worst for themselves. If you look at the quality of Chinese construction work in their own country, you're gonna be appalled. It's mostly because of low standards and high corruption. 

 

[junk731]

My current research into plywood indicates that you could still be buying a North American branded plywood with a Chinese core. They purchase Chinese cores then laminate them with various veneers, then these are usually sold as the low/mid end products available from the large wholesalers with a NA stamp. These are then sold to the next level of wholesaler and then finally to the retail public that only sees it has a stamp indicating from a NA source. As always buyer beware, not all companies are doing this but usually when the price sounds to good to be true there is a reason.

John

 

[pugilato]

So... we're paying more for lower quality.  That figures about right.  I remember seeing MDF sheets (3/4") not too long ago for less than $25.  I dont see it for less than $30 anymore.

 

[junk731]

Currently there are 4 different qualities of MDF available from my current supplier, with a cost range from about 25.00 to 45.00 wholesale, depending on what charateristics your looking for and how it is to be finished. Also available are melamine coated MDF which is great to work with compared to the particle core crap they are producing today. Sorry to be taking this away from the original intent of this thread.

John

 

[dltflt]

My HD's birch ply is pretty nice.  They used to sell garbage but got alot of complaints about it.  There used to be alot of voids in the ply core.  They switched to a new manufacture and its even made in the US last time I got it.  I don't know if each HD can decide if they would like to carry a product or not??

Dave

I have not looked there because of the issue I had last which was a couple of years ago.  I hope is better quality if it will be less ezpensive.

 

[Kevin Stricker]

I have tried over and over to go with the big box ply's as it cut's about an hour off my supply run.  I am almost always disappointed, especially in the MDF and Melamine which is universally crap.  Lowe's sells Aruco ply which is a decent product.  Thick veneer with almost void free cores, but has the uncanny habit of warping as soon as it is out of the stack or cut.  I even tried letting one batch of 20 sheets acclimate to my shop for over a month but still no luck.  For building boxes I suppose it does not matter much, but if you need a flat panel you had better hit the lumberyard and look for a domestic birch.  My new favorite for paint grade work is the poplar/bass from Skyply.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Kevin,

I had the same problem with that plywood from Lowes.  I'm sure at some point in the process it's left outside where the weight of the stack on a few supporting bricks in the humidity affects them.