Where to buy Nice plywood?

3PedalMINI

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Nov 30, 2012
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This drives me nuts. I cannot seem to get a good sheet of plywood anywhere. Obviously I don't buy sheetgoods at the box stores. I have a few local shops that have plywood, which is nicer then HD/Lowes but still not all the really nice stuff I see on videos. Im buying birch plywood right now, and its ok, it has 7 Plys which is nice but there are voids in it. 4x8 3/4" sheet of Birch is $68 if I ordered Baltic Birch plywood its like $180 a sheet

Im in the Philadelphia Area and buy most of my materials from Beaty Lumber and occasionally from Tague.

I would also like to find a place that sells pre-finished plywood as well.
 
Find the supplier in your area whose primary clientele are cabinet shops, they won't tolerate dodgy material.  I mostly use 1/2" and 3/4" prefinished maple ply and to get the good stuff I expect to pay roughly $75-$80 and $90-$100 a sheet respectively.  Cheap plywood with voids and defects will cost you much more than that in waste and rework by the time you finish using it.
 
I buy Birch it has a grade of BB/BB and something like 13 ply for 3/4". I have been only able to get it 5x5 sheet. Cost $36 in the Atlanta area. Thee key here is the BB/BB grade
 
Sparktrician said:
[member=17435]3PedalMINI[/member], you might do well to check out Garnica plywood.  I've attached a list of US distributors, noting that there are several in PA.  [smile]

None of the PA dealers are near him, but there are 2 Pennsauken, NJ dealers which are close.
 
Check out Fessenden Hall, they have a large selection. I use there BB and I think it is 13 ply.
 
I have bought from Weavers in New Holland, PA a few times.
It's a drive for me but when I go I get a truck load of 1/4, 1/2, & 3/4.

Their prices are good on pre-finished maple plywood and they have
loads of hardwood (white oak, cherry, walnut) that they mill.

Let them know you're from NJ when you check out.

933 Martin Church Rd.
New Holland, PA
717-445-4336
 
smbobby said:
I buy Birch it has a grade of BB/BB and something like 13 ply for 3/4". I have been only able to get it 5x5 sheet. Cost $36 in the Atlanta area. Thee key here is the BB/BB grade

Steve - where do you get your plywood in Atlanta? Suwanee or Peachstate?
 
Thanks for the distribution list Re Garnica plywood.  Delrey beach is right in my back yard. I had no idea.  Now for the big question. Open to the public or trade only?
 
When ya buy in quanitites you can usually get a discount including free delivery.

Once I find a place that gives me free delivery (within reason of course) Id call around see who offers what, take a trip out there, set up a cash account. If ya cant get free delivery rent a trailer and haul a load of it home.

Im planning on relocating (eventually) and thats how Im plannig on stocking up on ply.
 
[member=10147]jobsworth[/member] Have you purchased plywood/lumber from Granahl? If so, what did you think?
Any other suggestions for lumber in OC?
 
[member=20971]elfick[/member]

Hey Im in da OC in Fullerton, you anywhere near me? If so maybe we can hook up. ScotF isnt far from me either. We are planning on hooking up and hanging out.

I have. Ganahl has good quality wood. They also at the their flag ship (anahiem) have a very good selection of festools.

However in the OC there are a couple of other places I buy my ply and lumber from.

Strata on Susan Street in Santa Ana, havent been there inna while but they usually have good prices and and sell shorts.

Reel Lumber on Kramer In Anaheim (which is closest to me) nices guys easy in and out usually have everything ply and lumber wise I want very good service. They have the basics not a lot of hardware etc but great when I just need lumber or ply

Austin Hardwoods in Santa Ana (great selection of hardware, screws finishes and a good selection of festools). All the guys there are helpful and very knowledgeable not specifically with festool but with finishes and hardware hinges, slides etc which is best for your project and how to do a project etc etc all very knowledgeable.

Anderson Ply, Also I have the time to take the drive,  in Culver City (about 40 min to a hour away). They do have some good pricing on plywood and hardwood depending sometimes they pick up plywood over stocked from their suppliers and offer great deals. Its pick ad choose. But taking the drive to go see Don and chat him up is well worth the drive to me. The man was a high end carpenter who work for some very special high end clients. Plus he knows the festools  better then most even some of the reps call him. He has a huge hands on area where he can show you how to do anything you want to do/know about festools.

You would not be disappointed in anyone of those places

Before I buy a large amount or expensive ply like Black Walnut, I will call each of those suppliers and get a price . You will find a big difference in pricing. Some of them a lot more than others.

Hope this helps
 
Best prices are Strata as Jobsworth mentions - lots of plywood and solid stock - I get most of my material there. Orange Coast Hardwood is a sister company of Strata - so sometimes I buy there if the stock is better - about 3-4 miles from there so easy to hit both. Austin Hardwoods has some of the most expensive prices of anyone for wood and plywood - but if you are a contractor you get a discount. Ganahl is pretty pricey too. The store in Costa Mesa is newly remodeled and opened last year. Pretty good selection of Festool and good screw/hardware assortment.
 
[member=10147]jobsworth[/member] At the beginning of February I bought a house in Laguna Hills just off of El Toro Rd. I was closer to you before that, living in an apartment in Santa Ana near MacArthur and Main but due to space I wasn't doing any woodworking and thus part of the reason for my 3 year FOG absence.

Thanks for the pointers. I'll definitely be checking these places out. I've been to the Anaheim Granahl once and was impressed by the size of that location. I just went to the Lake Forest Granahl yesterday and it was much smaller, but it's only 2 miles from my house.

[member=6605]ScotF[/member] Ha hah... I drove past Orange Coast Hardwood daily on my way home from work when I lived in Santa Ana, but since I wasn't doing any woodworking it would have been too heartbreaking to even go in so I never stopped.

Let me know when you guys plan on hanging out. It would definitely be cool to meet up.
 
[member=20971]elfick[/member]

We definately will let ya know. You live sort of out by Scott.
 
[member=5526]Scott F[/member]

Scott I remember you mentioning Orange Coast Lumber. Im going to have to check them out. Ill add them to my pricing list.

I just went to OC's site and see that they are open on Sat. Thats a plus. The thing that go me about Strata was they are only open Mon-Fri. Even though Im retired I like the Sat option. Bc it is a little drive to get there. Not to bad but still. Reel is right up the 91 for me just past the 57. Quick and easy close by the fry.
I have to get some 6/4 Poplar this week so Ill give OC a and Strata a call and see how their pricing is

So when ya gonna get some time to hang out? Looks like we got another festoolian from da OC here now  [thumbs up]
 
Strata is open Saturdays at 6 or 6:30 am until 12 or so. I can only go on Saturdays.

Yrs, we need to plan a get together.
 
Slight hijacking of the thread ...

I just bought two 4x8' sheets of 3/4" Maple plywood at $123 per sheet from my local (rural) lumber yard. It was advertised as rotary cut and prefinished on both sides. The prefinish is very nice, but I was surprised (perhaps my naivety) that each side of each sheet had three to four pieces of veneer when I thought I was paying for a single piece.

I sawed (Festool TS55) each sheet into four 2x4' pieces for one of my built-in shelf projects (this first one being four adjacent 22 x 47-1/2" bookshelves about 11-1/2" deep, hopefully with all the shelves adjustable)  and then stacked the eight pieces against a table in no particular order. Again a big surprise: the pieces are warped, certainly 1/8" and possibly 1/4".

I can get rid of some of the warping by using those pieces in adjacent boxes tied together, and/or making one or more of the shelves fixed. And I can get rid of some of the veneer joints the same way, or by using those pieces on the inside of the boxes. And some will be shelves and for the most part not show. But did I get taken, or is this just the way the plywood world is?

Thanks, Dick

 
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