Hardwood Plywood

[ssmith1627]

I know you guys recommend to find a local hardwood seller because the prices at HD and Lowes are outrageous for those boards. But what about hardwood plywood ?

I'm just starting to investigate the lumber yards in my area -- struck out today because this first one was more geared toward major construction projects. They had some 3/4" birch plywood but the cost was $8-9 more than Home Depot.

Are the HD / Lowes prices ok for plywood ? Or are there better deals out there to be had ? I'm seeing here $39 for birch and $43 for oak at HD -- 3/4" sheets of 4' X 8'.

Steve

[linear]

In general "local hardwood seller" sums it up nicely.

I just bought a 2x4 foot sheet of 1/4" cherry ply from my local hardwood seller (a lumberyard that stocks hardwood) for about 16 bucks. they've also got birch, oak, maple and walnut faced ply in 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4". There's also the possibility of getting offcuts and scrap from a cabinet shop in your area.

[Ken Weaver]

I've had pretty good luck with the plywood at the BORG, as long as you can use what they have (i.e. sandply, brich, luan, red oak, or unidentified hardwood). When I've priced the lumber sources around here they've been higher than HD for those kinds of species. Just don't go looking for walnut veneer ply ($119/sheet). So far I've use the stuff they have on sale for around $29/sheet and once stained/finished, does quite well. I keep an eye on the cull bin and I've scored partial sheets that over time make for complete projects, like this display cabinet or the sewing center I did for the LOML. I also scored two half sheets of red oak from the cull bin for $8 apiece.

[axio]

What is this cull bin I keep hearing you guys always mention?

[ssmith1627]

HD has one at two locations here locally.

Just warped wood, damaged wood, cutoffs from other pieces that they can't sell. They throw it in a bin.

The bin has different colors for 4 different prices. The wood has little spots of spray paint to match those colors.

I've gotten some 4x4 sheets of MDF and some pegboard that way.

Steve

[jziegler]

Local lumberyards might be more expensive for a good reason

I have been buying my oak ply at a local lumberyard and paying more than HD or Lowes for two reasons: convienince and quality. I have to drive about 25 minutes to get the the closest HD (at least a half hour for Lowes) and the local place is 5 mintues. Makes a big difference when I have to get help to handle the sheets (usually getting my dad to drive down with his van, and full sheets still hang out the back of that a couple inches). And, more importantly, quality. I can always get 3/4" red oak grade A1 plywood at the local place. The big boxes usually stock B3 or some such. Makes a big difference. Unfortunately, there are no hardwood suppliers particularly close to me. I think the closest one is 40 min or so, and expensive as well.

But, don't count out the higher cost at the local place (for some projects, at least) unless you check the grade out as well.

-Jim

[scorrpio]

My local HD regularly stocls oak and birch 3/4 ply for about $44, but also usually has this 'hardwood plywood' for like $24. I bought it for some shop projects before, so far it did not delaminate or anything, does't seem to have voids and its face look I'd say I like even more than $44 oak and birch ply.

[Holbren]

Here is my 2 cents worth.

If you are buying imported birch ply, HD is probably as good as any. My wholesaler gets $25 a sheet for 3/4" which isn't probably any less than HD.

When I was in HD I saw they carried Columbia Forrest Products ply. Being a Norm watcher I stopped to take a look. It looked like C grade ply to me with a lot of filled spots.

I bought some maple faced aspen core last week that was $40 for C grade and $49 for A grade, a good price. Oak is about $10 more per sheet for the A grade. The aspen core is made in Canada and the oak in the US. You will pay a premium for US made ply but the veneers are thicker and usually nicer.

Walnut from my guy at about $85 a sheet for domestic stuff.

HD can have good prices just know what they are selling. Don't assume it's all furniture grade A rated ply.

Brian

[JimD]

Home Depot and Lowes are fine for hardwood plywood. You need to look at it and be doing a project compatible with these sheet goods. By look at it, I mean look at the plys in the center and the faces. At least one face should be free of patches and decent looking. The center plys are better if they are poplar than if they are softwood. I have found it at the big box stores both ways. I have even had decent luck with the Chinese birch plywood others have had difficulties with - you can see a made in china on the edge of this stuff and the other tip-off is wavy center plys.

The thing that you will not find at the big box stores is anything other than birch or oak, at least around here, and face veneers that are anything but rotary cut. Rotary cut means that the log was rotated into a knife and a piece peeled off. That gives you a different grain than you would find on a board. At a hardwood dealer you can get many different wood varieties and also you can get plain sliced face veneer that looks more like boards.

If what you want is simple birch or oak plywood, there is nothing wrong with buying it at Home Depot or Lowes. They will be about as cheap as anywhere and at least one of the ones near you should have some decent quality stuff.

Jim