Quality Plywood for Jigs - where to get?

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    Quality Plywood for Jigs - where to get?

    I am seeing jigs all the time that are made from quality plywood. Even Oak laminate and other laminate for top finish are not great in my area. I do remember as a teen and early adult hood local lumber companies having quality plywood with not pits or fills or voids. I see that kind in online YouTubes and in magazines as people make jigs or make furniture. I cannot find any locally in the Memphis area.

    I sure would like to have a couple of 1/4 sheets of 3/4 quality plywood. I know I would have to pay a pretty penny and maybe even a gold dollar, but it would be nice to know where to get this. Is Marine plywood in this category for projects?

    Opinions?
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2
    Look for Baltic birch plywood. Often imported from Finland and Baltic region. More plies less defects. Usually sold in mm thicknesses like 6 & 12 etc mm and 5' x 5' sheets. Iirc the mm thickness is true. Not off like US plywood.

    get it from rockler woodcraft and online sources.
    also marine plywood is finer plies and less defects.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=balt...hrome&ie=UTF-8

    Source for small pieces in inch thicknesses
    Baltic Birch Plywood for laser cutting engraving. thin plywood for laser cutter. plywood on-line. stock birch ply & cut to size baltic birch. 3mm baltic 6mm baltic 12mm baltic 18mm baltic. 1/16 baltic 1/8 baltic thin ply. Custom panel size for Universal, Epilog, Glowforge, Boss, Trotec, Thunder, xtool laser cutters.
    Last edited by LCHIEN; 07-06-2022, 11:06 AM.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment

    • dbhost
      Slow and steady
      • Apr 2008
      • 9209
      • League City, Texas
      • Ryobi BT3100

      #3
      Good question. My last few sheets of oak ply that came from the Orange box were actually shockingly good. Those must have been destined for somewhere else...

      Oddly enough, depending on the jig, I have either used high quality ply, well dried, planed and jointed SYP 2x6 stock, OR absolute junk ply. I.E. my box joint jig is a mix of garbabge plywood and walnut cutoffs for the pins.

      My router fence is if I recall Baltic Birch ply, Next to no voids at all, lots of plies...

      My dovetail jig mount blocks (MLCS Dovetail templates) are just proecessed 2x6.

      I need to pull those apart and dado them for some T track. I'd like to add track for hold downs... I found the MLCS plan to use clamps around too restrictive.
      Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

      Comment

      • twistsol
        Veteran Member
        • Dec 2002
        • 2893
        • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
        • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

        #4
        Menards sells "Baltic Birch" plywood, ironically made in here in the USA. A 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch is $179.99 and it is special order with 622 sheets available for immediate shipment. $5.625/square foot

        Woodcraft sells a 12" x 60" x 3/4" for $56.00 or $11.20 per square foot and it ships tomorrow.

        Rockler's prices are about $7.50 / square foot, but it isn't available.

        Based on these prices, it might save you money to buy the Festool tool that does whatever the jig you were going to build would have done.
        Chr's
        __________
        An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
        A moral man does it.

        Comment

        • Jim Frye
          Veteran Member
          • Dec 2002
          • 1051
          • Maumee, OH, USA.
          • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

          #5
          I'm lucky. We actually have a plywood yard here (Toledo Plywood) that stocks all sorts of cabinet grade material as well as baltic birch in partial sheets and sometimes damaged stuff at very reduced prices. None of it is cheap, but the quality is excellent. The hardwood shop I buy from also has baltic birch ply. Oddly enough both shops are about a half mile apart.
          Jim Frye
          The Nut in the Cellar.
          ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

          Comment


          • nicer20
            nicer20 commented
            Editing a comment
            Lucky You !!
        • Brian G
          Senior Member
          • Jun 2003
          • 993
          • Bloomington, Minnesota.
          • G0899

          #6
          What about this place? http://www.interstateplywood.net/index.html

          For jigs and fixtures, I prefer medium density overlay (MDO) plywood, also known as signboard. It has all of the benefits of plywood, with a smooth face on both sides. It's flat and stable.
          Brian

          Comment

          • leehljp
            Just me
            • Dec 2002
            • 8429
            • Tunica, MS
            • BT3000/3100

            #7
            Thanks guys. some good info for me.
            Thanks Brian. I will look them up. We used to have one company that dealt with quality plywood and all kinds of imported woods too, but they closed down around 2010.

            Menards sells "Baltic Birch" plywood, ironically made in here in the USA.
            Thanks Chris. I am going to be in Springfield MO visiting a daughter the first weekend in August and will check out the plywood at Menards. If I don't get why I want at the Interstate Plywood place in Memphis, I will probably be getting some from Menards in August.
            Hank Lee

            Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

            Comment

            • nicer20
              Established Member
              • Sep 2007
              • 365
              • Dublin, CA
              • BT3100

              #8
              Me in Bay Area California not as lucky - no Menards and no Interstate Plywood.

              The Baltic Birch ply that I see everyone using in the YouTube videos has gone through the roof. I called a lumberyard (40 miles away) two weeks ago - the 5 x 5 Baltic Birch that used to be $80 6-8 months ago is now $200 !!

              twistsol is right - ready made products might be cheaper than shop built jigs now

              Comment

              Working...