Changed my mind on hardwood ply after a trip to a local mill shop in Portland

I saw their Baltic birch sheets up close and realized the big box stuff I've been using is just overpriced particle board with a pretty face, anyone else swear by a specific supplier?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_baker22d ago

Oh man, welcome to the club of people who've had their eyes opened. It's like finding out your "fancy" steak was just a really well-marbled hot dog this whole time. I had the same moment when I grabbed a sheet of Russian birch from a local spot near me, and the difference in weight alone was honestly embarrassing for my old projects.

emma34921d ago

Hardwood ply's nice but honestly some of you guys act like it's life changing or something...

aaron19722d ago

Ngl you might want to check that "Russian birch" label - a lot of places slap that name on stuff that's actually Chinese or domestic birch with a different glue formula. Real Baltic birch from Russia or Finland has those thin, consistent plys and almost no voids, and it usually comes in 5x5 sheets not 4x8. I grabbed a sheet from a Portland supplier once that was labeled "Russian" but the plys were thick and uneven, totally different beast from the stuff I'd used before. Just watch out for the marketing tricks, the real deal has a specific look and feel you can spot once you know what to look for.

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