Baltic Birch Question ???

[Altec Best]

Has anyone purchased this recently I got a price from local lumberyard special order only for 1" BB 4'x8' sheet $188. Regular birch ply is $50 a sheet is it this expensive or is my lumberyard jacking price way up ??? They also have 3/4" BB but didn't get a price for that.I need this for a project I'm undertaking.And thought the 1" would be better any thoughts please Thank You !!! or should I use the 3/4" Baltic Birch ? Whichever is better for sound will be what I use regardless of price but was just wondering if they were marking it up ridiculously or if this is a good price? I also read somewhere that BB only comes in 5'x5' sheets.The price quoted was for a 4'x8' sheet 1" thickness Thanks

[bowtie427ss]

That price sounds quite reasonable. 1 inch thick in a 4x8 is not a standard stock size for birch as far as i know.

The "50 dollars for regular birch" sounds like the typical birch faced pine or spruce plywood you find and the chain lumber yards, which is a standard 4 x 8 sheet size, and that price is very reasonable.

You might also inquire and look at a material called MDL/signboard, it's 3/4 inch void free plywood, veneer core(strong, dense, uniform), and paper faced on both sides. I think it's made with southern yellow pine, it's a pretty decent material and about the next closest material to birch core ply in terms of strength and stability. Last sheet i bought was a while ago and about 35-38 bucks. If i could find it, i'd still expect it to come in under 45 a sheet, and the paper faces are perfect for veneering and a real time saver if you're gonna paint your project.

To me, real birch plywood is birch all the way thru. It is superior in terms of density and strength to any other plywood. It cuts and machines with the uniformity of a soft metal like aluminum, and will allow very stable and precise dimensions. It is heavy. Typically, it's not easily sourced everywhere, and you'll pay for it when it's available.

I'm not really sure of the relevance of "Baltic", i suspect there's little at the end of the day.

Consider that birch is a deciduous hardwood, nearly all other typical ply materials are from conifer species(softwood) except for the various face veneers available, and of course specialty plywoods like applecore, and marine grades.

Your geographic location can play a very big role in what's readily available too.

Just my .02...................

[Panomaniac]

Yep, what Bowtie said.
The stuff at the big box stores is soft junk compared to the real thing.
Want to see $$$ ? Check out bamboo plywood. Great stuff, tho...

[Altec Best]

That price sounds quite reasonable. 1 inch thick in a 4x8 is not a standard stock size for birch as far as i know.

The "50 dollars for regular birch" sounds like the typical birch faced pine or spruce plywood you find and the chain lumber yards, which is a standard 4 x 8 sheet size.

To me, real birch plywood is birch all the way thru. It is superior in terms of density and strength to any other plywood. It cuts and machines with the uniformity of a soft metal like aluminum, and will allow very stable and precise dimensions. It is heavy. Typically, it's not easily sourced everywhere, and you'll pay for it when it's available.

I'm not really sure of the relevance of "Baltic", i suspect there's little at the end of the day.

Consider that birch is a deciduous hardwood, nearly all other typical ply materials are from conifer species(softwood) except for the various face veneers available, and of course specialty plywoods like applecore, and marine grades.

Your geographic location can play a very big role in what's readily available too.

Just my .02...................

Just your .02 cents, but requested Thank You !!! from what I have read already about BB is that it is supposed to be void free where regular birch is not.But if you think that price is resonable then that is what I will go with.I've never bought this before so I needed some guidance.And it is a 1" thickness not 3/4" which I'm sure is adding to cost as well. Thanks !!!

[Altec Best]

I actually want to do 2 projects one is a 620A/604 and the other is a dual bass bin enclosure 416's but they are going to be finnished and not painted.I want a nice wood grain finnish probably just urethaned I'll make that decision after they are built.I already have a nice set of plans for the 620 so I will probably do that one first pics will be posted of course.But I'm not in no hurry. Thank You for your help.

[bowtie427ss]

Typical price for 3/4 x 5 x 5 all birch veneer core "Baltic Birch" is 75-90 bucks here in my neck of the woods, and you cannot always be sure there'll be enough in stock for your needs depending on your location.

Just my .02 again, but inch material might be overkill for the boxes you're considering, it'd be great for the baffle, but do you really think it's necessary on all 6 sides given the 620's already substantial internal bracing?

But, on the other hand, so long as you're comfortable with what the assembled weight is going to be, i don't think you can ever have too much of a good thing.

Be sure to do lots of measuring and double checking, that's some expensive stock to be making any errors with.

[Altec Best]

Typical price for 3/4 x 5 x 5 all birch veneer core "Baltic Birch" is 75-90 bucks here in my neck of the woods, and you cannot always be sure there'll be enough in stock for your needs depending on your location.

Just my .02 again, but inch material might be overkill for the boxes you're considering, it'd be great for the baffle, but do you really think it's necessary on all 6 sides given the 620's already substantial internal bracing?

But, on the other hand, so long as you're comfortable with what the assembled weight is going to be, i don't think you can ever have too much of a good thing.

Be sure to do lots of measuring and double checking, that's some expensive stock to be making any errors with.

Bowtie, my lumberyard said they can get as much as I want or need.But it is in 4x8 sheets and not 5x5 sheets so this is alittle confusing.But if your saying that a 5x5 is around $75-90 bucks then $188 for a 4x8 is more than double for an extra 2 ft that seems high but again that was for 1" I need to get a price on the 3/4 I'll get that price and post back Thanks !!!

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

You might also inquire and look at a material called MDL/signboard, it's 3/4 inch void free plywood, veneer core(strong, dense, uniform), and paper faced on both sides.

Do you mean MDO? That's the paper faced stuff I've seen before....... the pair of 828's I had for awhile were made of it. I didn't know what it was until I started looking online.

[bowtie427ss]

Do you mean MDO? That's the paper faced stuff I've seen before.......

I think you're correct, my bad.

[Old Guy]

I'm not really sure of the relevance of "Baltic", i suspect there's little at the end of the day.

I was around for the origin of the term.

A great deal of it was actually Russian wood. It may have been made into plywood in Finland, but the raw material came from Russia.

Anywhoo, this was the 70's...still a lot of anti-Russian hangover from the 50's and 60's...so the term Baltic Birch was coined to designate any plywood from that area. Sounded lots better than Commie Plywood.

Just like VOTTs though, there are dealers selling questionable product. True Baltic Birch originates around the Baltic.


On another note I have had great luck with ARAUCO PLYWOOD...

From a boatbuilder forum:

"I'm using Arauco ply for my new boat build.

The stuff is susceptible to rot, but not significantly more or less than any other boatbuilding wood. Unless you're going to use mahogany or teak plywood or use PT plywood, when wood gets wet it's going to rot eventually, and on the off chance it doesn't it's still holding water that will rot nearby non treated or lesser quality wood and weight down your boat.

Arauco is also more ecologically sound than a lot of other ply.. it's plantation grown, not wild harvested, so it's a renewable plywood. Due to the manufacturing process and the fact that the source wood is plantation grown there are a very limited number of knots and almost no voids at all - I found just a couple small ones I could stick a fingernail into in a couple full sheets I cut up.

It's also five ply layers where other plywood the same thickness is three, and both sides are sanded well beyond what you'd expect in anything but furniture grade ply. It's really pretty stuff. See my thread on a winter/spring build for some pics.

One final note - I did a boil test on the stuff (an hour boil to check for delamination) and nothing happened. I know a real boil test repeatedly boils the stuff over time to simulate aging, but I know the glue is waterproof at least."