HD seems to be stocking a 3/4″ nominal ‘poplar’ plywood. It’s apparently not one of those ‘special deals’ that crop up on a pallet in the middle of the aisle and once it’s gone, it’s gone. The stuff appears to be reasonably decent, about $38 a sheet, something like 11 plies.
Has anyone used the stuff and could comment on its’ suitability for use as shop-grade material? I was ready to buy the birch ply they have, but this is about $12 a sheet cheaper. Planning on using it for all non-visible cabinet sides and bottoms for kitchen, bath vanities and some other misc. cabinets in the house. I’ve bought some really lousy stuff from HD and Lowes before (I called it “stinkyply”) and this doesn;t appear to be the same stuff. It really does look like poplar.
Replies
Despite their best attempts, they actually on occasion make an error and get decent stuff in. I'd found the same thing a year ago and thought what the heck is this. I used it for painted shop cabinets and was pleasantly surprised that it was just fine and not full of voids. But I think at the time it was about 11 bucks a sheet. Kind of hard to go wrong for shop cabinets with that.
"Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton
I would think popular would be fine especially for paint grade. I don't see where you can go wrong with 11 plys. I wouldn't stain it, worse than pine in my experience. Round here we can get Birch plywood for about $35 a sheet. Just my two bits.........
Semper Fi
That's cheap! What thickness and grade of birch ply is that?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
The birch is 3/4" 4X8 cabinet grade. Real clean and smooth. The ply is 9. That may be the big difference yours may be more plys. I have never had a problem building something out of the 9 ply especially after it is built using fasteners and glue.
Semper Fi
Around here, Menards sells 3/4" birch ply (veneer core) for about $35-36 -- the fiber core is about $3-4 less. The grade is B2, but it's not bad (no boat patches).Used to come out of Canada, but I haven't looked lately.Couldn't figure out how to send you to the birch prices, but it's in this flyer:http://menards.inserts2online.com/customer_Frame.jsp?drpStoreID=1********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
No Menards around here
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
By the way, Pop U lar might be bad for paint grade, but poplar is a favorite. I mill most of our moldings from it
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
The local (Hamden, CT) Agent Orange has a close out on 3/4 Maple ply, decent stuff for $28 a sheet. Didn't need any, and have no storage room but bought a few just cause...
Edited 9/10/2006 1:36 pm ET by PaulBinCT
I quit buying that maple ply from HD when I cut a sheet and had a void that must have been 36" long. What really ticked me off was that they wouldn't let me return it because I had cut it.
I've been buying all my plywood from a local cabinet supply place and they have the poplar ply. I'm planning on using it when I get a project that will accomodate it.
By the way, Pop U lar might be bad for paint grade, but poplar is a favorite. I mill most of our moldings from it
Do you mean bad for stain grade? You almost have to do some sort of wash coat on it prior to staining to keep everything from blotching. Like shellac.
I tell ya something I do like especially for trim that will be painted is MDF. I am sure there are those that will roll their eyes. MDF has IMO the smoothest finish quality with the least amount of labor. Also doesn't shrink or expand. Joints do not seperate like some woods do. I have kicked the idea of making cases out of the MDF but can't quite get to that point. Way too heavy and have heard that MDF doesn't screw together to well. Do have to like the dust though.
Semper Fi
I was pointing out your spelling error on poplar.I recently tried a product called China birch. It looked like it had about 18 plies, all very thin.We found no voids in it while sizing it. Used it for both boxes and shelving. worked OK and it was about 35 where I usually pay more like 50-55 a sheet of 3/4"But after building and installing and painting, I noticed the offcuts we'd kept in the shop had all grwon wrinkl;e edges. In other words, the whole 3/4" thickness was wavy like anold vinyl LP record that had been left in the sun or like fingertips after you spend a few hours soaking in the tub. The units themselves are fine still, but I probably won't try the China Birch again. It could go bad on me or go wavy before I got it cut. Took 2-3 weeks in shop to get wavy.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I was pointing out your spelling error on poplar.
Come on now..... I am from the south. We write as we speak. :-)
The birch I have been buying has not had any voids and haven't had any problems with the plys waving back at me. I have to pick up about 16 sheets this next week I'll try and get the specs on the wood.
Semper Fi
In the Adirondack region of upstate NY where I live, poplar is called "popple" by the locals.
I remember all the plant people in a Fort Smith, AR door factory I spent a lot of time in, referring to the door press platens as "platinums."
I pay $62.99 a sheet for birch ply, 3/4 x 48 x 96, A-1, veneer core.
I have some ACQ 1/2 plywood that has more mountain sized wrinkles on an edge than yer skin after a two hour soak in a bathtub.
be would need a tape to measure the heights
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. A bird sings because it has a song.
Is it made in China?
Poplar is a hardwood by designation; it's little different to work than pine. It has a tight grain that stains and paints quite well, and is noticeably stronger than pine.
The only "down" side to poplar is that the color of the wood can vary dramatically within the same board. While usually a light tan color, there are sudden areas of walnut brown and olive green. Nor does unfinished poplar stand up to weather very well.
I bought some 3/4" plywood from Lowes the other day. It could probably be mistaken for poplar with it's white appearance, but it was marked as "imported hardwood". I guessed it was probably a product of the deforestation of South America. :-( Anyway, looked good, somewyat like birch but $10 less, nice and flat, 10 ply, but took the stain horribly.
This may be the same stuff, although it's clearly sold as poplar. I don't plan on staining it anyway, it'll be sealed with Zinsser Sealcoat and then some water-base poly. Heck, it's got to be better than particle board for cabinet carcases.
Popple is the German word for it, common in the upper midwest. Both words come from the Latin Genus term, Populus.
I've been working on cabinets this week. Bought some 17mm (like 3/4") from Loews. It's birch one side, maple the other. Not bad to work with. About $48/sheet. Got some maple 1/4" there too. It's about $25/sheet.
Needed some 1/2" maple ply, and went to a local supplier. They do a lot of paneling, some floors and ceilings. More voids than the 3/4, and one piece I was able to rip in half because the glue was so poor. Paslode nails split the plys at least half the time.
Sorry I didn't save money and buy the 3/4 for everything, but I was trying to save some weight for the uppers.
Everything's imported, can't tell from where.
(BTW, I tried buying from the local yard. They didn't want to be bothered. Their price on maple 1x4 was about 50 cents a foot higher, and they don't carry maple ply. Well, when I first called, they said they did and even quoted me a price. When I went down to get it the salesman denied talking to me and told me just use birch, which they do stock.)
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals