Can't find Baltic birch plywood

[21incher]

I have been trying to find some 5 x5 sheets of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 Baltic birch for projects but there is a shortage locally.  The shop that I usually get it from has none and doesn't  know if it will be stocked  again. Seems buyers have stopped  buying and importing the high grade Russian stuff due to Ukraine and all that's  available is a lower grade Finnish variety if you can find it. China seems to be buying it from Russia making furniture with it that is eventually  shipped  here. Just doesn't  make sense to me but the question is what is a good alternative that is void free and flat that people are switching to.

[Larry]

I was talking with the manager of a large wholesale hardwood lumber yard a couple of months ago.  He said they have brokers stopping in that have Baltic Birch at exorbitant prices.  They refuse to buy it because they would have to re-sell at the same exorbitant prices and they didn't like the image it would project of their business.

I bought China birch on a trial basis about 12 years ago.  It looked good but would de-laminate.  I used it to form up concrete sidewalks because it was so bad.  Quality may have improved so you might check around.

[tule peak timber]

About 2 years ago I cut a deal with a distributor in LA and bought all the thicker Russian ply they had in stock at the time. They threw in free delivery. 1 inch was getting tight back then, so I grabbed all of it from 1/8 to 1 inch at a discount. Good investment.

[21incher]

About 2 years ago I cut a deal with a distributor in LA and bought all the thicker Russian ply they had in stock at the time. They threw in free delivery. 1 inch was getting tight back then, so I grabbed all of it from 1/8 to 1 inch at a discount. Good investment.

That was a really  smart move. You seem to use a bunch of it. That's pretty  much what happened to the supply around here. A couple businesses bought  up all they could find. I was hoping there was a good subsitute available because the plywood from home depot and p,aces like that is terrible lately with voids and smashed down cockeyed plys.  

[tule peak timber]

I have also missed a lot of opportunity by studying the deal too long. I have no idea on where to send you for plywood these days. I have had some luck using penetrating epoxy on thinner MDF, then laminating for the thickness required. There used to be plywood presses on the used market but too big of an operation for me. Cheaper MDF is so bad today that epoxy will soak all the way through, add carbon or glass reinforcement in layers and in certain applications it might work for you. High density foam with reinforcement (composite construction) will make ply substitute. Start thinking outside of the box ??? Take a look at SALVEX surplus sheet, they have loads of plywood right now that need a home. I am seeing a trend right now of containers getting backed up going to China that the shippers are looking to dump the contents for free. Logs, cut wood that don't have a home. More opportunity.

[Don P]

I've heard of appleply, domestic high end dense ply but have never seen any.

[barbender]

That Home Depot plywood had given me the worst splinters I've had in my life. The face ply is so dang thin, it makes slivers that are almost microscopic!

[Machinebuilder]

There is also a Europly (Columbia Forest Products)  It seems to be available with different surface Ply's

Surprising listed at Home Depot

it does seem quite pricey

I googled Baltic Birch plywood alternative and Appleply and Europly look like the closest alternatives.

I could not find a place to get Appleply.

[SwampDonkey]

Most birch plywood around here is razor thin on the surface with aspen core plies. Some from China is sandwiched sawdust with veneer outside. :D I'm thinning mostly birches right now with clearing saw, white and yellow, so thick it's dark in under it 10 feet in. Of course it's going to be 120 years before any makes veneer. :D But we have the resource, except we just manage for the pulp industry up here, not best end use. That's the biggest trouble. Nobody with influence and lots of land is interested up here in managing for veneer. So it has now become an upper class market, where it was a cheap resource 30+ years ago for the middle class. Wood chips don't make great plywood, nor do crooked, limby, hollow logs from shelterwood trees slowly dying. :D

[Tom K]

Here at least Baltic birch ply has been priced out of all but the high end project for a few years. I have also heard good things about appleply, but have not used any.

Your best bet is to call you local suppliers and talk through what they might have that will work for you. Depending on your project they may have something that will work. Even that can be hit and miss sometimes though. I picked up some from one of my suppliers and it was pretty good stuff, but the next order was not as nice.