ACX plywood is a high-quality, smooth, and durable product with a smooth surface finish, making it ideal for appearance applications. It is made of layers of thin sheets of wood in alternating wood grain directions, increasing strength. Examples of exterior panels include BC Tongue and Groove (T and G) Underlayment, AB Marine Grade plywood, and CC Struct1 plywood. Exposure 1 panels use the same adhesives as exterior plywood.
Tongue and groove plywood is suitable for marine and exterior applications such as siding, as it helps keep moisture out by using the right finish and paying extra attention to the edges. Plyco’s Tongue and Groove Plywood Flooring is a strong, stable plywood product with grooved edges for structural and non-structural flooring applications. Available in Softwood Radiata Pine and Hardwood, this product meets the highest grading standards for strength and appearance.
Tongue and groove plywood installation involves fitting panels together by interlocking the protruding tongue of one panel into the groove of another. This method creates a strong, stainable, and paintable base. It is specified by the NHBC for new-build applications and ideal for domestic flooring in dry conditions.
Plywood comes in various types, including AC and BC plywood, AraucoPly, Richply D.Fir AC, 5-ply AC Exterior Core plywood, T and G Plywood, and ACX grade plywood. Each type has its own advantages and benefits, such as providing a strong, rigid subfloor, eliminating sagging and “bounce” at the seams between the joists, and being moisture-resistant.
📹 Tongue and groove plywood subfloor
Tongue and groove plywood subfloor installation. Here we are building a new add a level and showing the installation of tongue …
What is the difference between AC and CD plywood?
AC panels are exterior-rated and suitable for non-structural applications with only one exposed side and a smooth surface. In contrast, CD panels are Exposure 1 panels, which are commonly utilized for wall and roof sheathing in construction projects.
What is AC exterior grade plywood?
The product is available for local delivery or in-store pickup. It should be noted that there is a variance of up to 1/8″ in panel width and length, which is to be expected and is necessary for proper installation.
What is AC and BC plywood?
AC and BC plywood are premium sanded plywoods designed for use in cabinetry, furniture, paneling, and shelving applications. The AC Radiata plywood has a predominantly clear surface, with only a few eraser-sized knots, whereas the BC Yellow Pine plywood has a clear surface with knots up to 1 inch in diameter.
Is AC plywood strong?
ACX plywood, composed of high-grade A-type and lower-grade C-type plywood, is a durable and robust alternative to other wood types. This is due to the weather-resistant glue attachment and superior strength inherent to the material.
What is the best plywood for outside weather?
Marine plywood is ideal for outdoor furniture and flooring construction due to its resistance to harsh weather conditions and long-lasting durability. Pressure-treated plywood offers numerous benefits, including increased durability, greater structural integrity, and resistance to rotting and decomposing. Its excellent dimensional stability reduces the risk of warping, twisting, or breaking over time.
It also provides significant insect resistance, protecting against termites, carpenter ants, and other pests. Its natural antibacterial properties minimize the need for regular maintenance and repairs, resulting in long-term cost and time savings.
Can you use AC plywood outside?
ACX plywood is a type of plywood designed for use in both indoor and outdoor settings. It is characterized by its resistance to weather and water, and is typically glued with high-quality waterproof glue, similar to that used in marine plywood.
What is AC in plywood?
AC plywood is a durable and strong material made from thin sheets of wood pressed together. It has a graded “A” side, sanded and finished, and a “C” side, not sanded or finished. This makes it suitable for construction projects where one side is visible and the other is not. AC plywood can be exposed to water without warping or damage. Lampert Lumber offers a wide variety of AC plywood made from different species of wood, including cedar and pine.
They have been providing quality lumber throughout the Midwest for over 100 years and are passionate about helping customers choose the right type of wood for their project. Their experts have worked with contractors and DIYers, and they are happy to help with large construction projects.
Is AC plywood good for cabinets?
AC and BC plywood are premium sanded plywoods designed for use in cabinetry, furniture, paneling, and shelving applications. The AC Radiata plywood has a predominantly clear surface, with only a few eraser-sized knots, whereas the BC Yellow Pine plywood has a clear surface with knots up to 1 inch in diameter.
Does AC plywood have exterior glue?
Plywood adhesives are divided into interior and exterior types. Marine grade uses exterior adhesive, which is the same as AC Exterior grade plywood. Marine grade veneers have a “B” grade, meaning there are no voids on the surface or interior plies. They can be sawn without interior voids on a freshly cut edge. AC plywood has no voids on the “A” side and can potentially have interior voids. Wood species used for marine grade plywood include Douglas Fir, but other species are also common. Exterior AC plywood offers similar performance in most cases.
What is AC grade?
To convert your GPA to a 4. 0 scale, use the following formula: Letter GradePercent Grade4. 0 Scale. This scale is commonly used in high schools and is used by most colleges. The top grade is an A, and the overall GPA is calculated by averaging the scores of all classes. It’s important to note that the GPA listed on your high school transcript might not be what is used by college admissions due to variations in high school grading scales, additional points added for honors, advanced, AP, and IB courses.
What is weatherproof plywood called?
Marine-grade plywood is a high-quality timber product used for waterproof flooring, cladding for spas and gyms, and boat building. Its excellent pliability and water-resistant properties make it ideal for boat parts like the hull. To choose the right waterproof plywood for your construction project, it’s essential to be familiar with both exterior and marine plywood. Marine plywood is composed of multiple layers of wood veneers bonded with water-resistant weather and boil proof (WBP) glue. This article will help you make an informed decision on which waterproof plywood to use.
📹 5 Mistakes Buying Plywood – Don’t Waste Your Money!
Don’t make these 5 Mistakes when buying plywood from your lumber supplier! What to Watch Next: 13 Ways to Organize a …
Great overview article! Love working with baltic birch! Another tip when at the big retailers – if you know you don’t need a full sheet, have a look at the damaged options. You might be cutting off the corner or edge anyway for your project and if you ask for a discount at the checkout, you might save an extra 10-20%! *This may require manager approval, but usually the cashiers in the garden center or lumber center have that authority, at least up to a certain amount.
So your explanation of plywood grades is pretty good, I have worked in plywood manufacturing for 30+ years, I have sanded and graded softwood for many years and am now going to the brand new hardwood line . The plys vary according to thickness, the grading is more to face and core gaps, normal Finnish sand in softwood is 60 grit. Thank you for this education for the masses.
That string in your plywood comes from the manufacturing process. When the veneer strips are put together for the cross grain layers (the cores), they are held together by that glued string so they can be easily layered in the boards. A typical 5 layer sheet is constructed by stacking a back, a core, a center, another core, and a face. Backs, centers and faces are three different grades of veneers. Holes in the veneers from the curvature of the logs are called “wanes”. I’ve actually seen boards in the stores with huge wanes in the backs.
Another option is to find a decent marine lumber supplier. I build wooden boats and some of the most incredible plywood you’ll find is BS1088 rated Meranti or Okoume, especially the ones certified by Llyods of London. You’ll pay almost $300 for a sheet of 18mm Okoume (almost 3/4″), but this is the stuff that they use in high end yachts so it’s basically void-less and has about the same color as a good mahogany. The Okoume is very light and flexible while the Meranti is heavier and stiffer. Another plus is that you can get it in a large variety of thicknesses.
Where i worked (in eu) we had commercial and professional prices, just sign the sign-in sheet and you could get up to 60% off compared to regular prices. Well worth checking out if your local wood supplier has something similar. P.s If youre a beginner woodworker i highly recommend going metric from the start, can save you alot of math related headaches.
Very timely post! Be careful ordering from a plywood supplier when you can’t see the material before delivery. Selection and quality has been beyond terrible lately (think wavy potato chips) and the 3/4 Indonesian birch ply they sent was actually 11/16. I have 3 different sizes of “1/4 mdf” in the shop (1/4, 15/64, 7/32) which causes problems when making doors and drawers with 1/4 and 7/32 router bits. Hopefully the supply chain gets fixed soon. Can’t find baltic birch or blum runners anywhere in stock.
I find 3/4″ MDF is good as a nice flat work surface (especially if you finish by using shellac or polyurethane on the surface), especially if there’s plywood under it for support. Need a good friend to help transport 3/4″ sheets of it though. lol.. I use 3/8″ construction grade plywood for non-structural things like the “walls” of a box that will be added to a cat tree. I rip 2x4s in half for use as the framing inside the boxes with glue and brad nails to assemble it all – makes for a perfectly good box that’ll be covered in carpet anyway.
Last time I went shopping for plywood there wasn’t one flat one to be seen. Everyone of them was warped, holes all the way along the edges and prices where higher than the International Space Station. 2x4x8’s SPF2 retail now at $9:49 Canadian and only good for hockey sticks. Seems most woods available today is floor sweepings glued together made to resemble their description. Finger jointed pine is also profiteering on offcuts, MDF is a cancer guarantee from the dust, the smooth surface once damaged is almost impossible to fix and try painting a cut edge 🤦♂️ You mention not to buy the first one on the top, makes sense unless the whole stack has no centre support so all boards are bent.
Can we all just cry together at how much things have gone up but also really thankful to get my shop back in a few weeks, we’ve been building and my tools have been in storage for a year and a half! This was a helpful refresher, we used to have a great place in Knoxville that had maple prefinished plywood and it was the most amazing thing to work with!
Great article. I don’t have a truck so I used to buy project panels primarily because that’s all that fits in the car. I felt embarrassed when you explained how project panels are so overpriced. I needed one 2×4 1/2 and one 2×4 1/4 ply. After going to HD and doing the math, I realized it was “cheaper” to buy full sheets instead of the project panels even after including the price of renting their truck.
Bring gloves to protect hands from splinters and rough edges. Don’t be afraid to ask for helping moving sheets to find the ones you want. HD employee helped me go through about 12 sheets to find 5 good ones and put the others back. Saved a lot of time and effort. Most box stores typically uses a rip blade in their circular saw to cut plywood into manageable sizes, which can cause quite a bit of tear out. Keep this in mind when getting plywood cut in the store. Menards is in the Midwest too.
I made a cabinet recently. Back panel 2′ x 4′. 3x 24×12″ panels horizontal, 2x 22.5×12″ for vertical top section, 2x 23.25×12″ for the bottom section. Bottom section is open unshelved. I’m going to be mounting a couple things inside (a battery power tool rack, battery storage, and a row of bins). Top section I went 2 24×12″ full overlay soft close hinged doors. 2 22×11″ adjustable shelves. Frameless cabinet. I went with veneered plywood from home Depot, I forget the brand, but it’s 3/4 inch walnut veneered. I ordered 1x 2×4′ piece and either 6 or 7 2×2′ sheets. The quality on these are amazing. Didn’t find a single void. I inspected every sheet (they were boxed nicely, protected, delivered to my door) and they were perfect! Tho I think the 2×4′ was $40 and the 2×2′ were about $19-22. There were also sheets that were advertised as 2 face veneered. Thinking that these only had veneer on one side, I ordered a roll of veneer as well. Life lesson. These were veneered on both sides. This was my first actual woodworking/carpentry project ever, at 43 years old 😂 I did a lot of research along the way and opted to go for pocket holes instead of brad nailing. The Kreg pocket hole jig set was only about $40, another $10 or so for a box of 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws (the appropriate size for 3/4 wood) and a box of plugs for the holes was about $5. Much cheaper than an air compressor and Brad nailer, or an electric Brad nailer that would be good enough. Ended up getting the Kreg adjustable shelf jig for drilling the holes for the pegs, a Kreg concealed hinge jig, and the Kreg 24″ circular saw guide rail system.
I did the parking lot circular saw thing with my father-in-law and he got such a kick out of it. The store’s saw was working, but I needed some really odd cuts that didn’t go straight to the other side. It turned out great. The second time, my saw ran out of battery 3/4 of the way through, and I had to use a hand saw. 🙁
Very interesting, I just stumbled to this article. Here in Finland all the birch plywood sheets I have seen in local hardwasre stores are good quality and look like the “baltic birch plywood” sheets. We do have a lot of big plywood factories in the country though “Koskisen”,”Metsä wood”,”UPM”, so that may might be the reason for it.
I find the plywood nomenclature has changed quite a bit since I first started buying it in 1970 – 71. Yesterday, I needed a couple of sheets of plywood. I wanted 3/4″ but didn’t really care much about quality. My local store had 3/4″ from $37 to well over $100. The nomenclature for the 3/4″ $37 plywood was “3/4″ sanded Shop”. I asked the salespeople in lumber what that meant. The first 2 said something to the effect that it was plywood that you can use in your shop that’s been sanded. The next person seemed a bit more aware saying the same thing but mentioning that there might be some minor defects in it. So I thought it sounded reasonable and ordered 2 sheets. I needed it for my shop and it would be nice if it were sanded and I think $37 was the price last I paid for some 3/4″ birch plywood. I was even okay with some minor defects. I went to the racks and picked out the best two sheets I could find. Both sheets had 1 side sanded, the other side I would say is grade C. I’m not sure if the sanded side was supposed to be the good side but both sheets (as were all the other sheets in the rack) had large strips of missing ply on the face. But they’d used some kind of filler to (sort of) keep the rest of the face from peeling away. I was able to cut away some of the defects and install them into my new backyard shop for loft flooring. I already had 2 sheets of 3/4: MDO (another more recent nomenclature but much higher in quality with waterproofing and paper facing on both sides). It does make my shop lopsided with the different sheet qualities but no one will ever know;-).
I have seen a thin slice of metal epoxied to the edge of a 1/2″ thick plywood for a 6-foot shelf span. It was quite strong and stable, and the use of 1/2″ plywood made it look very elegant. It is astonishing how cool it looks when creating things with undersized material, as long as they are appropriately strengthened with unseen bracers.
Great article. You fit a whole lot of good info in it. Most of this I have learned by trial and error/mistake. I totally agree on the project panels. They are a waste for most of us but if you only need a 2’x2′ or so piece then go for it. Like you I did a ton of research in my area and called every building supplier around. Some of those places are specifically geared toward cabinet grade plywood and have things like walnut veneer plywood but it is in the $100 range. I was lucky enough to find a hardwood supplier and they carry Baltic birch. The 5×5 panels can be a pain to deal with but it’s definitely affordable and a better quality than what they have at Lowes and Home Depot.
I agree, those small project boards are a waste of money, but I have found that the big box stores will give quite a discount on damaged 4×8 sheets. So next time you don’t need a whole sheet, consider a sheet with some damage and save some money. p.s. you can always use that damaged part for jigs or spacers. 💖🌞🌵😷
I just did a bookcase with some 3/4″ Red Oak (C3) plywood, and one of the sheets had a separated core layer. It popped apart as I was cutting it with my circular saw. So I definitely feel this lower quality product. Unfortunately, since I needed to rent a truck to get the lumber home, I had to make due, as a return was not really feasible.
I am surrounded by several Menards stores (your first pronunciation was correct, at least according to us in Ohio!) and I’ve never been able to find baltic birch in stock at the store. However if this article were about other types of lumber and not plywood, I would recommend Menards 100x over than the blue or orange box stores. Straight (ish) 2-by stock, several more species of 1-by boards (not just pine & poplar), and my go-to store even has a ‘specialty’ section (mostly pine, but seemingly square and sanded buttery smooth).
Good article…if you want to build quality projects, stay away from the big box stores. I have a wood supplier here in Calif. that cares A1 plywood in Walnut, Mahogany, White Oak and Pecan/Hickory…but it is expensive. Well over $100 per 4×8 sheet. Their Baltic Birch is $196 for a 3/4x4x8, and $176 for a 4x8x1/2″ sheet. Keep in mind that not all Baltic Birch is the same quality.
Dust to MDF. MDF to dust. It’s the circle of tree life. Men-ards. If you have a store nearby, you’ll hear it pronounced 100,000 times per year. Be sure to look at the edges of the plywood. Not all (3/4″) plywood has 7 cores. some have 5. Fewer cores means less strength. The tip about lifting up the sheet of plywood before moving it around is excellent! The weight of a 2′ stack of plywood presses all the air out from between sheets creating a partial vacuum making them want to stick together. Not putting them back after going through the stack will make you ‘that guy’. Don’t be ‘that guy’. Also got a chuckle about having it cut down using the saw in the store “if it’s working.” Wearing your old, beat up workman’s gloves when you’re shopping for wood is a good idea, because splinters (some trees just won’t go quietly.) Thanks for the article.
Baltic Birch, sometimes called Russian Birch, is available but prices can be high (BB in my area) although, I have found some lumbercore and MDO core plywood but it is usually heavier and definitely more expensive. Not what I would call for the average homeowner and big box store buyer. Lumber prices “might” eventually be coming down, but – in the near future – I have my doubts.
There is a difference between the imports from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and USA domestic plywood. Domestic plywood normally does not have voids in the core and they come in pro-core/classic core. The pro-core has a layer of MDF next to the veneer and helps with chipping when you cross cut the grain on a panel and minimizes telegraphing. I suggest painters tape to assure a fine edge when cutting across the grain. The domestic panel is very flat so when sprayed with high gloss lacquer, you do not see the telegraphing or rise and fall of the veneer face. The domestic plywood we sell is normally A-1 or B-1/B-2 grades for making cabinets or furniture. We also purchase Baltic birch from Russia and it is cheaper than the domestic and better than the other imports. The imports can have core voids and telegraphing in the birch veneer face. Telegraphing is the up and down waves on the panel face. If you see millimeters on a piece of plywood; you know it is an import.
Great topic, Brad! Only have a Lowe’s and a building supply store in my area unless I want to drive 65 miles away. The building supply store carries Baltic birch but only in 1/2 in thickness but they also have a small selection of domestic solid hardwoods. All the plywood at Lowe’s is junk except for the hardwood variety so that’s usually what I get – even if painting. (I dream of a Home Depot coming to my small town.) One thing I do like about Lowes though is they will discount plywood with damaged corners or edges (half price or more). That’s what I usually look for – it will be cut off anyway and saves a ton of money! I have a love-hate relationship with MDF. The powdery dust is awful but it’s fine for many things and is actually really durable as a flat work surface. For instance, I have it as the top for my table saw offcut table and it works great. It looks pretty decent when stained and a few coats of poly on top. It’s also fairly cheap which is always a good thing.
Great information on plywood. Thanks. I have found unfortunately at my local big box stores that you are pretty much on your own when it comes to getting the plywood off the rack and onto a cart and it is a bit of a beast for an old guy like me. It is a quite an adventure to purchase :). The commercial lumber yards in my area seem to be a bit irritated at selling to hobbyists as you are only buying one or two sheets. Aw shucks.
Another thing about MDF to really hate, is what goes into making it. It’s not just sawdust and glue, often times harmful toxic ingredients go into the manufacturing of MDF, such as formaldehyde for example. If you ever have to cut MDF, make sure you do it outdoors if at all possible, AND ALWAYS wear an appropriate respirator, along with eye protection.
I am about to build an assembly table/ work bench. I plan to put 1/4 thick masonite on the top so I can easily replace it and glue won’t stick. Could I use the floor underpayment sheets for the table top since it will not be seen? If feels thicker and heavier but I do know much about it as in does it react to humidity or have problems being and staying flat.
Thank you! Just the info I was looking for on types & species of plywood. I love being a woman, but it sucks to go ask these questions at a lumber yard because I typically get treated like, “oh honey, are you sure you have what it takes to accomplish this?” Uhhh, yeah dude, I probably have more tools than most men. LOL So, I like to be prepared with more knowledge before I go.
Here they have no panel saw at Home Depot. The one at Lowes is often out of service. Usually cannot find anyone to help even after searching up and down 6 aisles. I often have to walk all the way to other end of the store, wait in line for a cashier just to ask “is there someone who can cut a sheet of plywood?” Then walk all the way back and wait another 15 minutes for someone. And THEN, the saw is not sharp and badly splinters up the sheet. I make an accurate mark where to cut, allowing an extra 1/4″ that I will cut more accurately at home. But often they still cut it off the mark and ruin the size I need. Once had to argue with a manager over his employee’s poor cut, and he kept saying they are not responsible for accuracy. It is very stressful to try to buy plywood, plus the selection is terrible. It is hard to believe that the way they find your mark to cut is to try to peer through the small dark vacuum pipe hole. Meaning they really cannot see the mark!
I used to buy a few sheets of Baltic Birch ply a year from a supplier here in Louisville that sold only wholesale to companies. They stopped selling to me a couple years ago. I am now a home woodworker with some professional experience. I can only buy Baltic Birch now from a Menards in town but I can’t afford their $140. Per 4×8 sheet price. That’s ridiculous. So I’m having to use the crap that Lowe’s and Home Depot sel.
I really hate MDF. Won’t hold well with glue, won’t hold screws (unless you buy threaded inserts), chips easily … Good for some jigs that won’t take much wear and it lives in a temperature controlled environment, but yeah, I only use for some clamping jigs. However, melamine makes pretty good jigs and sleds. Easy to write on because marker, pens, and pencil comes off with little effort, thick enough to keep heavy wood stable. The only problem is that big box stores (and it’s cheaper than ply) in my area only carry 3/4 inch and the largest you can find is 12 inches wide.
Once you’ve got the perfect sheet of plywood. You want to make the most of it. I use Optimization software from Bridgewood design. I can input the quantity and size of parts I need and the software will show me a layout of the plywood with the cuts. This minimizes waste and If I’m short on material, I’ll know right away. There is also one type of plywood home depot has from time to time. It’s prefinished clear on both sides. Cuts clean and handles pocket screw very well. I like to use this pre-finished material for building kitchen cabinets as I don’t have to spray or paint the inside. As for the exposed ends, I use a decorative panel for a custom look.
Radiata Ply is FANTASTIC for any project! Before the supply crunch it was $30.95 per sheet at the orange store. Fantastic value! Wish they sold that same type in a 1/2″ sheet. At $57 per sheet now I get birch ply at my RAW wood supplier at $65. Not baltic birch, straight birch. Baltic Birch is same price but in a 5×5 sheet, so less area per sheet. If the sheet has a bow it will not go away, never. You can force it straight but move on to another sheet. it’s not worth the worry!
Awesome article, Brad! Thanks a lot! 😃 Here in Brazil it’s a bit different, unfortunately… You go to the store, say what you want and a few days later they deliver it to your house. That’s when you can see it. 😕 But… Well, I’ve been lucky until now. We’ll see, I guess. Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Something of note; melamine is a coating, not an entire sheetgood product. Melamine is simply the coloured coating(most often white) that is applied to the sheetgood substrate. When making an instructional article, naming terms and products by their trade names, we should ensure to give the proper term or name. Melamine is an incredibly tough and useful coating as well, we use it extensively for commercial jobs in cabinetry when durability and ability to be cleaned matter. As well, 3/4″ and 19mm are different when you are a professional cabinetmaker OR an obsessive, early career woodworker. The minute difference in thickness can really cause serious alignment issues.
It’s not “Sanded plywood”, it is “Sande plywood”. Sande is a species of hardwood. Common Name(s): Sande, cowtree, palo de vaca Scientific Name: Brosimum utile Distribution: Central America and northern South America (most commercial wood comes from Ecuador or Colombia) “To put it quite simply, sande is a species of wood that is imported to be manufactured into plywood for a variety of uses. The more technical term for sande hardwood is Brosimum utile”
I’ve often wondered about the “baltic birch” at Menards. Sometimes they’ll have 24″x24″ panels stacked on a pallet for ~$6 a piece. It may not be representative of the larger sheets they have, but those panels always have lots of knots in the veneer. I pick them up to use for cutting out french cleat holders, but for any project I want to look good I’d avoid Menards and go to either my hardwood dealer or Woodcraft if a smaller panel will do.
If I was going to use plywood from any of the big box stores it would be used to either make a garage work table or use as garage shelving. The challenge with a lot of those big box stores sourcing of wood is that a lot of it comes from China and if it is from China the wood is so wet that you need to let it dry in an area where you have a dehumidifier before you use it. preferably 2 weeks or more. If you cut the large sheet into smaller pieces you will find there will be a lot of warpage so dry it as one sheet. Buying Baltic Birch is the only wood I like to use for projects like making book shelves, cabinets or custom shelving. If you are going to paint Baltic Birch you should be beaten. You don’t paint wood! Period! You will need to locate a lumber yard near your area and a lot of them close early on Saturday, so use their website to see their inventory. Prices change each week and Baltic birch can come in 4×8 or 5×5 sizes. I would always opt to buy more than you are going to use. Baltic Birch is very stable and they take great care not to get it wet when they transport it from the Baltic countries. There is also Furniture grade Baltic Birch which is expensive but of course not as expensive as solid wood. You are going to pay the price for Baltic Birch but I will pay for stability and accuracy than wet China wood. With the War in the Ukraine going on now the shipments might be disrupted.
In addition to 3/4 and 1/2, I also use a lot of 3/8 Birch plywood. Great for drawer bottoms, cabinet backs, etc. Much better than 1/4. 3/8 Birch ply is closer to 1/2 structurally – they both have 3 internal layers + 2 veneers. 1/4 ply only has a single internal layer, so it bends easily. I found 3/8 Birch ply at Dykes Lumber, a small chain in and around New York City, but it’s probably also available at plywood specialty stores.
I think the Lowe’s sanded ply (blondewood or something they call it) is pretty much always poplar. I’ve had pretty good luck with it, although the veneer is thin and the back has a primer on it to discourage you from trying to stain it. (It’s smooth but has visual imperfections that make it paint grade.)
I wasn’t really expecting to learn much from this, and up to around halfway through, I was right…but then you started telling us some things I didn’t know. Excellent. Funny thing, I’m in the middle of building a novel in epub format, and just wanted to find out what a “Trampas walk” was…but ended up here. Heh. BTW, Trampas was a popular character in the TV show “The Virginian”.
Very informative article. I was wondering what the difference between front and back side is? Is it just naming convention? But if so, then why does it switch to the 1-4 method for backsides in hard wood? And also if the back side really is the “back” then does that mean a C2 still has a nicer front despite the back being a “2”?
The very second I heard the words “you can have them cut that down at the panel saw” I said the next part right along with you: “if it’s working.” The panel saw at both the big box stores nearby my house have been broken for a good nine months now. It’s like the home center version of the McDonald’s shake machine.
In my area (Central NY), Lowes wanted 60 something dollars for 4 x 8 x 3/4 AC ply wood (5 ply). The local “Mom-and-Pop” (MnP) didn’t carry AC…only AA. Eleven ply for about $45 dollars a sheet. The Lowes board was 23/32. The MnP was a true 3/4. I was at another MnP store and saw the price for nails. I almost had a heart attack! Their nail and screw prices were almost half of what I had been paying at the big box stores. When I went up to the counter with 5 pounds of #4 commons I commented on the price difference. The owner told me they were happy when Home Depot opened because they were able to substantially raise the prices on their nails and screws…and they were still almost half the price! This is not only building materials…check with your locally owned MnP (where your money stays local) before purchasing anything!
I’ve had pretty good success buying birch plywood at Menards. An even sweeter deal is most often they have their 11% Mail in rebate offer going on for an in store credit. I have unfortunately made the mistake of buying 2×4 foot sheet out of convenience. This is when you don’t actually save big money at Menards. I see a lot of people using high quality Baltic birch for shop projects. I just can’t justify that extra cost even though it looks better. Hopefully prices and the supply goes back to normal soon.
I almost exclusively get my plywood from the lumberyard now. It’s a better quality than the big box stores without the hassle. After the third time being unable to find the birch or sande ply at the home center I gave up. If I do get from the home center because of pricing, I will place an order online and have them pull it for me. I’ve only found one place near me to get Baltic birch and it is a woodworkers store. The plywood dealer that stocks it only sells wholesale.
For over two years now the only choice we have had for project wood, if you want to make cabinets, etc. Has been the Sanded Pine Plywood. Cost on that is now over a hundred dollars for a sheet of 4 ft. X 8 ft. and it is in short supply. They get a delivery in, even at that price it disappears pretty quick. I think it comes from Argentina or somewhere like that. I’m in Ontario Canada and we have a wood industry, at least we used to. Now we are fighting over poor quality table scraps to build boxes. I always used Baltic Birch, Oak and White Maple. They are now rarer than a T-Rex. The aisle in our Home Depot that typically you would find the different species of wood plywood displayed is empty. And that Sanded Pine is always on the floor. They dump the 3/4 inch next to the 1/2 inch because it’s not going to be around long enough that they bother placing it on a shelf. And if you plan on buying any construction Spruce to do your basement or general construction projects. Not only has the price gone up but the quality Sucks. It’s bowed, it has scale on it and has big cracks, etc. A year and a half ago an 8 ft. two by four was up to sixteen dollars a piece. Now generally it’s down to abot five bucks. And 14/2 electrical cable for home use. I used to buy a roll of 75 meters at fifty to sixty dollars and a hundred and fifty meters was around a hundred and twenty dollars. I was just in the store the other day and a hundred and fifty meters was over three hundred dollars. Truly shocking.
The biggest mistake I made as a beginner wood worker was not checking the emission grades. I ended up with major eye and throat irritation from the formaldehyde outgassing. I believe it is not a problem in US or EU cause you have established safety standards. But not here in Asia. It very hard to find ply that have low formaldehyde emissions here.
good article and a good start to help educate people on sheet goods. It can be very confusing for many. And that is just what is available at the local big box store. For some real fun have people start exploring the sheet goods available at a hardwood store. Tons of options and also reflected in the price. Just a couple notes that may be helpful. You can easily find standard particle board in 4×8 sheets, or go with industrial grade particle board that has better density and comes in a standard of 49×97 inches. It’s great when you need a bunch of 24″ rips that you cant get from standard 4×8 sheets due to your saw kerf. You can also find it in lengths up to 12′ in length. I had a cabinet shop for several years and we and we often used a product that was melamine on one side with an MDF core and the other side was called rawback. So on one side you had melamine and the other side had a laminate finish that was kind of a mottled looking yellow. It was great on panels where one side was not exposed as it provides great stability. And of course it goes on and on, that I’m sure you know, but avoided as the article would become overwhelming to many. Where I live now, in the middle of nowhere Nebraska (due to the awesome bird hunting) we have Menards as our big box store (75 miles away is the closest) and they have these cute little 22×22″ pieces of what they call baltic birch in 1/2″. It is 9 ply which is correct for 1/2″ baltic birch, but it does have a few (very few) small voids. But they sell them for just a couple dollars each.
Thank you for this tutorial. I’ve taken notes to it memorize all. It can be overwhelming try to figure out which plywoods and even tools to buy. I’m going to start making small pieces of furniture and closet shelving instead of paying an arm and a leg for over priced and poor quality pieces made of particle board.
What a great Vid. I’ve just started to use ply and have found my own way through the “Ply Maze” with minimal problems. Your vid had confirmed the same path that I had traversed. With only two suppliers in my town (Regional Queensland, Australia), the local store, Bunnings, sort of like Home Depot, manages to stock the A’s through to “non structural” ply which I found suitable in lining my 40′ x 20′ shed as well as some AA hardwood (Red Oak) at the premium price of AU$205 (US$150) to make some of your projects. Keep the website going. You make things look so easy. Great work.
I have a local company that deals primarily with builders and cabinet makers. They sell Baltic Birch, BUT… they have two varieties (come to find out). One is great and one is apparently from Vietnam. It is horrible. It splinters and then it’s like working with a cactus. It is less expensive, but it is bad. I did not mean to bring it home. I questioned the guy about why is was less than what I had been quoted over the phone and he swore it was the real thing. Only after I cut it up and called them back did I get a different person and he told me for the price I paid I got the Vietnam “Baltic” Birch.
When its the ONLY lumber supplier in a 50 mile radius, aisle traffic matches a Dunkin or Starbucks at 7:30 am. Sorting stacks is almost impossible and a lot of angry impatient …. others do NOT want to wait on you… My local one won’t even let you in the area where the lumber is!!! You order it in the front counter and the warehouse guy brings it. HIS choice.
MDF and Particleboard aren’t plywoods. Plywood is exclusively laminated layers (plys) of wood. Particle board and MDF are both fiber boards, fibers and saw dust mixed with adhesives and pressed together. Particle board is a low density fiberboard and MDF is medium density fiberboard. Fiberboard is not equivalent to plywood. And if you want a half decent material for your project (finish or construction) do not buy it from the big box stores. Blue orange or other. Find a local lumber supplier or mill. The prices will almost always be better and the quality will always be massively better. You’ll also likely be surprised how close you are to a mill or lumber yard.
My hero, Norm Abram, frequently used plywood that was prefinished with some sort of clear coat that was beautiful right out of the box. I live up in Canada and have NEVER seen this type of plywood, even at specialty stores. Is this an American exclusive? Also I used to be able to buy ‘tempered hardboard’ which when classed at 1/4″ was actually a 1/4″ but more importantly had a darker colored hard surface that made it great for jigs or work table tops but I haven’t been able to find anywhere for over 10 years. To your knowledge is it still being made?
My hardwood supplier just had to increase the prices on Russian Birch, so I can’t get quite the deal I used to be able to get. I was paying 67.50 for 3/4″ 4×8 and 50 for 1/2″ 4×8. Now…79.50 for 3/4″ 4×8 and 53 for 1/2″ 4×8. Being able to get Baltic Birch in such good grades at sub 70 bucks was a literal steal, and I’m hoping they can get the prices back down in the future.
All the Menardses near me have two types of 3/4″ birch ply: “classic” and “natural”. Classic has ten or more layers of some mystery hardwood for its core and paper-thin birch veneers on the face and back. The natural version has seven layers of softwood for a core and birch veneers almost three times as thick as the classic (though still only 1/36″). The natural generally runs $5-20 more per sheet than the classic, but it should be easier to sand without sanding through the face. I suspect the classic–which if touched with the edge of a spinning ROS, will sand through–may have better strength, stability, or screw holding, and so could be better suited for shop jigs and such.
I have a tiny shop and sometimes I just don’t have extra panal storage for scrap plywood but need something just a little bigger than the scarps I ALREADY have but also smaller than the full 4×8. These project panals are really perfect for me. YES I realize they cost more overall but when storage is a premium… Any thoughts about how to stretch scraps to work?
First of all, learn the difference between plywood and fiberboard!!!! Melamine covered fiberboard IS NOT PLYWOOD. MDF IS NOT PLYWOOD. MDF is “Medium Density Fiberboard”. The melamine covered product shown did look like LDF, “Low Density Fiberboard” which personally, I would never waste my money on for any reason whatsoever. I purchased a home in 1976 which was originally built to federal standards for affordable housing. The existing kitchen cabinets – 23 years later – were in excellent structural condition, yet butt ugly given their imitation dark walnut wood finish- popular in 1976 – even the “imitation” part. I needed to add a 4 ft section of cabinets to make the kitchen completely functional. (I was designing restaurant kitchens at the time.) This was my very FIRST wood working project – BUT- I had tons of construction and furniture construction expertise and training. The structure of the original cabinets is as follows: 3/4″ MDF sides (used as support), 1″x2″ solid oak face frames to mount doors, and 3/8″ HDF for interior shelves (none wider than 27″ and supported by routed openings in the MDF), and also 3/8″ HDF for door and drawer fronts. I have never found sheets of HDF “out in the wild”. I suspect they might be special order. I scavenged a couple of large HDF door fronts to make matching doors and drawer fronts for the new section. I began with a construction grade, pine 2×4 to create a toe kick, built the sides of 3/4″ MDF, used 1×2 poplar for the face frames (attached with special MDF screws).
I find that the plywood at Lowe’s AND Home Depot, like ALL the wood there, to be utter junk. Warped, twisted, broken, chipped, awful. Always has been. I go through the stacks for hours to find one decent piece. And have to go to 4 stores (luckily, I have 4 near me) to find enough to build a birdhouse. Good info here though. Thanks! 😊👍👍
Great article, I’ve seen the different types of ply at the box stores and knew the grading categories but not the actual construction differences. Also curious you didn’t mention the common 5′ x 5′ sizing for baltic birch. I’ve also seen baltic sometimes use B/BB/CP grading and sometimes the usual A-D/1-4…. I’m glad there is some sort of attempt at categorizing, but it’s extremely confusing!
Thank you for the article, it’s very informative (Even though I’m in the UK) Have a risky project a desk with 5 shelves going up 210CM from the floor (with a desk attached below, hopefully that will also help stop it from flopping forward) (It’s a huge bedroom 4M D x 5M W x 2.4M H) the problem is that the radar says that the whole 120 Year old wall is full of electrical cables (Basically a minefield) So I’m putting a heavy frame together (I am not a carpenter) and was looking for a suitable top (Able to support 100KG) in the center of a 70CM frame, and was hoping Ply would be ok. (Didn’t know about so many different versions)
Awesome. I did not think that so many variables in the plywood. For there I coud not remember the difference between construction and the other one(sorry forgotten again) coz for me there was just a plywood. I only knew a good plywood, kind ok, and bad plywood. I was wondering why in some cases so bad playwood as in my country I saw good plywood,
Not that long ago I remember seeing 2×4 studs for $.98. Yes 98 cents. During the pandemic, I saw them top out around $8.50 board. 😧 Now things are a bit better but still $3.50 a stud. I was recently looking at some various plywood and was stunned at the price. 2×4 sheet 3/4″ (don’t know grade) was ~$50 a sheet. A 4×8 piece of MDF was $110. 😳That’s insane. For glued together dust? I used to think the tools in woodworking were expensive. I can deal with the prices of the tools. The wood is the expensive part. Our president says ‘we just need to finish the job.’ How much do we to need to pay to “finish the job.” But on a positive note, love your informative articles. They are always helpful.
Thank you, this was very educational, greatly appreciate this information!!! Previously, I didn’t quite know about what those gradings meant. Man, the lumber yards in my area cost about 2-3x more than the home centers. Then even at the big box stores, I remember a time, I think it was before covid or the big lumber price run up, when hardwood like Oak was about 10% more than sande plywood. Nowadays, hardwood has been about 50% more. And the real lumber yards have been pretty snobby for the little guys like me. If anyone knows a good service lumber yard in the Denver area with good prices and sells to individuals, please share, thanks in advance.
I got badly burned in 2019 with some hardwood plywood from HD, which was over $100. The top ply was so thin it might as well have been a picture of wood. It wouldn’t cut, rout or sand without becoming an unsightly mess. Back in 2013 I got some absolutely fantastic plywood from Brazil at HD, which had consistently quality plies. I don’t blame supply chain issues, just lousy buying agents, and of course poor management.
What you are SHOWING in industry is called Baltic Birch, no matter where it comes from, i.e., Russia, Finland or where ever! Most Commercial sources of Commercial Quality Baltic Birch aren’t usually stocked in Home Depot, Lowes or the other garbage building material sources, but most areas have the Commercial Sources available, as long as you have an ACCOUNT with them, most will sell to a home owner, usually at better prices and FAR higher quality than the Big Box stores! What also has to be taken into account is your machinery, a standard homeowner’s table saw and junk blade is NOT appropriate for fine woodworking without using professional quality blades and ACCURACING that type of saw, which CAN, with some work and a little money be made to do professional quality work! I’m still using an original Delta Milwaukee 1941 Unisaw, yes still with the original motor, with both outfeed, infeed, side table and a professional fence! It will cut accurately to less than 1/64th of an inch with a SMOOTH accurate cut with NO tearout on the bottom!
Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is NOT plywood… Medium Density Board/Fiberboard is NOT plywood… Particle Board (aka sawdust board) is NOT plywood… Plywood IS layered wood that is glued together between the layers. Actual plywood comes in varying thickness and in different types for different projects. Example: Cabinet grade plywood would be a hardwood such as oak. You would NOT want to use cabinet grade plywood as your subfloor.
Hee hee….Well, you guys live in a different world. Here in UK, almost all flat pack self assembly furniture, cupboards, wardrobes etc is that melamine particle board and pretty much all backing boards are 1/8 hardboard or MDF . The internal carcases of our seating furniture like sofas and armchairs is usually either cheap 1/2 inch construction grade three ply or 1/2 inch OSB. Only expensive premium level furnishings use anything like quality ply and 3/4 stock is almost unheard of. Now if you are building at home you can use what you like, but in the circumstances 3/4 sanded ply is a super luxury material and no wonder when a single 8×4 sheet of 3/4 Birch ply is 280 Bucks…..YES my friend Two Hundred and Eighty USD equivalent !
I take a straight edge, circular saw, and a couple of sacrificial 2x4s to the store ALL the time to break down full sheets in the parking lot. Buying precut small pieces is 3-4x more expensive. A full sheet of 3/4″ birch ply by me is $70-80 at Menards and I go to Rockler for hardwoods. The only downside is having to mill out your own hardwood.. I have to make all sorts of jigs
The stringy thing u found in your plywood looks like a piece of the protective covering that is stapled to the bunk before shipping. The staples push fibers and strings into the edge sometimes. I’ve seen it when cutting sheets down before. I’m betting that was within an inch of the edge right? The staples they use are the long cap nail looking staples. Quarter sized orange or green piece of plastic with two metal prongs about and inch and half long….
MDF is an industry standard and a great material to work with. This is what bothers me about so called “influencers”. They say things like, MDF is the “spawn of Satan” and beginners think they should avoid it at all costs. When in reality, they would be missing out on a awesome material with many uses. Ive been a cabinet maker/ furniture builder/ finisher for 40+ years, professionally and I can tell you, the only down side of MDF is, if you are not knowledgeable on how to use it and yes, the dust. But dust is a part of the biz you can avoid. It doesn’t matter what material you are using. No it is not moisture resistant nor water proof. Its not made to be. Know what you are buying and where to use it. It holds screws very well, but yoj have to use the right screws and you need to know how to use your drill/ driver properly. Bare MDF is a great product for shop aplications such as cabinetry, work surfaces, drawer boxes, SHELVES, and jigs and templates. While it does work nicely for shelves and will indeed support a lot of weight. For any shelves over 30 inches you should use 1″ MDF. But 30″ and under, will be fine, just dont store your hoard of gold bars on it. As a finisher I can seal the edges of MDF the correct way and they will take paint and finish very well but its still not a wise choice for high moisture/ humidity areas like kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms etc. You can also get MDF with applied veneers in a wide verity of species. So it is definitely a very versatile material.
At my wood dealer they have some 3/4 “imported Birch” plywood that’s available prefinished on 2 sides for $68 and finished on 1 side for $64. That’s half the price of Baltic Birch. I’m sure it’s Chinese and probably not great quality but thinking of picking up a few sheets to build some shop cabinets.
Great article! This is exactly the advice I was searching for. One friendly suggestion…I’ve watched a number of your articles, and they’re all top notch. However, I suggest slowing down your presentation by a rate of about 15%. You communicate a LOT of valuable info in a short amount of time, and I have trouble following along at the rapid pace. I know I can slow down the playback rate on YT, and I do; but it sounds weird and a little glitchy. Just a suggestion, and thanks again for the great articles 👍
OH Thank God! Im not the only guy that brings my charged Makita to chop it down because every single Home Depot employee seems to do a “Ninja VANISH” when the com calls for help at the panel saw! Anyone know how to request a cut order (nothing crazy x2-x4 pieces of a 4×8) on a online order at either Lowes or HD? Great informative article too. thanks! I feel ya for MDF too I use it only for face frames or doors if painting opaque.
That’s sad here in Canada we don’t have that selection of plywoods in big box stores, so we have to buy from special suppliers that charge alot, a walnut veneer 3/4 plywood costs 250$ a sheet or regular ones oak or maple are around 120$-150$ not talking solid woods they can go from 12$ per foot and higher, even our white 5/8 melamine costs 80$ plus tax,it’s ridiculous how expensive lumber and plywood has become
Very important, the hardwood plywood at the box stores has a veneer 1/64 to 1/100 inch thick. From the wholesale houses they can get products that have veneers that are 1/16 inch thick and plywood that have 1/8″ thick veneer MDF. With the thin veneers it is super easy to sand thru, as elated, even with 220 sandpaper. The 1/16″ veneer can be sanded with 100 sandpaper aggressively and even 120 grit belt sander.
Buying the smaller “Project” sizes DOES make sense if that is all you NEED for your ‘Project”! I needed to replace the water-damaged MDF top to a 22″ x 44″ desk…. 2’x4’ “Project” panel was perfect…24″ x 48″ 👍… and it fit perfect in my compact car…. I trimmed the edges, sanded, stained, sanded, and clear top-coat… and now have a very nice 23″ x 46″ desk..
Biggest mistake buying plywood….not considering using a different building method. Many old homes have no plywood/OSB. Same with older furniture. The main reason panel goods have been used has been to save money on labor. If you’re a hobbyist or DIY your time may not be a factor for you. This past peak in OSB taught me to go back to the older methods. That left me thinking “why haven’t I always built this way?”
Menard’s is the only one of the Big 3 that lets you drill down/filter for to “Made in the USA” during searches for lumber and any other items. Some categories have no domestically-produced items at all, unfortunately. However, they’re also the only one of the Big 3 that doesn’t have a 10% military/veteran discount.
Would absolutely LOVE some chapter markers in your vids… I’m a woodworking noob & I know I’ll be referencing this many times as I go through the beginning stages of my project. It’d be nice to find the info quickly rather than bouncing all around all over the place & becoming unnecessarily frustrated. Great content, I’ve already liked & subbed!
There’s lots of good information here but the terminology is way off … you are on the sheet goods isle not the plywood isle! Plywood is made up of layers of veneer … all the others are not plywood … such as OSB (oriented strand board), MDF medium-density fiberboard), and etc. It would have been much more helpful to explain the different manufacturing processes (makeup of each), in what types of project each is typically used in.
Menards in my area has the most bent, twisted, curved plywood. Pure junk in comparison to Lowes. Menards are a bit cheaper in price, but if I have to build something that requires strength and appearance, I’ll definitely go with Lowes. This might change in the future, but as of now, the last couple of times I’ve checked Lowes has superior quality compared to Menards.
it must be an American thing but in the UK plywood is sheets made up of pliable wood, chipboard is sheets of glued wood chips, and MDF is mdf, out of PLYWOOD we have marine plywood “waterproof” and not marine “normal” then different face for what you want to look good, hard wood, soft wood ect at what ever thickness, but never heard MDF or Chip board thought of as plywood
“Men-ards” is how you pronounce it unless you feel like saying it in a funny way (which is about a quarter of the time for me 🤣) and ironically much of their lumber is usually pretty crappy. But, they do have reasonable-ish looking Baltic/Arctic Birch. Too rich for my blood, I stick with ACX personally, so no practical experience with it.
You forgot to include that different vendor’s of plywood have different veneer thicknesses. My experience is that the Orange box stores has plywoods with thicker veneer’s than Blue box stores does. Sometime you find a box store Birch plywood with 9 layers that is better than the norm there. And for playing around, I still like to pick up 1/4 sheets to experiment with.
One thing that I don’t think was mentioned: I always check the cull lumber section at Home Depot, even if I’m just passing by and didn’t plan on stopping. Obviously you have to have some lucky timing, but check often enough and you’ll find some great stuff at 70% off. Just recently someone had some pine stair treads cut in half and didn’t want them, for whatever reason. They worked perfectly for 2 ft. wide shelves and after the discount, it was 1.80 a shelf for the lumber, with the front face already rounded over! I’ve found large pieces of melamine, plywood, and fence boards as well. Usually I just grab anything that looks acceptable if I think I might use it in the future. Even if 1/4th of the board is damaged or was cut off, you’re still paying only 30% for 75% of the material.