Mike Hartigan wrote:
I recently built a bar in my basement using some 3/4" oak ply that
had been sitting in my garage for the past ten years or so (I
originally bought it for some bookcases that, somehow, never got
built). As I recall, I paid $45 at one of the big box stores -
probably Builder's Square. The price was higher that normal at the
time because the industry was in the midst of one of its occasional
lumber 'shortages'. It cleaned up nicely and looks great. I needed
to build a back bar to go with it and bought another sheet of 3/4"
oak ply, this time for $39 from Menard's (a much more 'normal'
price). The grain was MUCH nicer on this one, and viewed from the
edge, the nine plies (vs seven on the old one) appeared to be perfect
- almost as if they were made by a machine! (ok, they *were* made by
a machine, but I think you know what I mean). I've never seen
plywood with such perfect plies. I anxiously started working with
this piece and it quickly became obvious why the older piece was the
better of the two. The veneer on the new piece was like paper. It
was wood, but it had the thickness of a sheet of paper. Fortunately,
it was smoother than the old piece, so it didn't need much sanding,
but I was still very disappointed.

Is this normal? Is this how mass-market plywood is done these days?
Assuming I finish it correctly, will this present durability
problems? Where can I get something more like the old stuff without
spending upwards of $100/sheet?

Not sure about your area, but the specialty plywood dealers around
here have far superior product. The price difference isn't that great
and the better material is worth it. The good places are like candy
stores. Fondling sheets of QS English oak and other exotics is a fun
way to spend an hour.

R