In article , -MIKE- wrote:
This is the the second time I've bought 13 ply birch plywood that is NOT
square, NOT straight, and over-sized.
[...]
"Made in China" saved me money, but has cost me 5x as much in time, so far.
Are there any US wholesale suppliers/distributors that I need to look
for who still make/source perfect plywood?

Buy your plywood at a real lumber yard, not at home centers, and it's unlikely
you'll have this problem. In particular, grab the Yellow Pages, look under
"Lumber", and search out the dealers that sell hardwoods. Those are the ones
who will also sell decent plywood.

BTW, while you certainly want to avoid anything made in China, don't think
that you have to restrict your purchases to US-made plywood only. I've bought
plenty of plywood that was made in Canada and it all seems first-rate. I try
to buy American when I can, but when I can't, I look next for Canadian
products -- I figure if you can't do business at home, do business with your
next-door neighbor. And I have never, even once, been disappointed in the
quality of any Canadian-made product.

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , -MIKE- wrote:
This is the the second time I've bought 13 ply birch plywood that is NOT
square, NOT straight, and over-sized.
[...]
"Made in China" saved me money, but has cost me 5x as much in time, so far.
Are there any US wholesale suppliers/distributors that I need to look
for who still make/source perfect plywood?

Buy your plywood at a real lumber yard, not at home centers, and it's unlikely
you'll have this problem. In particular, grab the Yellow Pages, look under
"Lumber", and search out the dealers that sell hardwoods. Those are the ones
who will also sell decent plywood.


That's the deal, though. Both places are hardwood/plywood specialists.
Nashville Plywood and Summers Lumber.

I would never buy from Lowes or Home Depot, so I expected quality higher
than mediocre.


BTW, while you certainly want to avoid anything made in China, don't think
that you have to restrict your purchases to US-made plywood only. I've bought
plenty of plywood that was made in Canada and it all seems first-rate. I try
to buy American when I can, but when I can't, I look next for Canadian
products -- I figure if you can't do business at home, do business with your
next-door neighbor. And I have never, even once, been disappointed in the
quality of any Canadian-made product.

Yes, I say US, but imply North America. :-)
Apparently Russia is exporting some pretty suspect stuff, too.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

In article , -MIKE- wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:
In article , -MIKE-
wrote:
This is the the second time I've bought 13 ply birch plywood that is NOT
square, NOT straight, and over-sized.
[...]
"Made in China" saved me money, but has cost me 5x as much in time, so far.
Are there any US wholesale suppliers/distributors that I need to look
for who still make/source perfect plywood?

Buy your plywood at a real lumber yard, not at home centers, and it's
unlikely
you'll have this problem. In particular, grab the Yellow Pages, look under
"Lumber", and search out the dealers that sell hardwoods. Those are the ones
who will also sell decent plywood.


That's the deal, though. Both places are hardwood/plywood specialists.
Nashville Plywood and Summers Lumber.

Ouch! Sounds like they're both locally-owned businesses, eh? Complain directly
to the owner. I guess I just assumed that it must have come from the Borg,
since that's the only place around here (Indianapolis) where I see crappy
plywood. The independent dealers in this area all sell the good stuff.

I would never buy from Lowes or Home Depot, so I expected quality higher
than mediocre.

I would too. Do you have any alternatives?


BTW, while you certainly want to avoid anything made in China, don't think
that you have to restrict your purchases to US-made plywood only. I've bought
plenty of plywood that was made in Canada and it all seems first-rate. I try
to buy American when I can, but when I can't, I look next for Canadian
products -- I figure if you can't do business at home, do business with your
next-door neighbor. And I have never, even once, been disappointed in the
quality of any Canadian-made product.

Yes, I say US, but imply North America. :-)

FWIW, I've not seen quality problems with Mexican-made products, either, but
that's mostly auto parts. I doubt Mexico exports much plywood...

Apparently Russia is exporting some pretty suspect stuff, too.

Imagine my surprise.

-MIKE- wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:

Buy your plywood at a real lumber yard, not at home centers, and it's
unlikely you'll have this problem. In particular, grab the Yellow
Pages, look under "Lumber", and search out the dealers that sell
hardwoods. Those are the ones who will also sell decent plywood.


That's the deal, though. Both places are hardwood/plywood specialists.
Nashville Plywood and Summers Lumber.

I would never buy from Lowes or Home Depot, so I expected quality higher
than mediocre.

All best are off in the 21st century, dudes.

I buy LOTS of sheetgoods and I'm here to tell you that NONE of the above
is true in this day and age.

Plywood, in general, varies so much from shipment to shipment that, at
any given time, you may actually find better hardwood plywood at the
Borg, than at the best lumber yard/hardwood dealer in town.

As we speak, I've got $120/sheet A1, rift cut, oak plywood, from one of
the best dealers in town; and $49/sheet oak veneer plywood from the
BORG, sitting in the shop, and the latter, even though it is being used
as an assembly surface and ripped for tack strips, is MUCH better
quality plywood, although it is an inferior veneer grade.

I see this constantly, and it is a constant source of frustration
because, as with hamburgers or anything else, you don't necessarily get
what you pay for any more.

AAMOF, the absolute straightest, squarest, best plywood I've bought in
bulk lately is known in the industry as "China Birch" ... supposedly
paint grade, it can be stained nicely with judicious cutting ... but
that was last week.

Only one thing is predictable ... you will pay more at a good lumber
yard, even if the plywood is crappy, so it definitely pays to simply
look around and not buy sight unseen.

Another thing to consider if you're required to build "green". One of
the few manufacturers of "urea formaldehyde free" plywood is Columbia
Forest Products ... and guess who supplies Home Depot. These guys do
make some much higher veneer grade sheetgoods that HD never sees, but
the process is basically the same.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On 2009-06-25, Doug Miller wrote:

next-door neighbor. And I have never, even once, been disappointed in the
quality of any Canadian-made product.

This no doubt due the fact both US and Canada have the same major lumber
companies in common.

nb

In article , notbob wrote:
On 2009-06-25, Doug Miller wrote:

next-door neighbor. And I have never, even once, been disappointed in the
quality of any Canadian-made product.

This no doubt due the fact both US and Canada have the same major lumber
companies in common.

I didn't mean just lumber. That's why I said "any Canadian-made product". :-)