I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood and was surprised when I set out to buy both for a little project. 2x4 sheet of birch-faced 3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and change or about $3 a board foot. 4/4 hard maple at my yard select & better $2.25 BF. Previous experience with Menard's ply tells me that I can expect some voids as I cut my pieces.

Larry

"Gramp's shop" wrote in message
...

I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood and was surprised
when I set out to buy both for a little project. 2x4 sheet of birch-faced
3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and change or about $3 a board foot. 4/4 hard
maple at my yard select & better $2.25 BF. Previous experience with
Menard's ply tells me that I can expect some voids as I cut my pieces.

Seems to me they are the same price... 18/8= 2.25 and assuming the are both
finished to 3/4. There is often an upcharge for less than full sheets of ply
so depending on how much you need the ply can end up cheaper and maybe
require less labor (there is a huge "it depends" that goes with that).

Gramp's shop wrote, On 5/30/2013 11:04 AM:
I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood and was surprised when I set out to buy both for a little project. 2x4 sheet of birch-faced 3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and change or about $3 a board foot. 4/4 hard maple at my yard select & better $2.25 BF. Previous experience with Menard's ply tells me that I can expect some voids as I cut my pieces.

Larry

It's costly because you are buying sucker wood...wood that they have cut
into nice little pieces for you.

You can buy a 4' x 8' sheet of birch ply for about $48. And they will
even cut it into 2' x 4' pieces for free if you want.

Be aware that the stuff the borgs sell is usually C3. Definitely not
the world's best but OK if you aren't fussy


--
dadiOH

Here is a place that sells a "lot" of plywood
with the typical prices at different grades.

The grades are also explained:

http://boulterplywood.com/

$50 birch plywood is typical d3 or d4 paint grade.


On 5/30/2013 8:20 AM, dadiOH wrote:
Gramp's shop wrote, On 5/30/2013 11:04 AM:
I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood and was
surprised when I set out to buy both for a little project. 2x4 sheet
of birch-faced 3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and change or about $3 a
board foot. 4/4 hard maple at my yard select & better $2.25 BF.
Previous experience with Menard's ply tells me that I can expect some
voids as I cut my pieces.

Pat Barber wrote:
Here is a place that sells a "lot" of plywood
with the typical prices at different grades.

The grades are also explained:

http://boulterplywood.com/

$50 birch plywood is typical d3 or d4 paint grade.


On 5/30/2013 8:20 AM, dadiOH wrote:
Gramp's shop wrote, On 5/30/2013 11:04 AM:
I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood
and was
surprised when I set out to buy both for a little
project. 2x4
sheet of birch-faced 3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and
change or about
$3 a board foot. 4/4 hard maple at my yard select &
better $2.25
BF. Previous experience with Menard's ply tells me that
I can
expect some voids as I cut my pieces.

I paid $50 for lumber core maple last month and pay 1.55 for
5/4 FAS poplar surfaced and straight line ripped on one
edge.
I forget what I paid for12/4 ash for the legs on the beds
So those prices don't seem out of line

On Thursday, May 30, 2013 7:51:34 PM UTC-4, ChairMan wrote:

I paid $50 for lumber core maple last month
(snip)

How was the quality? Lotta voids? Last stuff I bought several years ago (10?) was brutal.

dadiOH wrote:
Gramp's shop wrote, On 5/30/2013 11:04 AM:
I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood and was
surprised when I set out to buy both for a little project. 2x4 sheet
of birch-faced 3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and change or about $3 a
board foot. 4/4 hard maple at my yard select & better $2.25 BF.
Previous experience with Menard's ply tells me that I can expect some
voids as I cut my pieces.

Larry

It's costly because you are buying sucker wood...wood that they have
cut into nice little pieces for you.

You can buy a 4' x 8' sheet of birch ply for about $48. And they will
even cut it into 2' x 4' pieces for free if you want.

Be aware that the stuff the borgs sell is usually C3. Definitely not
the world's best but OK if you aren't fussy



I recently bought a sheet of Purebond Oak-veneered plywood, C3, from
Home Depot and was pleasantly surprised.
It was still $47, but that's what you pay for the words
"Formaldehyde-free". The A grade stuff is about $99 (not stocked).

Making Corn Hole boards?

On 5/30/2013 11:04 AM, Gramp's shop wrote:
I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood and was surprised when I set out to buy both for a little project. 2x4 sheet of birch-faced 3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and change or about $3 a board foot. 4/4 hard maple at my yard select & better $2.25 BF. Previous experience with Menard's ply tells me that I can expect some voids as I cut my pieces.

Larry

JayPique wrote:
On Thursday, May 30, 2013 7:51:34 PM UTC-4, ChairMan
wrote:

I paid $50 for lumber core maple last month
(snip)

How was the quality? Lotta voids? Last stuff I bought
several years
ago (10?) was brutal.

Actually wasn't too bad, no more voids than half the crap
you get with the multi-ply.
Maybe I just got lucky

Consider - the maple came from the states and the plywood from Chile.

Martin

On 5/30/2013 10:04 AM, Gramp's shop wrote:
I always thought plywood was less costly than hardwood and was surprised

when I set out to buy both for a little project.

2x4 sheet of birch-faced 3/4 ply at Menard's -- $18 and change or about
$3 a board foot.

4/4 hard maple at my yard select & better $2.25 BF.

Previous experience with Menard's ply tells me that I can expect some
voids as I cut my pieces.

Larry