1/4 birch ply quality poor lately.

[kerry_nf]

Has anyone else noticed the quality of the 1/4 birch plywood generally available in home depot centers is very bad lately?

Obviously, being in NL, Canada it's quite likely that our supplies come from differnt places but I have found myself going to Michaels more and more to buy individual size pieces for portrait work as the sheets I used to buy at the warehouses are very poor quality.

They are very dark with heavy brown grain sections in them. I was thinking it might just be a bad batch but it's been several months now and almost everywhere I have gone seems to be the same thing.

[Jediscroller]

They probably found a cheaper supplier. I tend to avoid the borg unless absolutely necessary. I'm fortunate that there are 2 very good lumber yards within 60 miles (~ 100 KM for my non-US friends, hehehe) of my home.

[Dragon]

That would be non-US friends born after a certain year. I am of the older generation and still have not adapted to the stupid metric system. Si I am still in miles and feet.
Diane

[kerry_nf]

It's funny ... I have adapted to a combination of the two systems. For driving I can only visualize KMs but when measuring I use Inches. They will have to come up with a name for the two of them combined. lol

[Neal Moore]

I've been having the same problem with the 1/4 inch luan I use for portrait backers. I used to buy it in 4' x 8' sheets and it was reasonably flat with only minor imperfections. The stuff I'm seeing now is absolute junk, wavey as an ocean and full of patches. I visited three local suppliers last month and the quality of luan they had in stock was poor at best!!

[PuzzledMoose]

That would be non-US friends born after a certain year. I am of the older generation and still have not adapted to the stupid metric system. Si I am still in miles and feet.
Diane

I'm still waiting for anyone to explain to me WHY Canada ever decided to go metric in the first place, since the majority of its trade is with the US who are non-metric and they are thousands of miles from any other metric-system-using country ...

The only good thing about km that I can see is that because I think in miles I see to get to places quicker here when I'm driving ...

[workin for wood]

We may not be metric down here, but the wood all comes in metric dimensions. You go to the borg and you'll find 11mm plywood or whatever and then they write on the sticker...close to 1/4 or 1/2 or whatever. The Dado cutter on the tablesaw won't cut it, it's a bit thinner than the blades will cut, so you end up with loose dados. I have to cut my dado's slightly undersided and then move the fence and recut it bigger while praying at the same time.

[Gill]

Well, you will import your materials from countries that use metric...

We have no problems with the sizes of plywood - just the rotten construction grade quality. It's a shame that you're having to suffer the same problems as us. I was hoping the standards in North America might encourage European producers to up their game but it doesn't seem to be happening .

Oh, if it's any consolation, you guys are inflicting the world's best scrolling and general woodwork patterns on us Europeans... in imperial measurements! Take comfort in the knowledge that you're exacting a degree of revenge by torturing us with great patterns that are nigh on impossible for us to cut .

Gill

[workin for wood]

I never thought of that Gill. Love it!

[Marsha]

[Green Frog]

Plywood

Sure wish some pf you was closer to Nebraska as i have a supply of Birch and Maple ply free that seems to be never ending in sizes 24" x 3" to 4" x 5" feet all marine grade too sure helps keep the cost down :bigaroon_old:

[PuzzledMoose]

Try dividing 13" equally in 3, it can't be done very easily. Now try dividing 33cm by three which is the equivolent of 13", that was much easier wasn't it.

OK ... try dividing 25.4 cm in half - now try dividing 10 inches in half ....

[Marsha]

OK ... try dividing 25.4 cm in half - now try dividing 10 inches in half ....

Ian
25.4 cm / 2 = 12.7 cm or 12cm and 7mm
10" / 2 = 5"
That's an easy one, it's when you need thirds that metric really shines through
Marsha

[PuzzledMoose]

Ian
25.4 cm / 2 = 12.7 cm or 12cm and 7mm
10" / 2 = 5"
That's an easy one, it's when you need thirds that metric really shines through
Marsha

How about 15" /3 - easy ... 38.1 cm/3? OK I'll stop before this gets silly ...

[sawdustus]

1/4 birch and metric vs english

You are all correct in finding that the borg ply is terrible. Lowe's is not much better. I usually end up trashing about 1/5 of each sheet I get. It is also thinner than the nominal measurement by about 1/32". This is done for strictly economic reasons. Each 32 sheets made gives them 1 extra for pure profit. If you get a high quality dado set ( Freud for example) it will come with shims that will let you get right on the thickness. I use it them all the time for cabinet making and for cutting grooves and dadoes for scroll work when I have milled up the lumber myself and thickness planed it myself. It is almost impossible to get it just perfect.

As far as the english vs metric problem. I spent 34 years teaching middle and high school science and used nothing but metric all day long in school. Then I would come home and use english measurement only to do home improvement projects and cabinet work around my house. Maybe it is just my brain, but I never mixed them up. However, given a choice, I would use metric over english any time.

Try the following: change 3.71 yards into inches then try 3.71 meters into cm.