birch plywood from Home Depot

[brodave2]

I don't know about anywhere else, but my Lowes in Baytown Texas has some birch plywood that has about 7 plies, not counting the thin veneer. I tested some of it, took a scrap and glued it with PL Premium at 90 degrees to another piece, no clamping, no nails, no screws, no dadoes, edge of one piece glued to the face of the other, just let it set up, and a couple of days later I couldn't break it with my hands. The thin veneer didn't pull up, and the stuff appears to be waterproof, because a lot of my scraps are out in the weather and nothing is pulling up. This stuff lays flat for me after I cut it, and it goes for $28 a sheet. Now I'm not dreading building another pair of T48s. Lowes has some half sheets of the rotten stuff, it has 3 plies plus the thin veneers, and it comes apart with very little moisture.

[soundmankeith]

My only issues w/ Lowes birch was when rounding over the edges, or sanding the filler, the outer ply would peel and rip out big chunks. Strength was never a question, and having good plys is so the screws grab and don't break out the edges. I built 2 t39 titans with Lowes Birch, just added a lot more finish time, enough that I decided to go back to BB. I tried Lowes ply cause it was convenient, and I had them cut it down. (Makes it easier to get in the basement) If you don't mind the finish, go for it, it's just a PITA bondo'ing the rounded over edges.

[brodave2]

it seems what Lowes OR Home Depot has depends a lot on where you are. My Lowes only has half sheets of 1/2" birch, and it's some really sorry stuff, no water resistance at all. The birch they have at my Home Depot is some of the best birch I've seen, the plies are about a millimeter thick, and it seems to have exterior glue. Now when I go today to get another sheet, it may be something different, who knows.

[pwfirst]

I have used both the Lowes birch and the BB and the BB is more dense and the edges require less finishing. Phil

[brodave2]

I went back to MY home depot today, and the one sheet of good birch I got the other day was not the norm. Evidently one sheet of the good stuff got mixed in with the normal rot. All they had today was the 3 ply with thin veneer crap. I thought the other sheet of the good stuff looked out of place.