hardwood plywood

[fredhargis]

In many (maybe most) cases it's worth it to me to get cabinet grade plywood from my hardwood supplier. I can get rift or quarter sawn varieties, and it's USA made. It's a lot nicer to work with than some of the imported stuff and generally has a thicker veneer.

[joe1086]

Stock HD plywood is usually rotary cut which is a look I dont care for.  Order A1 or A2 flatsawn.  If this is an entertainment center it will be seen a lot, make it look great.

There is a huge visual difference between rotary and sliced-sawn plywood. Something as big as an entertainment center I might be inclined to get a higher grade material. When building my kitchen I was fortunate enough to be able to sort through lots of sheets to hand select the ones I wanted....it was at a hardwood dealer who also sold furniture grade ply.

Here is a good page to see the differences: plywood

[Buckhunter]

Thanks for all the comments ..... I think I will get some prices from Schallers Hardwood in St Louis

[Splinter Puller]

I've had no problems special ordering better grades of hardwood plywood from Menards. I prefer the combi core plywood. Veneer on thin MDF with a ply core. The surfaces are much smoother then veneer on ply core only.

When special ordering the plywood it comes a week or so later wrapped in skins of junk plywood (which I use for other stuff) and wrapped in tyvek.

[Buckhunter]

I haven't bought Hardwood surfaced ply, BB, or regular construction ply anywhere but Menards in several years. Lower price, I've found better quality than the so called specialty places, and easy. Plus they can get anything, it doesn't matter if it's in the store or not. If you don't see it, just ask. I've found for special order 3 to 5 working days is the norm for lead time. Even special order they still come in lower priced than the competition. Both Lowes, and HD can also do that, but Menards always wins in the price comparison. On Red Oak, Maple,Walnut and Cherry Menards has a line of extra thick skinned outer plies + worth the MONEY  
 
 
 
 


Ohhhh look 11% off right now for B grade

Product spec for Red Oak


A grade is slightly more and my experience is hands on, the B grade is pretty darn good.

A grade specs


very informative .... I may go the A grade route  .... the specs say it is quarter sawn and thats what I was looking for 

[fredhargis]

I've had no problems special ordering better grades of hardwood plywood from Menards.   I prefer the combi core plywood.  Veneer on thin MDF with a ply core.   The surfaces are much smoother then veneer on ply core only.

When special ordering the plywood it comes a week or so later wrapped in skins of junk plywood (which I use for other stuff) and wrapped in tyvek.

Question about the Menard's packing. I know they charge for that ($15/sheet when I last checked), but if you order multiple sheets, do they pack it together (with one charge of $15) or is it per sheet?

[Splinter Puller]

Question about the Menard's packing. I know they charge for that ($15/sheet when I last checked), but if you order multiple sheets, do they pack it together (with one charge of $15) or is it per sheet?

My last order of two dozen sheets had one $19.99 packaging charge.  The order came in three separate bundles each sandwiched in scrap plywood and tyvek. I belive it was three bundles because it originated from three locations.

[Steve N]

I wonder if that is store specific? My last order was a biggun. I got 78 sheets of asst, some DX, some BB, Some hardwood, Some Radiata Pine, and a few odds and ends. I didn't want to play with trying to haul that in 6 trips, so I paid $39.99 for delivery, and didn't have a handling charge. Most of it was the crap you see on the tops of piles of plywood, but I had a freebie sheet on top and bottom, between each type, and the BB was packed to go to war, it had top and bottom sheets, side sheets, and was visqueen wrapped. I can say I didn't have a dinged edge, or a bad panel in the lot. I was pretty impressed.

OP asked

"I may go the A grade route .... the specs say it is quarter sawn and thats what I was looking for"

If you have a store local to you, go over. At my local store they sell a lot of the red oak I guess, they have both the B faced, and the A faced in stock. That is why I said most of the time the B is fine
I have to say if it is QS, you could hardly tell a difference looking at them. Of course I am not a red oak guy, usually I am looking at Maple, or Cherry, or some variant of pine. Wouldn't be hard to tell though, ray fleck, and you are looking at QS.

[fredhargis]

I know the ads point out that some variations of their hardwood ply are always special order, and subject to the packing charge.

[Scoony]

Not sure what Menards carries, but I do know about the local Lowes and Home Depot. What I look for is poplar core over a fir core and overall lack of voids. Home Depot usually have better maple and birch plywood over Lowes but then its a pick between Maple and Birch and Birch is usually better quality. Lowes seems to have better oak plywood.

The hardwood specialty stores that carry hardwood ply will usually have domestic core and a slightly cheaper imported core. I would stay away from the imported core.