Baltic Birch - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

millwab · 06-27-2007, 05:23 PM

Just wondering if all BB is created equal. I was on the phone with a lumber company ordering some cypress for a couple of Adirondack chairs and asked if by chance they carried BB (you know, the 'real' stuff that comes in 5'x5' sheets). It isn't carried anywhere local to me, and I didn't see it on their web site, but sure enough they carry it. Since delivery is free within 150 miles of their yard, I thought I'd stock up. They wanted $11 for a 1/8" thick sheet. To those of you that have local access to BB, is this a reasonable price?

Jediscroller · 06-27-2007, 05:37 PM

That's a good price Bruce. I'd suggest stocking up at that price too. My local lumber yard's price just jumped from $11 to $16 a sheet.

PeteB · 06-27-2007, 06:10 PM

There are grades of Baltic birch, something to watch out for:

B - Clear face
BB - Some football patches
BBB - More patches, maybe some splits and streaking

The very best Baltic birch is B/BB (clear one side, some patches on the other). A lot being sold is BB/BBB.

This is just for clarification. That price you got is very good, regardless of grade. I'd grab it up!

Pete

Capt Weasel · 06-27-2007, 07:45 PM

Thats a good price. I get it for $12.50 a sheet here. The guy has all 3 grades and I have to sift through it to pick what I want. I've bout picked the B dry and now I'm down to BB and some BBB that I have to cut around the footballs.

lucky788scroller · 06-28-2007, 12:20 AM

Pete gave a good explanation. Here in WI the best I can get it for is $14.00 a sheet for 1/8th, and $21 a sheet for 1/4 (B/BB grade) Dale

bobledoux · 06-28-2007, 02:39 PM

Some of the baltic birch is junk.

I purchased a sheet of half inch from my local hardwood supplier. It was a cabinet grade material. Face plies were sanded very thin. There were voids in the inner plies. Some inner ply edges were lapped over each other so the press had to compress the material back to desired thickness. There were glue voids.

These defects might work out in cabinet drawer construction but not when small pieces need to be cut. I built a wooden gear clock using this material and small parts had to be rebuilt using a higher quality stock.

Check the grade of material you are buying.

millwab · 06-28-2007, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteB

There are grades of Baltic birch, something to watch out for:

B - Clear face
BB - Some football patches
BBB - More patches, maybe some splits and streaking

According to the supplier, it's BB/BB. If there are 'some' patches on both sides, hopefully they won't be on top of each other. If they are spaced out enough, a patch on one side will be far enough away from one on the other side that the pieces I cut it into will still have one 'good' side. I'll have to see when it's delivered. At $11/sheet I'm sure I'll get my moneys worth.

Tor · 06-28-2007, 09:17 PM

You are lucky to get such prices. Here a sheet of 1/2" CDX runs $25/sheet (US). Because I haven't used BB I haven't looked for a source to have a price on that. Good information here if I go looking.

Tor

JoelM · 06-28-2007, 10:26 PM

I get Baltic Birch here for $11.30 a sheet. I read the other thread about BB and couldn't believe some of the prices !

http://www.kencraftcompany.com/

06-27-2007, 05:23 PM	#1
millwab Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 400	Baltic Birch Just wondering if all BB is created equal. I was on the phone with a lumber company ordering some cypress for a couple of Adirondack chairs and asked if by chance they carried BB (you know, the 'real' stuff that comes in 5'x5' sheets). It isn't carried anywhere local to me, and I didn't see it on their web site, but sure enough they carry it. Since delivery is free within 150 miles of their yard, I thought I'd stock up. They wanted $11 for a 1/8" thick sheet. To those of you that have local access to BB, is this a reasonable price? __________________ Bruce . . . because each piece will be someone's heirloom someday. visit sometime Hawk 220VS, Delta 40-570

06-27-2007, 05:37 PM	#2
Jediscroller American Crafstman Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Galaxy far, far away Posts: 3,174 Blog Entries: 5	That's a good price Bruce. I'd suggest stocking up at that price too. My local lumber yard's price just jumped from $11 to $16 a sheet. __________________ Kevin Scrollsaw Patterns Online Making holes in wood with an EX-30, Craftsman 16" VS, Dremel 1680 and 1671

06-27-2007, 07:45 PM	#4
Capt Weasel Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 251	Thats a good price. I get it for $12.50 a sheet here. The guy has all 3 grades and I have to sift through it to pick what I want. I've bout picked the B dry and now I'm down to BB and some BBB that I have to cut around the footballs. __________________ Confuscious says, "The cautious seldom err". Confuscious didn't own a scrollsaw either.

06-28-2007, 09:17 PM	#8
Tor Mad Marqueteur Join Date: May 2007 Location: The "Green Side" in Hawaii Posts: 1,528	You are lucky to get such prices. Here a sheet of 1/2" CDX runs $25/sheet (US). Because I haven't used BB I haven't looked for a source to have a price on that. Good information here if I go looking. Tor __________________ I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it. - Thomas Jefferson Garden Island Marqueteur http://www.fineartmarquetry.com

06-28-2007, 10:26 PM	#9
JoelM Work in progress Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 85	I get Baltic Birch here for $11.30 a sheet. I read the other thread about BB and couldn't believe some of the prices ! http://www.kencraftcompany.com/ __________________ Joel

06-27-2007, 06:10 PM	#3
PeteB Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 428	There are grades of Baltic birch, something to watch out for: B - Clear face BB - Some football patches BBB - More patches, maybe some splits and streaking The very best Baltic birch is B/BB (clear one side, some patches on the other). A lot being sold is BB/BBB. This is just for clarification. That price you got is very good, regardless of grade. I'd grab it up! Pete

06-28-2007, 12:20 AM	#5
lucky788scroller Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: wisconsin Posts: 6,260	Pete gave a good explanation. Here in WI the best I can get it for is $14.00 a sheet for 1/8th, and $21 a sheet for 1/4 (B/BB grade) Dale

06-28-2007, 02:39 PM	#6
bobledoux Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 9	Some of the baltic birch is junk. I purchased a sheet of half inch from my local hardwood supplier. It was a cabinet grade material. Face plies were sanded very thin. There were voids in the inner plies. Some inner ply edges were lapped over each other so the press had to compress the material back to desired thickness. There were glue voids. These defects might work out in cabinet drawer construction but not when small pieces need to be cut. I built a wooden gear clock using this material and small parts had to be rebuilt using a higher quality stock. Check the grade of material you are buying.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Baltic Birch Plywood	Harry B.	Wood and Materials	6	06-12-2009 05:12 PM
Baltic Birch ply	meydenhart	Wood and Materials	38	06-14-2007 04:42 AM
Baltic Birch Finishing	Iamdusty	Wood Finishing and Painting	8	09-01-2006 03:59 PM
Q: Bending Wet Baltic Birch	Ann	General Scroll Saw	3	01-22-2006 02:01 PM
Baltic Birch	CanadianScroller	Wood and Materials	5	01-17-2006 12:23 AM