# which plywood



## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

I see all of these jigs on all these sites made from what looks like baltic birch plywood.at 50+ a 5×5 sheet,are people really using that? or is there a type of ply that just looks like it?


----------



## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Are you asking, "Are people really using expensive, $50+ dollar a sheet baltic birch plywood for jigs?" 
OR
are you asking, "Are people finding real baltic birch plywood that is only $50+ a sheet to use for jigs?" 
OR
are you asking, "Are people finding a substitute for expensive baltic birch plywood that's only $50+ a sheet?

Can't really tell the tone of voice in a web posting, and in this case it makes a huge difference.


----------



## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

Are people really using expensive, $50+ dollar a sheet baltic birch plywood for jigs?" 
and is there a alternative other than cdx ply.


----------



## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

That comes out to $2/ bf which is a lot cheaper than most of us pay for hardwood lumber, so yes, I use it for jigs sometimes, if it is one that I plan on using over and over. For one time use jigs I will use particle board or MDF.


----------



## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

I use BB when I feel like I need to, as in a jig that is going to get used repeatedly. It sounds expensive, but it goes a long way. For instance, I bought a 4×8 piece of 1/2" BB for about $53 a few months ago. So far I have made a drill press table, a large 45 degree crosscut sled, and a large SLR/tapering sled, and I still have some left over. So, at $18 per sled, I'm not really sweating it too much.

I also use mdf and cabinet grade plywood for jigs as well. My trusty ole crosscut sled was made from cabinet grade ply left over from a job and it is still going strong.

In the end, I think any high grade plywood will do, and even mdf if used the correct way. Just stay away from junky particle board or low end plywood unless it is for a one or two time use jig.


----------



## Crank50 (Jan 31, 2014)

I really hate CDX ply at the Box Stores. It's full of voids, overlapped plys, knot hole cutouts, and generally warped and useless for anything requiring precision.

I asked a local lumber yard if they could get me Baltic Birch and they said, "Birch plywood? Yes, we can get it." 
Turns out that was cabinet ply with a veneer of Birch way thinner than paper.

I have found some AC sand ply at Home Depot that was decent and had 7 plys for 3/4" material, better than that 5 ply CDX stuff, it had almost no voids and had exterior glue. The sand ply was a special purchase at $27 per sheet and I bought 4 sheets, but they have never had it again. Too bad, but this is still not going to help if you need 1/2", 3/8" or 1/4" plywood. That is just going to have to be ordered, perhaps from a cabinet shop.


----------



## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I use whatever scraps are left lying about and that's usually cabinet grade plywood which runs between $50-$80 per 4'x8' sheet. Some jigs are disposable but others need to be built to last because if they stay precise, they'll save thousands of dollars over their lifetime in time savings.

For some jigs I'll use cabinet-grade particle board or MDF but I prefer the particle board as it seems to be less effected by humidity. It'll swell in direct contact with water but that's generally not an issue in the shop.


----------



## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

I'm a vicious wood hoarder and have been fortunate to work in and around places where melamine cabinet ply and MDO ply are thrown out rather often. Whenever I see it I get as much as I can into the car. As Bondo said, it can be cheaper than hardwood, and it's also cheaper to only build the jig once, and have it on the shelf when you need it again, so if I didn't have the "reclaimed" wood I'd buy the BB


----------



## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I will use baltic birch plywood when necessary. I have found Aruaco Plywood at a couple places. It is cheaper than the baltic birch but is also of a high quality (not quite as good as the baltic birch). and not as expensive at about $33 for a 3/4×48 x 96 sheet.

I used this to build all of my shop cabinets and it worked very well.


----------



## NoThanks (Mar 19, 2014)

I like using BB for jigs. I don't find it that expensive.
I'm buying unfinished (import) 5×5's for 26.00 a sheet, 
pre finished (import) 5×5's for 32.00 a sheet. For an import, it's not bad. It's the only import material I will buy.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You can buy veneer core ply in other formats too.

Baltic and Russian birch ply have a full-thickness
veneer on each face, so you can round and bevel
the edges and the faces work more like solid
wood than thin veneer. Other than that it's
not structurally so different from any veneer
core ply.

I use 1/2" prefinished maple ply for jigs sometimes
when I have it on hand. It comes in 4-8 sheets
and is not too expensive. The face veneers are
thin but the finish is very tough and has some 
thickness to it that protects the veneers pretty
well so it can, sort of, be used in the same kind
of exposed edge applications as Baltic birch type
stuff. It's probably not as flat or stable but it's
adequate.


----------

