# Home Depot SandePly



## mprzybylski

I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here but I am in the planning stages of redoing my garage shop after the wife has given the go ahead to use the whole garage. I am going to be making a good amount of shop cabinets (lowers to make a miter saw station, some corner lazy Susan thing, and uppers for storage) and have been deciding on the most cost effective way to purchase materials and design the cabinets. I'd LOVE to use Baltic birch ply but at $120/sheet of 4×8 it's just not in the cards.

Anyway, I was perusing HD today and ran across SandePly. It looked pretty good, not many voids and smooth (don't remember exact number of plies, I think 9 though) and cost $34/sheet for 4×8. Some googling yields mixed results. Some people curse it because they tried to stain it and use it on furniture while others who used it for shop cabinets (like I will be) and jigs/fixtures said it performed relatively well in that regard. A lot of the results were quite old (2006 and earlier) and I'd imagine the manufacturing process has changed a bit since then.

Has anyone here used it recently and what are your thoughts, specifically as it applies to using it for shop cabinets?


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## SamuraiSaw

I've had a terrible time keeping it flat. If you're using it for the cabinet carcass and narrow shelves, you should be ok. I wouldn't recommend it for doors or unsupported shelves because I doubt it's stability.


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## marcuscraft

I've used it for a few jigs and have no complaints


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## TCCcabinetmaker

It's ok, not pretty stuff, but it works, if you do make shelves, as with all plywood, after 18 inches , you need to add a strip of 3/4 by 1 1/2 inches to avoid warping as for doors, as long as you finish them they will be stable, otherwise you may have issues with uneven moisture exposure.

P.s if you plan on putting heavy things on the shelves I'd go ahead and add that nosing strip anyways for strength.


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## ichbinpete

I have used the 23/32" cabinet grade plywood they sell for shop cabinets and been satisfied with the composition so far. Obviously it's not Russian or Chinese Birch with bunches of layers, but it works pretty well. Not sure all stores carry it, but the ones in TX do.

Cabinet Grade Ply - HD


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## rickf16

I used some to make my first cabinet for my shop. Used a pocket hole jig to assemble. No problems at all. That was five years ago. For me the price is right and it ain't gotta look pretty!


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## BurtC

I used SandePly for the cabinets I made. Only the "box" of cabinet.
Worked great and will use again. Sands and finished well too. This stuff comes from Columbia and uses plantation lumber, so I feel better using it over the china crap.


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## Radu

HD has the Arauco ply on sale quite often - $26 - 29. I used it and I liked it. It is 23/32 but you can work with it I also used sandeply for a project that I painted. Both come from South America.

Edit: I noticed Pete is referring to the same thing.


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## patcollins

I have used the Arauco plywood from Lowes (same as the Home Depot cabinet grade ply) for making cornhole boards and it is the best plywood you can get from Lowes or Home Depot. Its not great but the price is right and its much better than the regular plywood they sell.


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## WoodTom

It's an excellent product for what you intend to use it for. Your shop cabinets will say a lot about how you work and if done with care they will be an example of what you can produce. Clear finish or paint is best as it blotches real bad with stain….don't know about dye though…Shellac?


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## cutworm

I made my shop cabinets from it and was satisfied. Maple frames.


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## shelly_b

I'm glad you asked this question! I can find great deals on pretty much all the wood I want, but plywood is so darn expensive! It would be cheaper for me to just use wood in most cases, but plywood is so much faster and more stable for most cabinet projects and such…ugh I get frustrated lol. I don't like overpaying for stuff but when there is no other option I guess I have to!


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## WDHLT15

I did not like it.


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## mprzybylski

I was mistaken, the SandePly was actually $43 which is the price that menards and HD sells other hardwood plywood for as well. The $34 was pro TigerPly shop grade cabinet ply (I made a list on my phone of all the prices and didn't reference it before posting). That being said, I'm not sure if its worth then to try it or just stick with the hardwood stuff I've worked with in the past. Not perfect but worked out ok.

I'd love to try the Arauco as I've seen good reviews for it and the price is DEFINITELY right (HD online has it listed for $25/sheet) but its not sold or out of stock everywhere in my area  that'd be perfect for this if I could get my hands on a batch. I'd probably buy like 10 sheets right off the bat but its nowhere to be found.

I also stopped into lowes tonight and the one in my area had ABSOLUTE garbage for sheet goods. Some crap "blood wood" ply that was $50/sheet and looked terrible and some "white wood" that was $45 and also looked like trash.mthats literally all they had which was VERY disappointing. I literally did two walks up the isles to make sure I didn't miss anything but unfortunately I hadn't.


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## TCCcabinetmaker

Matt, those two stores sell to home owners, they don't expect people to want to use the better grade plywoods and don't stock them. It's kind of a kicker because they really don't stock for the hobbyist either, which hurts them in the long run as well, but at least the lowe's in my area does stock a few more specialized wood working tools.


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## mileskimball

I've had good luck with sandeply. It will warp if you don't store it carefully, but that's true of any plywood. It stays flat in a utility cabinet construction. And it's cheap.


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## crank49

I used three sheets of the South American stuff to build my work bench in 2009.
Had to do a lot of ripping and only found one very small void.

I think they call this stuff Arauco plywood now.
When I bought it they called it Sandply and it was $27 a sheet.

Been using it to make all my shop cabinets and I am very pleased with it.
I initially got it because it had more plys than the regular junk they sell at HD and it is made with waterproof glue.
Still use it because it's the best plywood they have.

I think the regular plywood has gotten worse, if that's even possible.
Sandply or OSB are my two goto products when I need sheet goods..

Just can't afford Baltic Birch and besides when I asked the local lumber yard if they could get me some they looked at me like I was an alien, or something.


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## crashn

I looked at the Arauco on the HD site, sold out in my area (DC) also. HD had the sandply on sale, 34 dollars a sheet. Making a RAS/Sander/Mortiser bench right now out of it, not bad stuff, better than some of my cuts !


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## Radu

Woodsmith Magazine #204 has an article about premium plywood and also mentions Arauco plywood as an alternative to Baltic birch. There is a picture of a work table / storage cabinet made out of Arauco, with exposed edges. It looks pretty good.


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## mprzybylski

I really wish they'd ship arauco for 25/sheet like its listed on their site


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## crashn

yeah, me too Matt. Bait and switch for sure, no HD anywhere I can find has it.


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## shelly_b

It looks like really good stuff, but it's not sold anywhere around me either


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## Earlextech

Matt, I use it all the time for workshop type cabinetry, crates and jigs and have never had a problem.


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## handmade24

I must be in the right place on earth--local bargain yard sells finnish or russian birch in metric 4×8 sheets around 35 dollars..All my other woods except pine come from the pacific ocean beach--redwood-maple--myrtle wood-gosh even some south american logs have been found--now if i can only get the mermaids to come out-

Paul


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## RockyTopScott

They should have some Columbia Forest birch, if not ask the service desk about it.


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## Vincent

I have used it for many shop cabinets and tool stands. No complaints really. I generally don't stain shop cabinets but it does take poly nicely.


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## MonteCristo

A lot of the Baltic Birch (in Canada at least) is now from Russia (the Finnish stuff is even more expensive). It's expensive but it's hard to believe that something that's less than 1/2 the cost could be anywhere near as good.


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## RetiredCop

Not to get too far off topic but…....has anyone tried this ply from HD?

http://www.homedepot.com/Lumber-Composites-Plywood-Sheathing-Subfloor-Plywood-Sanded-Plywood/h_d1/R-202088943/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&productId=202088943&storeId=10051#shipping_options

18 mm x 4 ft. x 8 ft. White High Pressure Laminate Cabinet Liner


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## shawnmasterson

I stumbled across 3/4" pre finished birch plywood at menards.com for 39.99

and they also have it in 1/2 for29.99

http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/panel-products/plywood/3-4-x-4-x-8-uv-prefinished-birch-plywood/p-1696698-c-5698.htm

that's pretty sweet for prefinished plywood


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## woodbutcherbynight

Kind of thin veneer so go real easy on sanding the edges. I have made some cabinets with it, and they look good after 10 years. Mostly I use the 1/2 stuff for drawers and dividers and such. Bearpaw keeps me supplied so I rarely go to the box store to get some. Jigs are a good use of the scraps. Someone posted about being very careful with doors over 18", I agree. Without support this will warp.


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