Check Out This Great Baltic Birch Substitute!

[@taylor-1147]

I’m a electrician and I remember that video you said electrician do like to dig. I always charge a lot more if I have to do that. Thanks for all of the awesome content!

[@whales302]

Upper Canada carries Garnica brands of plywood. I use the lightweight version in 1/4" to 3/4". Its amazing stuff, lots of people use the lightweight panels for fabbing out camper vans where weight is a concern. The lightweight 3/4" is great for table saw sleds, etc. You have to be careful with some of the Garnica Poplar Sheets though. There are about 8 different products but I believe the "Reinforced" Poplar Ply uses eucalyptus for interior core pieces.

[@kiwdwks]

Thanks for the recommendation! Glad you found a good alternative to baltic birch.

[@newfielad1967]

Nice update Chris. I will have to look around for the popular wood up here in Canada. As for the question, I know I can't win but electricians don't like to dig. They also don't like to clean up after themselves. At least that's what I have observed in the few times I had to use them. Love the French cleat system. Bought a design from you a few months ago when I was starting out.

[@mcmathwoodworks]

I never knew they make poplar plywood! I guess it makes sense since it’s so straight and stable… I feel like poplar is an extremely underrated wood. And I have dug for electricians to save myself money to lol! Keep it up Chris! I hope all is well with you and your family!

[@ryananthony4840]

Poplar is fuzzy tho...

[@mcmathwoodworks]

@@ryananthony4840 haha yea it can be

[@ivanmarden7179]

Thank you for your update on plywood source

[@philliprickman1394]

Thanks for your video. I was considering trying eucalyptus, but have been hesitant to do so as my wife it allergic to it. I didn't know if my using it would affect her. After watching your video, I am convinced it would. Thankfully, I have been able to source some Baltic birch as well as an alternative.

[@m.d.hofman4236]

Popular plywood is very light and also it is softer than birch plywood. Also it is less stabile, it tends to warp more, especially if you stain it with water based stain. But it is a great alternative to birch plywood nevertheless. Especially when you want to make lightweight furniture. Some polyurethane coatings actually make the surface more "dent resistant" I've made some nightstands out of popular plywood and they're just fine. As long as you give them a proper coating of urethane or epoxy varnish.

[@eddieespinosa8743]

Polar is a great choice, I do some work with it and love it. Your fans will like it too

[@robertdinicola9225]

I use poplar boards on most things if im not using ply.

[@sperokaradimos8661]

Don't like to dig trenches

[@eddieespinosa8743]

@@sperokaradimos8661 my electrician does digs trenches and likes it. Sorry but I must have a weird electrician

[@54mgtf22]

Here is Australia, 90% of our native trees are eucalyptus. In my 60 years here, I have never known a person to have an allergic reaction to our trees. Hay fever, yes, but that is mostly from the grasses. Love your work 👍

[@philaandrew100]

Yep, I am with you 54 MGTF. I have been working with Euc for 40 years and first time I have heard of allergic reaction to it. I wonder if the issue is with the glue used by the manufacturer?

[@volvogt21]

It's even in our washing liquid for woollens, disinfectant wipes, cough medication, chest rubs, shampoo. The list is endless. Most species commonly grown worldwide originated in Australia. The thought of it being harmful is quite bizarre to me.

[@nelsoncarpentry]

I'm pretty sure it's the glue, like dingowoodwork mentioned. I have a lot of sensitivities to such things, yet I diffuse eucalyptus essential oil.

[@woodandwheelz]

Of everything I looked at, all I found is that Eucalyptus is highly toxic if eaten. Also, given the moron factor in the world today (tide pod challenge, cinnamon challenge and so on), I would imagine that the people who are complaining about it being an allergen are just looking out for "those" people. LoL. I guess the lesson here is...Don't eat the wood. At least, not this kind.

[@philaandrew100]

@@woodandwheelz the leaves and bark of high oil content varieties of Euc are toxic if eaten. Thing is, neither leaves or bark would be present in large enough quantities to be of any concern. The species most commonly grown for timber products is E. Robusta (Swamp Mahogany) which has a low oil content. In the grand scheme of things, you are more likely to get taken out by an angry Possum than by any comercially grown Eucalyptus.....

[@rogervoorheis2131]

Thank you very much for that update...in northern michigan Baltic Birch plywood is not available...I am a cabinet maker and use B/B for the cabinet carcass. As a substitute I have been using popular/ maple glue ups for the carcass adding lots of labor costs for my clients.

[@thesplinteredfinger]

Chris, thanks for the tips as always!

[@JasonPatz]

I live in Jacksonville and had never heard of this distributor either! Thanks for the heads up!

[@davidmartin9045]

When I lived in Fl. and worked in the boating industry we did a lot of work with teak. I had new employee come to in my shop and the teak dust would cause them to breakout in a rash

[@richardvosburgh7930]

The nicety of Baltic Birch plywood is the thickness of the outer plies. It seems that everyother type of hardwood plywood has an outer ply so thin it sands off quite easily. Is it so for the alternatives shown here?

[@LYTOMIZE_Woodshop]

I think I remember the video and will go check it out. I'm from 🇨🇦 and thus cannot win so I wish the rest of you good luck!! Now to go see if I can get this ply up here. 😀

[@mikedurkee7296]

THANK YOU CHRIS! I will be looking for the alternative to baltic birch.

[@xerogear]

Another Baltic plywood alternative that I just heard about is premcore plus white birch plywood. Not sure if it’s available everywhere but it’s suppose to be lighter and less expensive. Could be another option for you if it’s available in your area.

[@Nomadboatbuilding]

I've been using poplar as a reasonable alternative for a while. If only they would tighten up on those veneers.

[@dcr00k]

Electricians don’t like to clean up. I showed a broom to a sparky once and he thought he could hunt with it.

[@joenalaska]

Am electrician, do not like cleaning up…. What is this buroom you speak of?

[@TheKenstarr]

Also an electrician. Do more residential than I would like. Every homeowner wants us to clean until they find out how much our cleaning costs per hour and they are like get your shiz and get out. We'll do our own cleaning thanks!

[@robertmacleod6221]

Wasn't me was it

[@williamcassleman5822]

if you're in a pinch, you can order a product called europly from home depot and pick it up within a week or so, comes in maple, walnut, and i think maybe oak

[@robertpyles1686]

I have used the Poplar before for shop cabinets and it works just fine

[@ancienttom97]

I just found out that the hardwood supplier in my town is now stocking 2 different replacements to Baltic Burch. He has Chinese Birch 4 by 8 sheets of good quality 11 ply 3/4" plywood for $60 a sheet.

[@jimwylie4415]

I have used chinese birch and it splinters real bad, lots of chip out on the edges when cut. I will never use again

[@michaeldehart14]

@@jimwylie4415 I've used the Chinese ply a number of times. It does splinter, but consistently only on one side. Haven't figured out why, so adjusted use to where splintered side is always unseen.

[@politicalfoolishness7491]

I've used Baltic for an exterior application because it has waterproof adhesive in its construction. What about poplar and eucalyptus in terms of its adhesive?

[@ChinJazz]

Thanks Chris! I’ll check out Hood next time I need to source poplar ply for jigs. I use 8 1/4 poplar for guitar bodies because I can’t source Swamp Ash or Alder around here.

[@cableguy1924]

You said electricians don’t like to dig! Thanks for the update, keep up the good work!!

[@johnbesharian9965]

Off the top of my head, my first guess would be that electricians don't like drilling holes.through studs, framing, rafters & such when they have to run cable, especially in a remodel, but even in new construction.

[@MyOldBuick]

Digging isn’t something they are fond of, but from what my son says cleaning up after themselves might be a close second… drives him nuts to see what mayhem gets left behind on the job site and it is just because they are being lazy… very proud of my son and his attention to detail on his work.

[@stanwiggins3423]

I'm 69 now, but back when I was in my 20's, my (now ex) wife and I contracted with a builder to do 4 cleanups during the course of a home build. We cleaned up 1) after the forms were placed and foundation poured (got a lot of great lumber because they didn't want to take much with them if it had been cut to less than 10' or 12' lengths); 2) after the rough framing was done (again, even more good wood because they would buy a bundle of 2x4 and use 2/3 of it then leave the rest, stair treads for 2 story homes, and large quantities of nails where a box may have gotten wet and burst so the carpenters just grabbed another new box); 3) after the inside was finished out with all the crafts finished, sheetrock installed, and carpet installed (We usually had 2 to 10 full sheets of drywall, lots of trim wood and cabinet hardware where only part of a box of hinges or other pieces were used, half-rolls of electrical wire and often a number of electrical terminal boxes or outlets if the contractor was too lazy to take his surplus with him, but the long 2x6's and other timber that was left was a shock to me. I used a small trailer to load material in to take home, then went back for the junk and the half-pallets of brick that were always left when the job was done); and 4) after everything was done, fixtures and appliances were in and we did the final cleanup, cleaning the windows & blades on ceiling fans & polishing the fixtures and countertops. Not much left over then, but the take from the first 3 trips gave me a huge stockpile of wood in 2x4 through 2x10 and multiple lengths, wire & electrical fixtures, conduit (both metal and pvc), bricks, floor tile, bundles of roofing shingles, and so much more. Few of the contractors cared about cleaning up and removing anything other than their power tools because the market was so hectic in jumping from one home to the next.

[@alexmazzeo1]

Hey Chris ... I hope things are good with you and yours . As always, another great, informative video. Thanks buddy, I'll be looking around locally here in Southern California for a supplier. The thing you mentioned in your video, on Feb. 13th 2020 was that electricians do not like to dig. Of course they don't, who does, right? Anyway, there is the answer I think you were looking for ... again, thanks again for this video. I wish you & your family the best, and to the others that respond to this video, good luck to you all and cheers from Southern California.

[@johnwilliams242]

Chris have you heard of Imeca? their on Normandy Blvd and have birch plywood for a good price I have bought from them before with no issues. Just FYI

[@AGlimpseInside]

Oh yeah great place. So many things packed in that small store from drawer slides to sandpaper to TV mounts. Great suggestion

[@stanwiggins3423]

In your February 13, 2020 shop update, you said "Electricians Don't Like To Dig!", and I don't blame them. You made a great point about saving money by digging and installing the PVC yourself, and that not only made sense, it showed how to help shorten the time the expensive contractor has to be around the work site. Now I need to find out if any of the lumber stores in the Houston, Tx area carry the Poplar plywood, or the Eucalyptus plywood, just to get an idea of the options.

[@kyorising]

Let me know if you find it.. paying almost $160/sheet from Clark's is rough for baltic birch.

[@bmw77040]

I live in Houston and have just been to the website Chris gave out. It is supposedly available at Brazos Forest Products. Haven't been to see if they have any in stock but it is listed on their website

[@greybeardedition]

We don't like to dig or do plumbing!!! Right on

[@johnhubbard6262]

Eucalyptus Trees are interesting, nothing can grow underneath them due to the toxicity of the leaves falling. I wouldn't want to breath it while working it/cutting it down, but at least in my shop I would not be bothered by products made out of it.

[@andrewadsit5733]

My local plywood supplier has started carrying “rubber” plywood, made from the rubber tree. Claims it is comparable to Baltic birch. I have a few sheets (seems heavier that Baltic) and the jury is still out. 7 ply. Appears to have more voids, but probably ok for cabinets.

[@antonoat]

Thanks for sharing this, I’m watching from home in the UK and I really enjoy your channel, thanks. And here in the UK electricians are very reluctant to clear up their own mess, they seem to expect others to clear up after them! Lol Cheers 🍺👏👍😀

[@BeaulieuTodd]

I bought some eucalyptus lumber form a local guy who developed allergies to it only after working with it for a while.

[@tripives1858]

As for the Eucalyptus allergies... this is a result of outgassing. I believe, if you seal the finished product, you should not have to worry. Of course, you should be wearing a respirator. (Is that a teak workbench?)

[@porthose2002]

Very helpful, Chris. And like you, this discovery led me to a distributor in my area that I didn't even know existed!

[@AGlimpseInside]

Glad it was helpful!

[@FounderOf4]

Dig... Electricians do not like to dig. Thanks for this content, this cooler weather in Ky is helping me spend time getting the new garage organized!

[@mark2talk2u]

2nd half of this video has lots of useful info. Thanks for the comparisons. However, the start was a bit slow … I was 2:30 into the video and I was still hearing about an alternative …

[@rickmacdonald1381]

I wonder if hemp would make a good layer in plywood? any thoughts? I have seen 2x4 and 2x8 made of compressed hemp, very strong! or would hemp be too dense and heavy?

[@philipfondale109]

Not sure if you can get it in your area but ApplePly is probably the closest to Baltic Brich.

[@melodywilson5255]

Man i wish there was something in idaho! Looks nice

[@markkoons7488]

Thanks for this video. I went to the Garnica site. Their line up of available products is astonishing. The nearest distributor is a 360 mile round trip away... yeah? so what? Anyway, who deals in that eucalyptus ply?

[@b3arwithm3]

Thanks for the review. How does it compare price wise?

[@billdiehl156]

I love working with poplar! Looking forward to trying out this plywood. Electricians don’t like to DIG!

[@davidschwartz5127]

That right!

[@davidschwartz5127]

One other thing I remember, crawl in crawl spaces under old houses!

[@andrewwatts1997]

I use plywood's mostly in laser cutters. At 4 to 6mm thick. At those thicknesses poplar is garbage. It breaks very quickly, it dents like mad. But it cuts really fast. So for things that don't need allot of load and need to sit somewhere and look pretty, it's fine. On the Janka wood hardness scale Poplar scores a 540. There are three types of bitch, Paper, yellow and sweet birch each scoring, 910, 1260, 1470. Eucalyptus scores 1125. So if you need something strong but not as expensive as birch. Please use eucalyptus and then treat it with linseed oil to mitigate the allergenics.

[@ivanboschi3084]

Here in Italy poplar plywood is very common, birch plywood is very expensive: twice as much poplar. I like the grain of the birch but for a hobbyist it is expensive. Sorry for my english.

[@stevecallachor]

Eucalyptus Specie is heavy and hard. It plays havoc with the slicing blades when you mill it for ply. As plywood it used to be considered second grade, suitable only for construction and not for fine finish sheets. The plies were prone to splitting, requiring almost every sheet to require some repair/ finishing by hand. The situation may have changed and Euc. sp. trees grown in other countries may be more uniform in their texture!! Stavros

[@seanbrotherton542]

I got lucky! It's an hour away from me. Not to bad. Thanks for sharing!

[@justmethenetherlands2218]

Poplar plywood is softer than birch plywood. So it will dent faster. That's something to keep in mind. It is also less strong than birch plywood. But you may wonder to what extent that will often be an issue. Usually there is a wide margin between the minimum required and how the product is executed. In general you can say: poplar is the lightest, beech plywood the hardest and birch plywood the strongest.

[@alaskaseriesinflatableboat2282]

I use 3/4" AA grade marine plywood for most of my plywood projects. It's better than Baltic Birch in every way and only a little bit more expensive. Plus it will never delaminate when wet.

[@terrysullivan1992]

Maybe not delaminate, but certainly can deform.

[@Slammed501911]

Electricians don’t like to dig. Really liked that video and gave me some good things to think about when my shop gets built.

[@simonr6793]

Hahaha Chris it's got to be turn up to give quotes for a job !!! As alway's brother 💯% 👍 🇬🇧.

[@RoadsterLoverMedia]

My local recommended location is wholesale only. Was afraid that was the case.

[@montgomery.metalworks]

You said electricians don't like to dig. I don't blame them, just last year (2021) I had to dig a trench 30-40 feet to build my new shop at 18" deep.. twice. I dug it once and when the foundation was poured it got half buried -- I live in north Idaho so, I had to re-dig it after the foundation, frozen dirt, etc etc.. nightmare. In the end, everything is working out but it did suck at the time.

[@pmdinaz]

Looks like most are saying dig. I'm going with clean up after themselves... Wire clippings under every outlet they wire...

[@samsanderson7159]

I've lived in my current location since 2006. I just found out there is a hardwood dealer 20 minutes from my house and I bet I've driven by it more than 100 times. Lol

[@brentfowler2317]

If I remember correctly, your statement was. "Electricians don't like to dig! Did you know that?" But I'm probably way late on answering this. Lol. And I only remember that because I was thinking to myself! Who does? Like to dig, that is?! Lol anyhow thanks for another cool video!

[@Whistler-zv3ly]

Have you checked out premcore plus white birch plywood, check your local supplier out for it

[@R7000-w3x]

nice job Chris!

[@tom.coomes]

Electricians don’t like to dig, time stamp 2:17 of the video in question 😁 Looks like a great substitute, unfortunately after using the link you posted, I don’t have a dealer in my area.

[@Craftlngo]

Is the stiffness of Poplar Plywood comparable to baltic birch ply?

[@mattmorrisson9607]

I know prices will vary across the country, but relative to where you live, how does this poplar ply price out compared to baltic birch?

[@photogagog]

Yeah, i just called the distributor (Hood Distribution) in Raleigh, NC and a) they're a wholesaler and won't bother with anything under $2,000; and b) they didn't want to waste their time to even discuss options. So may be a good product, but not an option for hobbyists.

[@rudyswoodwork7236]

I work with poplar it’s good wood but I’m checking the plywood

[@Fulcra]

Pretty sure it was when you trenched the line to your shop but I could be wrong

[@cabman86]

Have you tried the bamboo plywood yet?

[@User0347_jk_its_josh]

Great video. I'll def go check out that option next time I am in need. Thanks! And it's dig if I remember correctly. Electricians don't like to dig!

[@BourbonandAussies]

Electricians don’t like to dig! Great information Chris, I just found a dealer near me!

[@TeagueCreek]

What about marine plywood?

[@skrunsthestreets]

Does the poplar ply support your weight?

[@sleepingbear8960]

Tag one more for extreme eucalyptus allergy. I want to try out the poplar.

[@cabman86]

We have plenty of Baltic birch here in Shreveport at the Home Depot

[@AGlimpseInside]

Never heard of Home Depot carrying Baltic Birch. Is it the 13 ply and it says “Baltic“. Or is it just say birch ply and have about seven plys.

[@brucewelty7684]

@@AGlimpseInside I just check HD's website. They list a LOT of birch ply but not baltic birch. They do list poplar but it has voids in it.

[@AGlimpseInside]

@@brucewelty7684 Thank you Bruce I appreciate you checking on that. That would be awesome if the HD carry they’re really good quality stuff

[@cabman86]

@@AGlimpseInside Yeah, it's just birch.

[@5280Woodworking]

I’ll check it out. Just bought a 4x8 at 175 bucks which is insane. Is this better priced? Bummer about eucalyptus as it is env friendly. Wonder if they make bamboo ply?

[@3twelveworkshop312]

I found bamboo ply, but it was a special order in my area and made it cost prohibitive…

[@richvalle4343]

Electricians do not like to dig. Also it would be nice to see how the poplar ply holds up against the Baltic as to strength as poplar is a softer hardwood and how will it cut on a laser. Thanks as always for your videos. 😊

[@nelsoncarpentry]

I'd like to see that comparison as well.

[@lkj974]

@@nelsoncarpentry Hardness and “strength” are two different properties. When you say strength do you mean resistance to bending or do you mean ability to hold up weight? There is not a strong correlation between either of these properties and the property of hardness.

[@MolinaMade]

Thanks for the alternative ply tip Chris. Electricians don’t like to dig but then again not many people really do 😂

[@stevequestad1065]

Is that an e30 on the wall behind you, or what kind of car is it? What’s the story behind it?

[@santista211]

Hey have you checked Canadian Birch it should be the same as Baltic Birch...The have it here at Home Depot in Canada.

[@homer009x]

Can you provide a link?

[@andrezeus3879]

Not the same Baltic Birch from Europe

[@ryananthony4840]

Baltic birch is guitar cabinet wood..... turns out tho that good ol particle board and MDF are the best "tone-woods" for speaker cabinets

[@AGlimpseInside]

True true

[@jamisona4098]

Electricians don’t like to dig. I have been using Garnica for several years. I like it but I do feel like it can warp on me some times. I only buy it in prefinished birch and combi core which has an HDF face. Just picked up a few sheets yesterday.

[@larryh657]

Sparkes / electricians don't like CLEAN-UP or dig only wire

[@Techno_Nomadic]

Just gonna throw an idea out there if you're using alternative plywood: Cedar plywood for use in closets. Shelving system using cedar which naturally repels clothes moths.

[@andrewpinson1268]

I gave up looking at this Plywood site when I got to the cookie maze. Could not get out of it.

[@charlesburgess9267]

There is a substitute product called Premcore Plus that is half the weight and much cheaper than Baltic Birch.

[@ianpearse4480]

Great fun!

[@tmasopust]

price per sheet? The reason I ask is that we've been using Garnica since BB became unavailable. Issue is price continues to increase.

[@AGlimpseInside]

91 a sheet in n e Fl.

[@tmasopust]

@@AGlimpseInside Thanks for the response. That is inline with what we pay here in Indiana. The price per sheet continues to rise and unfortunately the quality has changed. I'm seeing warping, voids, and glue issues over the last couple of months. Our distributor said he's hearing complaints across the board as well and confirmed they changed their glue formulation recently.

[@BRICOLAJELISTO]

Buena exposición ye he aprendido algo mas. Un saludo

[@WrongTimeWatch]

Thanks for the tip

[@scottmorris4914]

Regarding plywood, to me it is regarding the quality. Are there a lot of voids? How good are the laminations? I would use regular 3/4” if there were not any voids or breaks and overlays.

[@AGlimpseInside]

Very minimal voids. And the veneer is comparable to the thickness of Baltic. All around a good product not 100% as robust but my favorite alternative thus far

[@jimurrata6785]

@@AGlimpseInside You should try Appleply. Ive got no idea if you can get it in Florida, but it's basically a maple version of BB in 4x8

[@olfertpoelen]

isnt poplar extremely soft wood? I'm amazed that it looks that strong :O

[@fletchro789]

Yes, it's softer and not as strong as many other hardwoods, but it is still quite strong. With these brackets and French cleats, it's really the geometry that is the main factor, and not really the material strength.

[@jonhatton4354]

Not available in my state

[@waytospergtherebro]

Poplar's great because you can cut it with your fingernails. Totally appropriate material for things that aren't overpriced cleats.

[@gon2westexas]

Is it possible that the weight difference is the need for 50% more adhesive? - Think I did the math correct.

[@book1136]

They don’t like to dig that’s why you did it also to help save money you by running what you can great video love the channel also did the boss have the day off didn’t see her in this video lol

[@AGlimpseInside]

Not feeling well today home sick with ear ache. Also typically I Philm and make videos when they’re at school so it’s tough to get them around these days

[@wharfrat360]

DIG! Electricians do not like to dig! Best of luck y'all! Looks like I'll have to dig up some poplar plywood somewhere! Thanks for the tip!

[@TS-hb6kx]

In that video it was electricians don't like to dig. But at first I thought you were going for the video where you said contractors don't like to take the stickers/labels off things used in construction!

[@71woodshop]

Use that shovel. Love the content!

[@Reign_In_Blood_963]

As a former Journeyman, I'm going to say DIG!

[@RBrewer58]

Electricians "don't like to dig". From the shop video, just before pouring the foundation. BTW... LOVED that series!!

[@CentralPaRcFlying]

Baltic Birch Janka Scale 4000 - Poplar Janka Scale 540 Eucalyptus Janka Scale