So, I just did a little more calculating. It appears the shipping from Woodworkers is the same for two packs of 15. That means you would get 30 sheets of 12"x20" BB for a total of $89.99 with shipping. That comes out to $2.99 per sheet. This seems to be the least expensive I can find. Only issue is that it takes a while to get out here in CA according to their estimates.
Correction: I forgot the tax. That would be $97.17 for 30 sheets. $3.23 per sheet.
That would be ideal. In fact, before I got my GF that’s what I was planning to do. I figured I could get them in large sheets and then use my table saw to cut them down to size. that was before I realized the plywood from Lowes and Home Depot is not the best for laser cutting.
yea, I had to buy a real circular saw and a cutting guide, but well worth the savings overall
I bought 10 sheets, and have been glowforge bite size cutting them as needed.
your yield is slightly better if you cut the 20" pieces first then the 12"
(runs $1 a GF sheet)
Jonathan
I just checked this out. Might be the better option even though it is slightly more expensive than what I calculated from Woodworkers. This is $3.50 per sheet compared to $3.23 per sheet from Woodworkers. But, I would get it sooner, and I need it pretty quickly so I can keep going on some orders.
12x12" are $1.64 a sheet, 12x20" are $2.73 a sheet
https://ocoochhardwoods.com/plywood/
TBH I stopped using baltic birch once CFP improved the consistency of their 5/32" maple plywood packs.
They’re $4 a sheet shipped, but you never have to worry about wasting material due to hitting a glue pocket or other defect in the core like you do with baltic birch. It’s very lightweight, so you can cut at a higher speed, saving you machine time. It’s also better sanded and better looking IMO.
The odd time I actually want birch for the slightly lighter colored face than maple, I’ll buy white birch veneered MDF instead of baltic birch, so I can still get the consistency in cuts and engraves.
do you have a Menards by you? they have 4x8 sheets of BB plywood 50 some odd bucks
Nope. None out here in California. Which is a bummer because that would be an incredible deal!
i have gotten the glowforge ready pack from home depot and it worked well
Looks like they don’t have that anymore. At least it’s not on theirvwebsite.
PureBond is still on THD’s site, it’s just $40/10 vs $30 it was earlier in the year (for Maple ply).
I linked to it in my post above, but here’s direct links to the entire selection at HD:
BIRCH
MAPLE
WALNUT
MAHOGANY / RED OAK / HICKORY / CHERRY (1/4" ONLY)
I use 5/32 Maple:
For me, it’s the “new” locally-available draftboard.
Are you in southern California?
My favorite for BB is Ganahl Lumber, local chain in LA and OC counties. Last year a 5’x5’ sheet of 1/8" Baltic birch ply was $11 (yields 15 GF size sheets, and they’ll do all the cutting for you for a couple bucks)
Cherokee Wood in Upland is also great, they have a wider variety of plywoods meant for laser cutting
The wood I order from Amazon is from Cherokee wood. I guess I just have to face the fact that wood prices are just high no matter where I go. Unless I can find a place to buy it locally and cut it myself. I’m in the central part of California near Modesto.
Shipping will get you. Call around your local lumber yards.
And yes, wood prices are bonkers this last year.
The CFP 5/32" is actually 0.141" thickness. I’ve used it in place of 1/8" and it worked fine, it’s 0.016" difference.
I get my BB from A & M Supply mainly east coast . May of this year it was 13.82 per sheet no shipping . Got 20 sheets
The one wood I buy for “scrap creating” testing is called Revolution Plywood that I got at Lowes. By cutting the 4’x8’ sheets into 5 - 19" pieces by 48" the four cuts dividing up the extra inch was easy to get about and with a Pro I could use the length of them as needed.
Revolution has a bit of glue where horizontal sheets match it is not laserproof but harder to cut than the wood. but always straight down the 48" so easier to plan for. I got regular Birch ply from HD that was the very worst stuff I have ever cut.
The “5/32” Columbia Forest Purebond Maply Ply I have measures ~0.152", which is a hair under “actual” 5/32" (0.156") depending on which side of the boards I measure.
… but even Proofgrade Acrlic varies by that much or more, even across a single sheet.
Either way, I’ve used it in place of 1/8" material for some time now. Just have to adjust my cuts to suit.
3mm-1/8” is incredibly difficult to get around here right now (central TX). And prices are so weird… I don’t understand the lumber/sheet goods market. It has to be that for some retailers it’s just passing through less hands or something.
I used to pay about $18/sheet for 5x5’ Baltic (3mm). That went up to $32. Now, not available where I always bought from. Rep said they’d have to sell for about $70/sheet to make it worthwhile. Other places have PO’s just randomly filled. Sometimes in days, sometimes months. But, called every lumberyard within a 50-mile radius and am paying $22/sheet now (and the only place I could even find it).
