Columbia Forest Products

I gotta say that Columbia Forest is some of the best wood that I’ve ever cut. The boards are flat, cuts like butter, no saw dust clogging my fans, no glue spots to ruin the cut. I’ve cut @200 of these trees so far in the 1/4" (@5mm) double sided oak, walnut and mahogany. And only $4.50- 6.50 a board! What a bargain!

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I agree. I have loved their products. I usually sand it and add masking though. Sometime I will add some polyacrylic and re-sand if I want it extra luxurious.

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I also love that product. I think the “flatness” is highly dependant on your climate, but it has a great consistency. It’s also got minimal formaldehyde, which makes it a lot healthier than other plys. I think it’s funny that you’re celebrating the cost, though. The prices now are so much higher than they were pre-pandemic. I used to pay just under $30 for a 10-pack of maple (1/8 and 1/4) and now it’s $45 or more. It’s insane.

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After proofgrade $ went up I used that stuff for the last 6,000 of the token orders. The cost and labor of the necessary brushed-on coat of polycyclic on both sides was well worth the cost savings.
The shipping from Home Depot was at least as quick as proofgrade.

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I was using 1/8" baltic birch I got on Etsy for 3.50 a sheet then it went up to 4.50. I agree the prices are insane but this is still a bargain compared to other products out there.

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I love Columbia Forest maple plywood but I have never had a flat sheet, and that’s why I posted about the strong hold-down pins that someone referenced recently. It’s by far my most-used material after draftboard and acrylic.

It certainly does cut like a dream and the veneer engraves nicely.

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I love Columbia Forest Products! I use it a ton.

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My only complaint is that I have like a 20% failure rate on engraving their 5/32" sheets: 1 in 5 will have a void in the core – meaning I engrave through the veneer and there’s nothing behind it but empty space.

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I think I am on my 3rd box of 10 sheets, and it’s my go-to material (their 5/32" maple ply).

I have never tried what I would call a “deep engrave” with any kind of plywood. I’ll do surface stuff, have made many decorative pieces that way, but for anything requiring depth I use hardwood. Maple or Bass. I don’t keep track, but have settings for both.

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