Hello. Does anyone have suggestions for where to find thin wood? I have an idea in mind, and for that, the proof grade 1/8 inch thick wood sheets seem a little too thick, but the veneer sheets seem to be a little too thin. Wondering if someone has found options for wood sheets that are somewhere in between those two, thickness wise. Lighter colors of wood preferred.
1 Like
Veneer is 1/42th inch generally. There are lots of places to get 1/16th, just search for “hardwood source” on the forum.
1 Like
I found 1/16” sheets of interesting woods at my local Rockler’s. Maybe you have one near you?
2 Likes
https://www.ebay.com/str/greenvalleywoodproducts
I’ve been getting 1/8" stuff from there - really good quality. They do have some thinner stuff (1/16") but from what I can find it’s not hardwood, but I may be missing it - but it’s a good resource no matter what.
1 Like
Yes their stuff is good, but it can vary in pricing. They have a direct website outside of ebay too, https://www.gvwp.net/
This is why I recommended searching first, because this has all been discussed before, and pricing has also been broken down. Definitely shop around, and compare specific species by the square foot to find the best deals. Wenge, for example, here’s an old analysis:
Anyway. Have fun out there.
3 Likes
Most craft stores and model/hobby shops carry a selection of thin plywood, balsa, and basswood in various thicknesses.
1 Like
Yup - the forum is FULL of info on the search. I do get why people sometimes ask the same question as sometimes it’s a little hard to find exactly what you’re looking for.
And forgot about the www.gvwp.com site. There goes my money again…BUT I’ve got some padauk, purpleheart and wenge on the way!
https://www.bellforestproducts.com/thin-stock-lumber/ Lots of species all 3 inches wide 
Very exotic but pricy, 10sq ft min https://www.dndhardwoodsonline.com/page/18274208
Pre-colored Baltic Birch
https://thewoodgallery.com/product/15x30x1-8-prismatic-baltic-wood-blanks-grain-it-colors/
Baltic Birch https://www.woodworkerssource.com/baltic-birch-plywood.html
1 Like
Again, careful with pricing. Using Wenge as a gauge, we see this:
3" wide, 1/8" thick: $24/sf
https://www.dndhardwoodsonline.com/page/12150202
random width , 1/16" or 1/8" thick: $9.60/sf
https://www.gvwp.net/online-store/search%3Fkeyword%3Dwenge
6" width, 1/8" thick: $14.39/sf (minimum order 5 sf)
https://ocoochhardwoods.com/scroll-saw-lumber/#wenge
6" wide, 1/16" thick: $13.80/sf
6" wide, 1/8" thick: $16.25/sf
So you think “DND is easily cheapest!” not so fast. They only sand to 100 grit. Ocooch has a much finer surface (so does gvwp usually), and might save you a ton of labor later. Especially with wenge, which is a fairly hard wood, sanding is a process.
And the pricing will be better or worse per species, so you might find one vendor sells maple far cheaper than the other, but then their padauk is highway robbery.
Caveat emptor.
1 Like
There are many resources for 1/8" and 1/16" wood referenced here, so I won’t repeat.
I have found that for many items, I really want something a little more substantial than veneer, but not necessarily even 1/16". For this, I’ve found 2-ply veneer and paper-backed veneer to be useful. Laser cutting and engraving are easy. Veneer isn’t the best for 3D items, but has its place.
One quick source of 2-ply is https://www.cardsofwood.com/. They have small “remnant” packs and sheets of several species. Nice thing here is that every sheet is uniform and I’ve never had any quality issues. Of course, downside is cost (per square foot). You pay for the convenience. They also have 1/8" and 1/16" sheets, including in GF-sized 12"x18".
For the best price, I’ve ordered sheets of 2-ply veneer from Home Depot. ( 24 in. x 96 in. White Maple Wood Veneer with 2-Ply Wood Backer - $38) Limited species selection, but great value. It comes in a roll and you do have to cut it down to size, but utility knife or even scissors will work. It will have curl, but flattens out. Their selection in paper-backed veneer is larger.
for the ultimate in selection, try https://www.veneersupplies.com/. Very large variety of veneer in 2-ply, paper-backed and adhesive-backed. For example, if you want south american rosewood, this is the place. be prepared for a little sticker shock, however. They sell in sheets, which means while the overall cost is high, the cost per square foot can be reasonable, depending on selection.
6 Likes