Overview
Each sheet of our Baltic Birch Plywood features exceptional strength and the ability to be finished to meet your project needs. The front, back and inner plies are all quality one-piece sheets, which result in excellent screw holding power. Faces may contain some matched plugs, and one face is light and even in color for an attractive finished face. All pieces are 30'' long, and are ripped to 12'' wide for bookcases, shelving and more narrow cabinets. Available in thicknesses of: 1/8'', 1/4'', 1/2'' and 3/4''. All dimensions are nominal and may be slightly undersized.
Grade BB/BB: Both faces are relatively "void free" but may contain small patches and a slight knot pattern or mineral streaks. One face is light and even in color. Open knots and defects in a BB face veneer have been removed and replaced with small uniform ''football'' patches before being glued. The end result is a strong plywood that is attractive enough to be used on a variety of projects.
Questions and Answers
Start typing your question and we'll check if it was already asked and answered. Learn More
Browse 8 questions
Browse 8 questions
and 67 answers
Why did you choose this?
Rockler Store
what is the formaldehyde content of baltic birch plywood? What bonding agent(s) is used with core and face sheets?
Is the actual thickness as stated or is it less?
BEST ANSWER: These products are manufactured in Europe so they are actually in metric. Each play is 1.5mm thick and the top and bottom veneer being 0.75mm thick. So if you buy a 5 ply or 9 ply sheet it will be:
5 PLY
2 x 0.75mm (top & bottom veneer) + 3 x 1.5 = 6mm thick ....... this will be sold to Americans as 1/4" thick since 6mm = 0.236in
9 PLY
2 x 0.75mm (top & bottom veneer) + 7 x 1.5 = 12mm thick ....... this will be sold to Americans as 1/2" thick since 12mm = 0.472in
Hope that clarifies things.
5 PLY
2 x 0.75mm (top & bottom veneer) + 3 x 1.5 = 6mm thick ....... this will be sold to Americans as 1/4" thick since 6mm = 0.236in
9 PLY
2 x 0.75mm (top & bottom veneer) + 7 x 1.5 = 12mm thick ....... this will be sold to Americans as 1/2" thick since 12mm = 0.472in
Hope that clarifies things.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- T D on Jun 7, 2015
Does Baltic birch plywood come in different sizes?
BEST ANSWER: I have used Baltic birch in sizes up to 60" square. My personal favorite is 1/2" X 30" X 60"
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- Robert M on May 24, 2016
- Purchased on Sep 25, 2014
Has the edge got a plywood look,or is it smooth?
BEST ANSWER: Both. You can see that is ply, but it finishes smooth, not with voids, like construction quality plywood you might get from Home Depoot.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- Tom F on Dec 14, 2015
- Purchased on Apr 4, 2015
I was told by a boat builder that Baltic Birch can be used in place of marine plywood. Do you know if this can be used in a marine application?
BEST ANSWER: I would say in general, no. "Marine plywood" can mean a lot of things, it's not a totally standardized terminology (BS 1088 is one of the few standards if you can find it), but in general marine plywood will hold up to long term moisture and humidity exposure for much longer than standard birch plywood, partly because the face veneers are usually made with tropical woods naturally resistant to humidity effects. There's a reason it's so expensive!
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- rOBERT k on Jan 12, 2016
- Purchased on Apr 9, 2015
Will this plywood make good box joints?
BEST ANSWER: Yes but use a backer board to prevent the possibility of any tear out
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- LARRY H on Jan 29, 2017
- Purchased on Jun 18, 2016
Can I use 1/2 inch x 9 inch birch 9 ply for a longboard skateboard? Minimal flex at 46 in long 160 lbs.
BEST ANSWER: There are many boards dedicated to fabricating long boards. Generally you'd want to use thinner ply and laminate them so you can shape the board more easily.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- rOBERT k on Jul 20, 2016
- Purchased on Apr 9, 2015
Reviews
4.0 / 5.0
76 Reviews
Disappointed!!!
I bought four 3/4" in 12"x30" on sale and just got around to using it today to make a cross cut Jig for my table saw. Wow this really surprised me in its relative low quality. First off the 12" width is only rough and none of the 4 sections were actually cut to 12", all were less and ranged from just under 12" to 11 3/4". The cuts were pretty rough at best and neccesitated me trimming edges to make them even and flush. Second two of the panels came significantly warped and were pretty much only usable as small pieces as the warp over even 12" was pretty severe (maybe 1/8th to 1/4" off. Anyway, this was the first stab at ordering Baltic Birch and probably my last!
- Was this review helpful? Yes (17) No (4)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (17) No (4)
- Flag as Inappropriate
I don't know what's up with...
I don't know what's up with some of the reviews on here! I've ordered several pieces of this in different thicknesses and it was always high quality. Yes, there are some of those football shaped patches on the surface, but I've always seen that in Baltic Birch ply. And the surface was always nice and flush, even with the repairs. Plus, the plies had no voids in them, even after I cut the pieces to the size I needed. I'll be honest, I don't think it would be good to use for staining or clear coating because of the repairs on the surface. However, if you're going to be building a project that will be painted over or if you need a nice solid substrate for some expensive veneer on a table top, this stuff is pretty much ideal since it's flat, stable, and extremely low on voids between the plies. I wouldn't be afraid at all to recommend this stuff for painting and veneering projects!
- Was this review helpful? Yes (11) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
January 6, 2013
- Was this review helpful? Yes (11) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
I really should have looked better
I was on my way to work when i stopped in at Rockler.. so I was probably in too much of a hurry and didn't look the product over well enough. When I got to work I discovered that the top layer was mostly delaminated. So I was unable to use it for the project I had intended. But was able to use it for other things.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (5) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (5) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Arrived in excellent condition and was...
Arrived in excellent condition and was exactly as presented. Will order more as the sources of Baltic Birch Ply have dried up in my neck of the woods.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (3) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
February 20, 2011
- Was this review helpful? Yes (3) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
I used the 1/2" Baltic Birch...
I used the 1/2" Baltic Birch to build a router dado fixture. The Baltic Birch arrived warped, but I was still able to use it. All in all, I was disappointed in the warped piece I received.Editor's note: Our customer service team at 800-376-7856 will be able to arrange for replacement.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (2) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
March 25, 2010
- Was this review helpful? Yes (2) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Birch plywood
Have only used the Birch plywood for one Skip Design Bowl on my new scroll saw. It came out very nice. Was going to sell it, but my sister grabbed it first.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (2) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (2) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Great product! Plan called for 1/4"...
Great product! Plan called for 1/4" baltic birch plywood. I wanted a little more 3 dimensional effect so I went with 3/8" baltic birch plywood. Finished great and an outstanding contrast against the oak background. Shipping was fast and arrived in perfect condition. Very satisfied with the purchase of the plywood and the plan.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (2) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
March 25, 2011
- Was this review helpful? Yes (2) No (1)
- Flag as Inappropriate
I purchased 2 sheets of 1/2"...
I purchased 2 sheets of 1/2" and one sheet of 3/4". All three arrived with a definite curve in them. A heavy tool box, a pair of saw horses, and 2 days solved the problem. Still, it would have been nice if they'd been flat when they arrived.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
August 15, 2010
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
I order 6 pieces of Baltic...
I order 6 pieces of Baltic Birch for use as fine art supports for painting. One piece was bowed and another had plugs making it unusable for direct gesso sizing. The remaining pieces were perfect.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
January 27, 2011
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Sometimes it is good and sometimes...
Sometimes it is good and sometimes not so good. When cut the edge might be ripped to the point that it cannot be repaired. Also, I have received one that was so warped so bad I could not use it. It is sort of a toss of the dice as to the quality.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
March 23, 2009
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
