Cost of timber/ply

[twodoctors]

Hi all,

The people at my local yard can't work this out, and quote me quite "random" prices for pine. (I normally buy hardwood for bandsaw boxes but trying my hands on workshop furniture so using pine/ply instead).

They are selling me 8'x4'x18mm ply for £36 per sheet. Can I assume a) that's fair price; b) pine is still cheaper?

Adrian

 

[sunnybob]

I use euros, but that converts to very close to what I pay for 12 mm. :shock:
Wish I could buy 18 mm for that price. :roll: :roll:

 

[thetyreman]

I recently bought 8 8x1 8 6x1 and 2 2x1 all 1 metre long, it cost just under £40 in PAR redwood pine, so it shouldn't cost too much for the pine. Plywood cost if anything is cheaper than average, £36 seems very cheap for 18mm at 8 by 4 foot.

 

[AJB Temple]

It depends entirely on the quality of ply. You must specify that.

As an example. I just had delivered in Kent 26 off 8x4 sheets of 18mm hardwood (species unspecified) face grade A, interior at £26.80 each inc VAT and 40 sheets of 12mm, same grade at £18.80 each inc VAT I rejected four boards inspected on delivery for defects (face creases) and had full refund plus replacement. They let me keep the rejected boards free. Free delivery but I had to help unload.

Prices vary quite a bit. I also bought quite a bit of Celotx with this order.

I get a bit of trade discount and a bit of quantity discount that I bargain for. I am in fact a glorified DIYer.

 

[user22161]

I just paid £35.06 + VAT for 1 x 18mm + 1 x 12mm £24.86 + VAT, free delivery, both hardwood premium B/BB.

 

[twodoctors]

So is pine cheaper than "standard" Ply? Can't find a stamp on the ones I have, but the ones I had a while back says Grade B (I think).

Adrian

 

[Quickben]

So is pine cheaper than "standard" Ply? Can't find a stamp on the ones I have, but the ones I had a while back says Grade B (I think).

Adrian

This is a bit of an Apples & Oranges question. Ply comes in sheets of 8ftx4ft in varying thicknesses (3,6,9,12,18,25mm), whereas "pine" comes in lengths (2.1m, 2.4, 3m. 3.3m it goes on) of differing cross sectional dimensions (1x1,2x1,3x1,2x2,3x2,4x2, you get the gist..)

Comparing the two in regards to price is a bit nonsensical, and I suspect this is why you're getting random quotes when asking for comparisons to a sheet of ply.

You can, in places like b&q, get ready glued up boards but they're generally quite small and expensive.

To get an anywhere close to accurate idea of cost comparison, you'd have to price up how ever many 2.4m lengths of 1x? par to get a board of roughly the same size as a 8x4ft sheet of 18mm ply.

Gary.

 

[twodoctors]

The yard I used to go to selling their hardwood by cubic metre. Found a website selling both, and back of stamp calculation tells me ply (may be) cheaper... or at least based on the ones I bought!

Adrian

 

[Bodgers]

So is pine cheaper than "standard" Ply? Can't find a stamp on the ones I have, but the ones I had a while back says Grade B (I think).

Adrian

You need to get more specific.

There isn't 'Standard Ply"

There is "Baltic" Birch Plywood (throughout) at various grades.

There is Sheathing Plywood - normally softwood.

There is "Hardwood non-strucural Plywood" (which is normally Far Eastern Meranti faced or something similar). This is normally fairly cheap but of patchy quality.

There is Poplar plywood.

There are manufacturer specific plywoods like Wisa Twin, which is Poplar faced, with softwood core layers.

There is also "Marine" plywood which is typically Far Eastern plywood constructed to a standard that means it won't degrade/delaminate in certain conditions.

The prices vary a lot.

Decent Birch plywood is often the most expensive and typically you can pay £75 for a 18mm full sheet (although I have a source where I can get it for £45 a sheet).

It is also worth noting that Plywood is a manufacturered product that goes through more processes and requires more time/money to produce than planed softwood.

You use them for different situations, so not sure why you are comparing the two cost wise...