# Best place for mail order plywood?



## kezza (13 Feb 2015)

Hello!

i am after some 1.5mm and 3mm plywood. I need at least one face to be excellent quality, as a lot will be on show, has anyone ordered from the like of hobbies? or slec?

as these have the thickness i need, but unsure of the quality 

Thanks


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## gilljc (13 Feb 2015)

I have bough from both, and they are pretty much the same, I did have one batch from hobbies where there were flaws and patches on both sides, but prior to that, had no quibbles at all


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## SlowSteve (13 Feb 2015)

I like Al's Hobbies.

They specialise in radio controlled model jets, but have an excellent range of modelling materials.

http://alshobbies.com/shop/cat.php?id=55

Have a look at the Birch Ply and the Lite Ply.

Lite ply has a very pale yellow surface and is very smooth and very tough, but essentially zero figure to it. Birch ply is more expensive, but they have it down to 0.4mm and it does have some ( not a lot) of figure to it.

Steve


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## kezza (13 Feb 2015)

thanks, gill, is one side free from voids? i actually saw some G1 aircraft ply, looked the biz, but at £60 plus £17 carriage its really expensive, so obviously I'm after something a little cheaper but i dont want to scrimp on the quality!


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## Stooby (13 Feb 2015)

I buy the birch plywood from Slec. I find this excellent quality, no voids and one side is always perfect, often both.


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## gilljc (13 Feb 2015)

Guess if you gave either company a call and told them what you were wanting they would make sure you get the quality you need. When hobbies were still selling tulipwood, I used to tell them I wanted it for decorative scrolling work and they sent me some lovely pieces with good grain patterns in it


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## Chippygeoff (13 Feb 2015)

The last time I bought Baltic Birch plywood I bought 2 sheets of 12mm. 2 of 6mm and 2 of 4mm. It worked out at £35 per 8 x 4 feet sheet and that was A grade. They even cut it up to the sizes I wanted and the staff carried it out to the car for me. Near where I live we have a main importer of Birch plywood and I always get a good deal.


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## bodgerbaz (14 Feb 2015)

I've bought from Slec and Hobarts https://hobarts.com/sheet-materials/woo ... 124_15_56/ Hobarts have very fast shipping and the quality is excellent. Their minimum shipping is about £12 but you can buy quite a few sheets before it increases to the next price band so make sure you order a lot.

I wouldn't touch Hobbies with a barge pole. I ordered some ply from them a couple of years ago and the edges looked as though they had been cut with a chain saw!! I couldn't use the last 1" or so near the edges because of tear-out and there were specks of flicked brown paint over several of the sheets as though someone had cleaned their paint brushes out close by. When I complained to Hobbies they said "that's how we buy it in - nothing to do with us" . . . . and it wasn't ever again.


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