The colour of plywood.

[inexperienced_woodworker]

I bought some 18mm plywood a while back, not sure where from but it would have been either a local timber merchant or B&Q. The face was a nice pale wood colour.

I’ve been to get some more to build some shelves/cabinets and the faces are a much more red colour. It’s not unpleasant, just not what I was expecting. Does anyone know why this is? I’ve got some veneer samples and the closest in colour is the cherry wood. I was expecting the faces to be more of a birch or ash colour.

Is this the standard for basic hardwood ply now or will I get lighter veneers elsewhere?

I’ll probably be oiling it when done and have ordered some samples to try out so interested to see what colour it comes out with a bit of coloured oil.

The budget for the project is fairly set in stone and I can’t afford £100+ sheets for speciality ply but would if possible like a lighter coloured sheet.

If anyone has any information or ideas I’d be pleased to hear it.

 

[Bingy man]

Plywood will vary from one supplier to the next , also the different grades also play a major role in what the finished product looks like. As you say if your budget is set then my advise would be to visit as many suppliers as you can within your area and see what’s available. It’s fair to say though you get what you pay for ..

 

[artie]

Around here basic plywood used to be a yellowish colour. Better quality hardwood plywood was a reddish colour, better quality and more expensive.

As the years rolled by almost all of it save the very cheapest became reddish and of various quality. It took a while to realise the modern red was just the old yellow with a tint, half as good, for twice the price

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ply is made here, there and everywhere - what it's made of often depends on what is available in large amounts cheapest at the time. If you ever cut the stuff, get used to getting a bit of abrasive and taking the arrises off quickly - sometimes the small splinters are horrible if you get them under your skin. It doesn't happen often but it's a habit to cultivate - if you get a bad case of it you'll know why. The dark coloured ones are the worst.

 

[inexperienced_woodworker]

As you say if your budget is set then my advise would be to visit as many suppliers as you can within your area and see what’s available. It’s fair to say though you get what you pay for ..

Thanks. I’m going to thornbridge tomorrow to see what they have. I’ve had a look online and can see beech veneered plywood is available for not much more per sheet so I may investigate this.

It took a while to realise the modern red was just the old yellow with a tint, half as good, for twice the price

This doesn’t surprise me at all! I’m really reluctant to buy any wood online just because I don’t know what I’m getting based on a couple of stock photos.

sometimes the small splinters are horrible if you get them under your skin. It doesn't happen often but it's a habit to cultivate

Thanks! I’ll take that on board.

 

[Bingy man]

Thanks. I’m going to thornbridge tomorrow to see what they have. I’ve had a look online and can see beech veneered plywood is available for not much more per sheet so I may investigate this.



This doesn’t surprise me at all! I’m really reluctant to buy any wood online just because I don’t know what I’m getting based on a couple of stock photos.



Thanks! I’ll take that on board.

Be careful with online suppliers as often what’s advertised or shown is nothing like what you will receive and if you accept the delivery you are effectively saying you’re happy with the goods . The delivery charges can also be extremely high..

 

[Sevian1s]

I've noticed plywood color can change depending on the wood species, glue type, and exposure to light. Baltic birch, for example, tends to yellow over time, especially with UV exposure.

 

[Agent_zed]

The chinese hardwood ply that I can get at my local builders merchants is a red colour on the faces. It's ok for what I use it for but it is nowhere near as good as it used to be. The face veneer seems to be very thin.

My town used to make plywood back in the old days and lots of the older residents have bits of it kicking around. When I bought my house the old chap had a fair few bits in the garage. Really thick mahogany veneered ply (weighs a lot), along with lots of mahogany pieces from the backer boards (when they get too thin to hold for slicing off veneers).

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Having bought plywood from the likes of B&W and Wickes, the reddish coloured top layer is swiftly removed by a couple of swipes with some 240 grit paper.

This being the case I can only assume one of two things:

• manufacturers have found a way to make the outer plies from a veneer only microns thick, or
• the manufacturers spray the ply to make any surface faults less obvious, and add perceived value to the produce - for most punters dark wood = mahogany, light wood = cheap

Personally I would go for the second bullet but have no actual proof.

 

[recipio]

Baltic ply is a bit of a minefield. If you find a good supplier then stick with them. Unfortunately you can't really stock up for future projects as the stuff is prone to a green fungal growth after a year or so.
I only need small amounts for boxmaking and have bought some off Amazon in various thicknesses. I'm happy enough with them and the free delivery on Amazon prime helps. Don't forget that Baltic birch is available as a veneer but is not as thick as the plywood outer veneers.
I wouldn't use oil on Baltic ply as it will turn yellow. Better to use water based or acrylic lacquer . Haven't tried French polishing yet.

 

[Diver Fred]

I appreciate what I'm about to say may not be pleasing to hear but stain is easy to apply to get a consistent colour. What I regard as more important is the quality of the construction. Do plan on buying plywood with many, odd number of ply's (layers). I'd suggest if you are intending to make matching furniture from plywood buy sufficient to make every it from that stock rather than buying a sheet at a time.
You can get 18mm plywood that is made from 2 layers of 9mm plywood - that at best is 6 thick ply's of a pale softwood - best used as shuttering ply. I'd not wish to use that for quality work.

 

[Vulcan]

In my limited experience,
Red Plywood = South American ply from B&Q or Wickes (normally with voids)
White Plywood = Birch Ply of good quality.

I have examples of both in my shed at the moment.

There’s bound to be lots more in between!

 

[Beau]

I bought some 18mm beech faced ply from B&Q recently. I got chatting to a staff member who was pretty clued up and he said they sell a Chinese hardwood ply at a sharp price but the wood varies dramatically from batch to batch. I passed on some more typical darker reddish boards in the stack as the beech perfectly suited my needs. The last lot was apparently eucalyptus so who knows what they will have in next

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/surprising-good-ply-from-b-q.150296/