Baltic & Finland Birch Listings

The purpose of this guide is to help you learn more about Baltic Birch plywood. We cover the grades, sizes, thicknesses and uses of
Baltic Birch plywood here. I'm not an expert on Baltic Birch but do the best to provide as nuch information about it as I can.
I use Baltic Birch plywood regularly in my own shop for cabinetmaking and scroll saw work.

Baltic Birch Plywood is an imported plywood.
Highly decorative, exceptional strength and great screw holding power. The front, back and inner plies are quality one-piece plies.
In spite of the odd 5x5 format, Russian Birch has been a very high quality addition to the Imported Plywood market. Because of its clarity
and strength many manufacturers are using this material. The Russian Birch uses more uniform plys in its construction than other imported
panels and because of this it has excellent machining properties.
The dense construction and quality of veneer have made this a favorite product of Cabinet Manufacturers throughout the country.
The material also has many aesthetic qualities it sands, paints and stains very nicely.

The thinner stock is known best among crafters. It is used by scroller’s for ornaments, model airplane builders, model railroaders for
buildings, doll house builders, model makers and as a base for parquetry work. Also the latest users are those that have lasers.

Q: What is Baltic Birch?
Baltic Birch, aka ‘Russian Birch’, is a popular panel best known for its light color, strength, multi-ply construction, and affordable cost.
Russian birch plywood is considered to be just a few steps behind Finland birch in quality, because you will rarely find Russian birch plywood
with two perfectly clean faces. But it is available. Still, Russian birch has layers of veneer that are void-free, which makes it perfect for scroll saw cuts.

Once you have cut your pieces, it’s easy to cleanly finish the edges to produce a beautiful finished project.

Q: Why is Baltic birch veneer better?
Baltic birch veneer is produced in the United States, BUT the highest quality veneer for this type of tree is actually produced in
Finland and Russia. What sets the veneer from these countries apart is the consistency of surface; Baltic birch veneer from Finland and
Russia is virtually free of gaps and voids. This disparity cannot be attributed to quality milling; instead, it reflects the fact that the
Baltic birch is indigenous to the northern Baltic regions and is generally healthier in that area. This means that the wood used to create
the birch veneer in these countries is less prone to wood bugs and other ailments that can befall Baltic birch trees in more temperate climates.

Q: Why should I use Baltic Birch?
Using Baltic birch plywood in your projects is a great way to avoid common problems like surface collapse, since this plywood is virtually
free of voids on the inner plies. This lack of voids gives Baltic birch tremendous strength, and also presents a very attractive side profile
without the gaps and voids common in many other types of plywood. While Baltic birch plywood may be a bit harder to find than other types of
plywood, it can be well worth the effort for many different projects. An understanding of the grades and composition of this unique type of
plywood will show why Baltic birch should be considered among the finest types of plywood.

Q: What sizes does it come in?
The most common Baltic Birch sheet size is 5’x 5’. However, there is much more 4’x 8’ sheets available in the marketplace.

Q: What thicknesses do you carry?
There are a myriad of thicknesses for this product.  Currently I have the following thicknesses on hand for Baltic Birch:
Thickness      *Thickness
    (mm)            (inches)
3mm                   1/8”
4mm                   3/16”
6mm                   1/4”
9mm                   3/8”
12mm                 1/2”
15mm                 5/8”
18mm                 3/4”

* Note – the Baltic Birch thicknesses in inches are approximate. For example, the most common thickness for drawer sides is 12mm or 1/2”.
A true half inch = 12.7mm. Baltic birch has been around long enough that the equivalency ratios stated above are considered the norm.

Q: What are these grades? They don’t look familiar.
There are two basic grades of imported plywood made from Baltic birch. Finland birch plywood is considered the highest quality, because it
will have both faces entirely free of patches or plugs. You can also purchase BB/BB grade low grade birch plywood that may have so-called
"football" shaped patches on both sides. They are different from the domestic grades many of us see. Baltic Birch is manufactured in accordance
with the Russian export GOST 3916.1-96 standards. The list you see below is simplified.

B—Selected one-piece face, generally light and even in color. Occasional small pin knots and some brown streaks may be allowed, but generally
no patches, voids or mineral streaks. Sanded surface intended for natural finish.

BB—One-piece face generally light and even in color. Pin knots and mineral streaking or discoloration is allowed with occasional sound tight
knots permitted. Open knots and defects in BB face veneers have been cut out and replaced with small oval or round veneer “football” patches
before gluing. The veneer selected for the patches is of the same general color as the face veneer. Sanded surface.

Sample of what a boat patch may look like.

CP—One-piece face
very close to grade BB. Rejected from BB for small defects with more streaking. Occasional hairline splits of less than .5mm are allowed.
The oval or round patches may or may not be matched for color with the base face veneer. There will normally be more patches per face than
the BB grade. Sanded surface.

C—Patches, open knots and veneer splits allowed. Not sanded.

Q: What grades do you carry?
I carry B/B also known as Double B (clear two sides, meaning no boat patches) and B/BB also known as Triple B (clear one side, boat patches on
one side)

Q: If Baltic birch doesn’t come clear two sides how can you sell clear two sided plywood?
On the lots that I sell I cut those sizes from larger pieces and sort them myself. This way I can offer good two sides or B/BB grade.

Q: What type of glue do they use? Can this be used outside?
Baltic Birch comes in Type I and Type II glues. Type I is a phenolic, exterior glue. This does not mean that an exterior glue is a substitute
for a true marine plywood. This simply means that the panel will perform slightly better in outdoor applications. Type II glue is an interior
glue, and by far the most prevalent in today’s marketplace. The Baltic birch I sell uses Type II glue - interior.

Q: You don’t have the size I need. Can I get a special size?
If you need a special size we will custom cut to order. Let us know the size, thickness and number of pieces you need and will give you a quote
with S & H.

Q: Multi-ply construction. What does that mean exactly?
Multi-ply construction means that the plywood is constructed with more plies than a standard, domestic piece of plywood.
Metric Thickness                 # of Plies
        3mm                                    3
         4mm                                3 or 4
         6mm                                    5
         9mm                                    7
         12mm                                  9
        15mm                                  11
        18mm                                  13

Applications – In the US Baltic Birch made the most noise as a drawer side. The multi-ply construction made for an attractive edge to route and
sand. The light color looked great as a drawer. And the price made this product perfect for many.  Baltic Birch has been adopted as the product
of choice for many of the applications listed below:

Drawer sides
Table tops
Bed desk
Die cutting
Cabinets
Drawer bottoms
Skateboards
Furniture
Curio
Book cases
Displays
Exhibits

Baltic & Finland Birch Plywood Listings