Baltic Birch Plywood availability in the UK

[wilfy]

i dont know what the difference is between baltic birch and the birch i know as regular birch... but you know bnq sell it, maybe only in their bigger stores usually the ones with the wood cutting machine.. but they certainly sell quality birch ply the only thing i can think that you would need to do to make it kiddie safe is the varnish it once cut.

oh and last time i looked it was around £28 a sheet

[D.C.]

Hello Ccrewz try reading this

http://www.lathamtimber.co.uk/icmedi...%20Plywood.pdf

Plywood comes in different grades, you can get crap quality or amazing quality plywood from just about any county that grows wood, it is the grade that counts. Obviously the higher the grade the more expensive it is...

If this stuff is going in a hospital or somewhere that will be doing some hardcore cleaning you might want to get exterior grade so it doesn't start to delaminate when the cleaners start scrubbing it. (exterior grade plywood uses a water resistant glue, not as good as marine grade glue but better than interior grade glue)

As you already have plans and a cnc machine it might be worth spending a couple of days on the phone ringing around all the timber yards and cabinet makers you can find and ask them to keep a pile of good sized offcuts for you or to give you a free sheets for free in exchange for engraving their logo somewhere.

If you do have a problem getting hold of plywood you can always consider using a plastic laminate or veneer something like formica/melamine or even fablon on top of cheapo plywood/chipboard/mdf.

Take a look here:

d-c-fix Sticky Back Plastic - Birch - 67.5 x 2m from Homebase.co.uk

Cheap, waterproof, easy to clean, comes in a million different designs and you can stick it on top of just about any old crap ...

[Ccrewz]

Thanks again everyone for your thoughts, info and links. The problem with the "Baltic Birch" that B&Q sell is that it is closer to "construction" grade then it is to what I need for what is a "toy" or "Children's furniture". Also my large B&Q store only stocks 18mm which is too thick. I have already made a couple of cribs from a sign making material called Forex for my granddaughter, 1 for her house and 1 for my house when she comes around. I used the Forex for 2 reasons; 1. I had it in stock 2. Being the type of plastic it is we could easily wipe it down with a disinfectant wipe when her immunity is low.

Above you can see both cradles on a table; one assembled one waiting to be assembled

Here is another shot from a different angle.
She absolutely adores here cradles because throughout her treatments in hospital she has carried 3 things as her essential survival pack:
1. Her Doll
2. Her blanket
3. her drinking cup
If she has those 3 items she can tolerate anything they need to do to her. So her being able to "put her dolly to bed safe and sound" makes a lot of sense.

I have looked and using various grades of plywood and applying a variety of different vinyls but the bottom line is that if you make something for a child there must no be splinters!

This is why I am looking for the same grade of plywood that Ikea have used on this sort of thing:

DUKTIG Mini-kitchen - IKEA

I am planning on contacting a number of people/companies that have been mentioned in this thread on Monday to ask if them if they can supply me with the grade of plywood I am after and I would WILLING ask any timber yard or cabinet maker in my area; North Wales/Chester area, for a supplier or off cuts however the timber yards near me don't seem to have what I need and as yet I have not found any cabinet makers near me.

Over Christmas Anya was feeling pretty good for a few days and we were over at her house playing with her and I videoed her playing with my wife. You can see that she just wants to play like any other little girl; here is the link to the video:

Video0027 - YouTube

Thanks again for all the info and support in my search.

[motoxy]

Ccrewz
Just quick thought. Chat to your local ikea and explain the situation. Then if that have any damaged parts with reasonable amount of suitable flat timber maybe they could give you first dibbs before it goes into the bargain basement. Worth a call.

bruce

[Ccrewz]

Great idea Brian and if I wasn't such a long drive from them I would do just that.

I have found that there is a local company who panel out the insides of transit vans and the like with plywood so I am going there tomorrow. You never know they just might be using the right grade and or they might have some off cuts which I could use.

Again I want to thank everyone one the forum for their support in this quest, just think once we find a supplier for me then you will all know of a supplier....

[JAZZCNC]

How about furniture grade pine board 14mm thickness 500 x 1500mm.? I have access to a pile FOC.

[John S]

How about furniture grade pine board 14mm thickness 500 x 1500mm.? I have access to a pile FOC.

How much for 20 sheets.

[JAZZCNC]

How much for 20 sheets.

Check emails.!

[Philly]

Check emails.!

Would you be willing to sell to anyone else? :)


Ccrewz, where in the Northwest are you, there's a timber yard in Ellesmere port that usually have a good range of stock.

[Ccrewz]

Ellesmere Port is about 20 minutes away; I am just across the English / Welsh border in Connah's Quay.

What is the name of the Timber Yard you are thinking of?

Thanks