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[Tom Herr]

Has anyone else run into a problem getting Baltic Birch. I called to order a crate today and my supplier informed me that they were out. They said that the mill had cancelled all current orders. So I called a few other places and am finding similar stories. Seems either the speaker cab industry is booming or the mills are cutting back on production. Speculation is that they are switching their lines over to construction grade products for all the construction in China. But who knows for sure.

I would be interested in any wholesale sources others might have for Baltic Birch. Prefer some place within a reasonable distance of Indiana. I don't want to have to pay a fortune for freight.

[Timmahh]

Tom, check into some of your local Home Depot Stores, as some do carry real 5x5 Russian Baltic Birch. they all get supply from different vendors depending on location. if you havent checked, you may try some local Cabinet Makers, as some of them know of different sorces than the norm.
hope it helps.
Timmahh

[Tom Herr]

Timmahh
Thanks for your input.  My source for Baltic Birch is the same as the local Home Depote, the local Lowes uses the same source. But I did find out there are a couple wholesalers in chicago that still have small quantities.  Availability is becoming an issue. I talked with an importer on the east cost friday and they said that China is eating up most of the worlds supply of building materials. They are doing massive construction over there. I never considered Baltic Birch as building material but I guess someone does. Looks like I better buy as much as my bank account will allow. It may be a long time before I can get more.


For those of you planning to build labhorns with Baltic or Russian birch I suggest you get your wood now. Or at least put a down payment on it and see if the store will hold it for you. The price is likely to increase very soon if you can even get it.
Wholesale price has increased slightly and if it follows suite with OSB it will likely double in the near future.

[Karl P(eterson)]

I work as a consultant for a national company that does a lot of custom millwork and for some reason I got in a conversation with there head purchasing guy about wood and its prices.... Wood has gone up almost double in raw/wholesale cost, and it doesn't look like it will end or go down anytime soon. Raw steel has almost doubled as well. The reason is partly China yes, but also us. Most/a lot of all of the raw wood and steel products that are making it here are being re-routed, made into basic building materials and shipped out to iraq in our rebuild efforts.... A _lot_ of it. For this mid sized company to meet there needs, they are currently needing to import most of there wood from the baltics and brazil. This is a huge problem.... much bigger than most realize and probably will end up having to be addressed in the UN before all to long.

As for the comment about not thinking that baltic birch was used for raw building matterials.... Its wood, isnt it?

Karl P

[Timmahh]

thanx for the imput guys,  We purchased 10 sheets 5x5 to build 2 labs.  We have toyed with the idea of useing them all for modules, then using 7 or 9 ply for the outter box, but maybe we'll order 10 more sheets, and prepare to build 8 instead, and get some good 9ply 4x8 for the outters, at any rate, we should make up our minds fast, unless we pull out of iraq soon! but dont see that happening at this point, THIS IS ANOTHER FINE MESS YOU'VE GOTTEN US INTO GEORGIE B. THANX ALOT>
Timmahh

[Tom Herr]

Karl you are right, it is wood. Not what I consider a construction grade plywood. However, if supplies are short you buy what ever is available as long as it works.

Your comments about Iraq are true. I forgot to mention that in my original post. Thanks for correcting me.

I have not experienced a big price increase on Baltic Birch yet but I am sure I will. Just another reason to order extra now. I did find some for about the same price as I have been paying for the past year but it's half way across the country and shipping will be expensive.

[Karl P(eterson)]

Timmah,

While I can understand your and many others frustration(s) with "Georgie B"  but also realize that things are truly more complex and involved than what it is made out to be. Do all the research, talk with the people over there (not the thirty or fourty people cnn goes out and finds to show you) and people who have been there. Only then can you start to realize the larger picture, and why we have done what we have done. While I admittedly don't agree with all that has gone on, and that many people are far from informed about all the reasons and things going on out there, there still our troops, our friends, neighbors and statesmen, and deserve our respect and support if for no other reason.

An "opinional" by Karl P

[Timmahh]

totally agreed, it just my opinion, there were far nastier people that should of been dealt with before we tackled iraq, O.B. for one, should of been on the top of the list with N Korea s situation being 2nd,  the middle east thing has been goin on for thousands of years, and iraq for a few less, but all in all, now that we re there, i totally support it. just feel i should/could have waited for a while first.
i appoligize for being out of context on the forum.

[Tom Herr]

Good News
My regular source has located some and I will get it this week.

As for the political discussion I support our troops and their efforts. I also think we should have finished the job and ousted the tyrant durring dessert storm. However there would have been consequences in the international community. But now here we are again spending billions of dollars to do something that should have been done right the 1st time. And the international community is still not happy about our decision. So we would have been just as well to of done it right the 1st time.

As for our President, I have to say that while I don't always agree with his logic, I do respect the fact that he has a tuff job to do. I also know that it really doesn't matter who you put in the White House someone is going to find fault in everything they do. It is pretty easy to sit back and say they are wrong but to offer an alternate plan that would be effective is a little tuffer to do. One because we don't have access to the same information as he does. So how do you know if his decisions are good or bad?  You don't unless you get the same information. And rightly so. That's why he is Commander and Cheif.

[Karl P(eterson)]

Quote:

But now here we are again spending billions of dollars to do something that should have been done right the 1st time.

Hey, I knew we could steer this into audio! <g>

Isn't this just the truth of everything though? From tupperwear knock-off's to roadcases from light switches to consoles. Putting off what you should have done in the first place, although perhaps unpopular to some, would have remedied a problem down the road before it ever happened.

Karl "Buy once cry once" P