Plywood with good veneer on both sides?

[myoung]

I want to build a bookshelf using 3/4inch birch ply for the case. the birch ply I've found is finished nicely on one side, but has more color variation on the backside, along with veneer lines.

is it possible to find plywood that's finished on both sides? the sides of the shelves will both be visible, although I suppose putting the darker shade toward the inside might work. if I want two sided, am I forced to refinish both sides?

while I'm here, can anyone recommend a source for good veneer. the store here charges 50-70$ for a sheet of 24x96. seems a little silly, since the sheet of ply attached to a 4x8" sheet costs only 70$.

...myoung

[Upscale]

You can get good both sides plywood, but unless you want to pay a really high premium, (eg. book-matched both sides) it's likely one side will be really good and the other just usable. I look for plywood with a book matched veneer on just one side and that's what I put on the outside of any project because it will be viewed the most.

[Todd L]

There is a seller on ebay, user name is lepkowski, he sells some incredible veneers at good prices. You might check it out.

[diesel_fuel]

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Try a different supplier or spend more time sorting through the stack. I've had some plywood that definitely had an A and a B side, but I've had some that it was so good on the B side that you could have used it either way.

I understand you can get good on two side but at a premium price. Maybe you just got a batch made on a day that had less to choose from making skins at the plywood plant Ed [e-mail]

[RemodGuy]

YOu need A-1. you're probably getting A-3 or maybe even B-3. $70 for half a sheet of 3/4 birch is a bit high, especially for anything less than A-1

[Alex]

Like lumber, plywood is graded. The difference is each side is graded separately. The convention is: Face side A - D (A being the best) Back side 1 - 4 (1 being the best)

Plywood that is graded A1 or A2 usually has the best veneer on both sides. It sounds like you bought A4. Generally speaking though, the coloration of the veneer is not a determining factor in the grading process. The quality of the veneer is usually what determines the grade. The lower the grade, the higher the content of knots and patches.

Alex