Baltic Birch Alternative

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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby Onajourney » Tue Oct 18, 2022 9:26 am

You guys crack me up with all this BB sillyness. There are a ton of exterior options especially if you are epoxing and skinning it. As for the interior, I am going with a mahogany ply walls and a BB ceiling. Use what is available to you in your budget and what you actually like.
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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby tony.latham » Tue Oct 18, 2022 12:53 pm

Onajourney wrote:You guys crack me up with all this BB sillyness. There are a ton of exterior options especially if you are epoxing and skinning it. As for the interior, I am going with a mahogany ply walls and a BB ceiling. Use what is available to you in your budget and what you actually like.
What 1/8” ply are you referring to?

One of the great things about Baltic –besides quality– is it comes in 5’ x 5’ sheets. Perfect for a 5’ teardrop.

Tony


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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby kokomoto » Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:55 pm

Onajourney wrote:You guys crack me up with all this BB sillyness. There are a ton of exterior options especially if you are epoxing and skinning it. As for the interior, I am going with a mahogany ply walls and a BB ceiling. Use what is available to you in your budget and what you actually like.


If you are referring to 1/8" BB for the ceiling, then you're spot on. It bends very nicely on teardrops.

Using luan/utility/mahogany has been tried by some with sometimes disappointing results.
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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby Onajourney » Tue Oct 18, 2022 3:39 pm

Used 1/8" BB on ceiling because it had the best quality for the largest visible piece of wood in the whole build. Based on my design, I could have used 4'x8' but I like the BB. I designed the whole box with 4x8 in mind. Squaredrop BTW. It was the largest mistake I made thus far on the build. The quality of the BB was so great I did not realize there was a good side and a not so good side till a couple of weeks after I had it up. The quality of both sides looked the same to me when installing but the 2 pieces have a slightly different color. The seam is where the front angles down 7 degrees. No one will ever notice but me but it still bothers me. For a couple of weeks I thought is was just the lighting cause of the angle. Yeah, that's the ticket. It's the angle. LOL.

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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby Onajourney » Tue Oct 18, 2022 3:42 pm

kokomoto wrote:
Using luan/utility/mahogany has been tried by some with sometimes disappointing results.
[/quote]

Like what?
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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby kokomoto » Wed Oct 19, 2022 6:30 am

Delamination or cracking or both. Some may have gotten away with bending that tight. Others have reported less than satisfactory results. I'd prefer not to use it. I've never used it. Never needed to. It's also not very tolerant of moisture.

In a land with dozens of types of cereal, it does amaze me that there's not an alternative product widely available that even roughly compares to BB.
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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby Wendellnla » Mon Mar 13, 2023 1:56 pm

I’m in the design/planning stage and wondering if anyone has come up with decent alternatives to BB?
My build does not have to be a wood finished interior, but it would be more appropriate considering I want my build to have a cedar woodie exterior.

I have looked into FRP, but too ugly/cheap looking, but plenty flexible. Not sure how it would work structurally.

Also, thinking about a foam backed marine grade fabric or vinyl that some in an assortment of colors. Adds nothing structurally, but a small amount of insulation value….. maybe!

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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby kokomoto » Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:48 am

Wendellnla wrote:I’m in the design/planning stage and wondering if anyone has come up with decent alternatives to BB?
My build does not have to be a wood finished interior, but it would be more appropriate considering I want my build to have a cedar woodie exterior.

I have looked into FRP, but too ugly/cheap looking, but plenty flexible. Not sure how it would work structurally.

Also, thinking about a foam backed marine grade fabric or vinyl that some in an assortment of colors. Adds nothing structurally, but a small amount of insulation value….. maybe!

Regards

Wendell


No, I haven't. However, I did find a source in Northern Alabama after a long, patient search. Have you tried FB marketplace?
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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby tony.latham » Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:06 pm

Not sure how it would work structurally.


FRP isn't a structural member.

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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby Ethantillema77 » Sun Feb 04, 2024 12:37 pm

Ok so I'm building my first teardrop and I'm looking for an alternative to 1/8 in birch. Is Revolution ply from Lowes a good alternative. I'm using Tony's profile so I've got a pretty sharp curve
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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby tony.latham » Sun Feb 04, 2024 12:46 pm

I'm looking for an alternative to 1/8 in birch.


Why?

1/8" Baltic is void free. Is RevolutionPly? You can throw a piece of Baltic in a bucket of water for a week, pull it out, dry it, and it's still usable.

And Baltic likes to bend with the grain. The stuff is superb.

Tony

p.s. From an old post:

Pmullen503 wrote:Do not use this stuff!

I used just bits here and there in my foamie and it delaminated after a few years. This was on vertical surfaces covered with PMF. This was not soaking in water just subject to temperature and moisture changes throughout the year.


Here's the thread:

https://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=70531
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Re: Baltic Birch Alternative

Postby kokomoto » Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:22 am

Ethantillema77 wrote:Ok so I'm building my first teardrop and I'm looking for an alternative to 1/8 in birch. Is Revolution ply from Lowes a good alternative. I'm using Tony's profile so I've got a pretty sharp curve


I agree with Tony. I think you'll regret not using Baltic Birch, especially for anything with a pretty sharp curve. Is there a BB supplier in your neck of the woods?
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