Baltic Birch Alternative

[Onajourney]

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.

[tony.latham]

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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[kokomoto]

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.

[Onajourney]

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.

[Onajourney]

Using luan/utility/mahogany has been tried by some with sometimes disappointing results.

[/quote]

Like what?

[kokomoto]

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.

[Wendellnla]

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

[kokomoto]

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?

[tony.latham]

Not sure how it would work structurally.

FRP isn't a structural member.

Tony

[Ethantillema77]

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

[tony.latham]

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:

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

[kokomoto]

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?

[RJ Howell]

Not sure how it would work structurally.

FRP isn't a structural member.

Tony

Hmm..

[Munsterfield]

Hey KLat, I know that this is an older post, but I'm also located in New Brunswick and I'm planning out a teardrop build. Mine is the stitch-and-glue CLC tear drop, and they recommend Okoume ply. I'm having trouble sourcing this locally, and really don't want to pay the premium for shipping or customs/duties. The closest spot that I could find was East Coast Specialty Hardwood (ecsh.ca/) in Dartmouth.
I'm really curious to learn what you ended up using and where you sourced it!
Thanks!