3mm Birch Faced Poplar Plywood

SLEC 3mm Birch Faced Poplar Plywood is a high-quality lightweight plywood sheet featuring decorative Birch veneers on both faces and a Poplar plywood core.

Combining the attractive appearance of Birch plywood with the lightweight properties of Poplar, this material provides an excellent balance of strength, stability and reduced weight. The lower-density Poplar core makes it easier to handle, cut and machine compared with traditional all-Birch plywood, while maintaining good rigidity and dimensional stability.

The smooth Birch face veneers provide an attractive natural timber finish, making this plywood ideal for projects where appearance and accuracy are important.

With its lightweight construction and EN314-2 Class 1 glue bond, this plywood is particularly suited to laser cutting, CNC machining, model making, lightweight structures and precision woodworking applications.

The Poplar core is manufactured from fast-growing plantation timber, making this a sustainable plywood option. Available with PEFC™ or FSC® certification.

Grade Information

Birch B Grade Face Veneer

The B grade face provides a natural timber appearance with visible grain variation and colour differences. Small sound knots may be present, adding character to the natural wood surface. The face is suitable for painting, staining or clear finishing.

Birch BB Grade Back Veneer

The BB grade back allows for more natural timber features, including larger knots and repaired areas. This provides a practical reverse face where appearance is less critical.

Glue & Laser Cutting Information

This plywood uses an EN314-2 Class 1 glue bond, designed for interior dry conditions.

The Class 1 glue line is particularly suited to laser cutting applications, as interior-grade adhesives generally produce a cleaner cut compared with some exterior-grade plywoods, which can create a darker burnt edge due to the adhesive used.

Available Sizes

Specifications

• Material: Birch Faced Poplar Plywood
• Thickness: 3mm
• Grade: B/BB
• Core: Poplar Plywood
• Glue Type: EN314-2 Class 1
• Formaldehyde: Ultra Low Emitting Formaldehyde (ULEF)
• Moisture Content: 8–13%
• Certification: Available with PEFC™ or FSC® certification
• Suitable for Laser Cutting: Yes
• Suitable for CNC Cutting: Yes

Features

• Decorative Birch face and back veneers
• Lightweight Poplar plywood core
• Excellent strength-to-weight ratio
• Particularly suitable for laser cutting
• Suitable for CNC routing and machining
• Class 1 interior glue bond
• Ultra Low Emitting Formaldehyde (ULEF)
• Sustainable plantation-grown timber
• Attractive natural timber appearance
• Lightweight alternative to all-Birch plywood
• Easy to cut, sand and finish
• Ideal for model aircraft, model boats and precision projects
• Excellent for lightweight structural components

Important Information

As plywood is a natural timber product, sheets may contain natural variations including differences in grain, colour, bow, crook or twist.

Some natural movement in plywood is normal. When using this material for laser cutting, sheets may need to be secured or weighted flat on the laser bed to achieve the best results.

Manufacturing thickness tolerance is approximately ±0.4mm.