From the top down: 1/4" Shina Plywood and 3/8" Shina Plywood.
Shina Plywood
Tilia japonica, a member of the Linden family
For sizes and prices, click on the thickness you want in the center column under "Shina Plywood."
This fine-grained plywood from Hokkaido, the northern-most island of Japan, is a favorite among Japanese printmakers. Shina is harvested selectively and sustainably. The plywood is very high quality, free of voids, knots or blemishes. It is already sanded smooth to an even thickness, ready for immediate cutting and printing.
The glue holding the plies together is so thin that it is barely perceptible as you are cutting, making this a truly exceptional product for woodblock printmaking.
Japan has very strict environmental laws about the amount of formaldehyde added to the glue used to make plywood. Most plywood made in the U.S. contains 5mg of formaldehyde per liter of glue, while in Japan the amount of formaldehyde averages only 0.3mg/liter, with 0.4mg/liter the maximum amount allowed. So Shina plywood is much safer for you and for the environment.
There is significantly less swelling, shrinking or warping with this plywood compared to solid planks.
To prevent warping, store blocks flat in a dry place. Keep them away from excessive heat.
If you plan to carve both sides of a block, tape a heavy sheet of paper on the side not being cut. This will protect the surface from dents or scrapes.
Grain
On standard sizes, the wood grain runs parallel with the longest dimension.
Custom blocks can be cut with the grain running parallel with the short dimension.
Sizes and Shipping
To maximize the number of blocks from a sheet, reduce waste and keep prices as low as possible, we
may lose up to the width of the saw blade (about 1/8") from the dimensions of a block. Exact and
custom sizes can be cut for a small additional charge. Please allow two weeks for cutting and shipping
custom blocks, blocks larger than 18 x 24, and large orders.
UPS has additional shipping charges for large items. If you wish to know what the actual shipping charge will be, please add a note in the "Special Instructions" box in the shopping cart asking us to contact you with this information.
Free Sample
If you have not tried carving Shina before and you live in the U.S., we will be happy to send you one small sample for free. Please call 800-832-4264 or email your name and address to mail@imcclains.com.
If you live outside the U.S., you will need to pay the shipping, which starts at around U.S.$10.00. Please contact us for the exact amount to ship samples to your country.
We gather requests for samples together and send them out every seven to ten days, when we have a break from shipping orders. Thank you for your patience.
Volume Discount
Receive a 5% discount on orders of 12 or more of the same size and kind of Shina
Plywood. Different sizes and kinds cannot be combined for this discount.
There are no discounts on custom orders.