I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back, of
course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't going
to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?), or a
wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
pretty good for drawer parts?
In article <[email protected]>, Anonymoose
<Ihatespam> says...
> I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
> appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back, of
> course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't going
> to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
> wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?), or a
> wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
> sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
> yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
> pretty good for drawer parts?
>
Would recommend going with the poplar vs. the pine. Pine can have a
tendency to be softer and less stable.
Pine can pose some resin problems, too. Seal with shellac.
How you're going to hang the drawers makes a difference in material choice,
or ought to. If you're going to use commercial roller guides, plywood seems
a great option for sides, and the "drawer joint" is a good one. If you're
applying a drawer front to a box, box joints are a piece of cake on a router
table. Plywood really not suitable to slide on hardwood.
If your drawers are going to ride on wooden guides, consider the problems of
soft drawer, hard (easily replaceable) guide we see on a lot of old
furniture, and make them the opposite, or apply a hard strip on the wearing
surface. I suppose you might do this with plywood, as well, but it takes a
bit of extra effort.
I've got true poplar riding UHMW guides on a couple of my shop drawers, and
I sort of like it.
"Mark & Juanita" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Anonymoose
> <Ihatespam> says...
> > I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
> > appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back,
of
> > course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't
going
> > to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
> > wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?),
or a
> > wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
> > sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
> > yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
> > pretty good for drawer parts?
> >
>
> Would recommend going with the poplar vs. the pine. Pine can have a
> tendency to be softer and less stable.
You could also use 1/2" plywood. A good grade of course. I would go along
with what Phisherman said about the dovetails. They do like real nice and
are awful strong. I would love to be able to handcut them but mine look like
someone took a hatchett to them when I tried. I pussed out and bought a jig
that does a really nice job. The "arthur-itis" in my hands doesnt lend
itself to much hand work these days sadly enough.
Jim
"Phisherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 18:52:52 -0600, Anonymoose <Ihatespam> wrote:
>
> >I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
> >appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back, of
> >course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't
going
> >to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
> >wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?), or
a
> >wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
> >sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
> >yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
> >pretty good for drawer parts?
>
> You can use any wood you want. Typically, drawer sides and backs are
> made from "secondary" woods, such as poplar or pine. Pine has the
> advantage of being lightweight, and that's a good thing when making a
> drawer. 3/4'' white pine is common at the DIYs, it's not expensive,
> and planning it down to 1/2" is no big deal. BTW, if you want your
> drawers to look really nice, handcut the dovetails. I practiced
> making dovetails (an hour each day) from scraps, and after two weeks
> they looked nearly perfect.
In article <[email protected]>,
Anonymoose <Ihatespam> wrote:
>I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
>appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back, of
>course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't going
>to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
>wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?), or a
>wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
>sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
>yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
>pretty good for drawer parts?
I get a lot of stock for drawer sides by salvaging from discarded
furniture. Our area has a once a month collection day for "bulk items"
and I'm not above stopping & removing the drawers (or even the whole
piece if I think it's worth it)
--
Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland
[email protected]
On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 18:52:52 -0600, Anonymoose <Ihatespam> wrote:
>I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
>appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back, of
>course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't going
>to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
>wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?), or a
>wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
>sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
>yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
>pretty good for drawer parts?
You can use any wood you want. Typically, drawer sides and backs are
made from "secondary" woods, such as poplar or pine. Pine has the
advantage of being lightweight, and that's a good thing when making a
drawer. 3/4'' white pine is common at the DIYs, it's not expensive,
and planning it down to 1/2" is no big deal. BTW, if you want your
drawers to look really nice, handcut the dovetails. I practiced
making dovetails (an hour each day) from scraps, and after two weeks
they looked nearly perfect.
Lowes sells 1/2" poplar in various widths. You wouldn't have to dress it
down - buy the width you want and cut it to length.
Baltic birch also makes nice drawer sides and bottoms.
Use this opportunity to learn dovetails. I am now - I'm building out my
shop (finally) and decided to do all the drawers with dovetails. By the
time the shop is done, I should be an expert at it, and I don't care that
the "mistakes" are in the shop drawers.
Bob
"Anonymoose" <Ihatespam> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
> appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back, of
> course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't going
> to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
> wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?), or
a
> wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
> sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
> yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
> pretty good for drawer parts?
i replied about 3 hours ago and now I don't see my post...
anyway, Baltic Birch ply works great, and you can get it pre finished also.
dave
Anonymoose wrote:
> I'm getting ready to start my first project with drawers and would
> appreciate any suggestions on proper woods for drawer sides (and back, of
> course). My bandsaw is a POS, so resawing 4/4 to get 2/4->3/8 isn't going
> to happen, so I either need creative ideas for where to get Any type of
> wood that comes in a suitable dimension (glue-up scrap from pallets?), or a
> wood that is cheap enough that I won't weep over turning 1/2 of 4/4 into
> sawdust on the planer. The price sheet from my local NFP says they have
> yellow poplar at $1.95 and yellow pine at $2.00, are either of these YPs
> pretty good for drawer parts?