Drawer Material Options

[Mike Goetzke]

I'm in the construction stage of a dresser for my son and his wife's first child. I already made a crib. It's my fault but the cost of the dress is starting to hurt my pocketbook. I'm looking for drawer box material. I've used BB for many projects but years ago for our kitchen used ash (this is the wood I used for this dresser). the boxes will be about 8" tall. My local hardwood store doesn't have a good selection of ash in this width so I would need to edge glue. BB is expensive but construction is pretty quick and simple. I'm in the Chicago area and years ago when I made the kitchen cabinets there were suppliers from Michigan that would make lumber runs to my area. Lumber was much less expensive this way. Wonder what happened to these runs?

Oh well, any suggestions on drawer material appreciated.

 

[woodferret]

Prefinished maple ply?  Kinda the go-to and should be readily available at lumber yard that services cabinet makers.  If you're looking for the BB/euro edge (for reasons), then Garnica carries one (reinforced globulus line) that is specific to that look.

 

[Packard]

I use poplar primarily as it is readily available and is usually the least expensive hardwood in my area.  Also, very few knots.

You don’t mention the type of joinery being used.  Some methods will allow you to make the drawer boxes from particle board and allowing you to replace them with better choices once the funds are available.

 

[BarneyD]

Have you tried OWL Hardwood, Mike? They have a store in Des Plaines and another in Lombard. Usually a good selection.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive to save some money, there's Kirkland Sawmill in Kirkland. I buy most of my hardwood from him. He saws, dries and mills everything on site.

Good luck.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

It kind of depends on the situation. I have built drawers from all kinds of stuff, from legit Baltic Birch (and some of the slightly lesser copies) Pre-finished Maple Ply and even common "shop ply" for utility uses.
Then there are the hardwood options: Ash, Poplar, Aspen (more common in the western US)
Once is a while, my local supplier will have a really good price on some Cottonwood, which is a Poplar variant.
Personally, I like the look of a better (higher layer count) grade of Plywood, un-edgebanded. When it is done with 1/2" thick material and 1/4" tongue & dado, it looks very "mechanical"
My hardwood choice is that Cottonwood, when available. It is "cleaner" looking than normal Poplar, which can have very bold streaks of green, purple and black, running through the otherwise creamy coloring.
You normally have to pic through it, when buying, be willing to cut around it, or live with it.
I like box joints or dovetails for them, but will do the tongue & dado, in a pinch too.

 

[Steve1]

My local hardwood store doesn't have a good selection of ash in this width so I would need to edge glue.

Go back to your supplier and see what he does have selection of in the widths you need.

You didn't state if you were planning to stain it.  If you are staining, consider if the wood is blotchy when stained.

 

[tjbnwi]

Have you tried OWL Hardwood, Mike? They have a store in Des Plaines and another in Lombard. Usually a good selection.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive to save some money, there's Kirkland Sawmill in Kirkland. I buy most of my hardwood from him. He saws, dries and mills everything on site.

Good luck.

Unless it closed since I’ve left the Chicagoland area Owl also has a store in Oak Lawn, on Southwest Highway, just east of Cicero, south side of the street. 

Look into using steamed beech or maple. Owl should have drawer side material in stock.

Tom

 

[Packard]

My local hardwood store doesn't have a good selection of ash in this width so I would need to edge glue.

Go back to your supplier and see what he does have selection of in the widths you need.

You didn't state if you were planning to stain it.  If you are staining, consider if the wood is blotchy when stained.

I was assuming that he was talking about the drawer boxes and not the front face.  I never stain the boxes.  I just clear coat them.