Kitchen Cabinet Drawer Box Material?

[Mike Goetzke]

First off yahooooo I just top coated my last of 65 raised panel doors/end panels/drawer fronts for our kitchen! Now I need to make the drawer boxes. I have full extension undermount sildes so want to have dovetail joints (1/2 blind) front and back. I have the newer model P-C Omni jig that is just waiting for this job.

Now for the question - material. I have done some hunting and even found survey results on other forums and it's about 50/50 between baltic birch and maple/poplar. Maybe I'm getting lazy but for simplicity I would like to use BB because I can simply/quickly rip to width with EZ tools. If I use solid wood there is selection and milling. With the DT's I have heard you need to do a reverse/climb cut to prevent tear-out with BB.

Any suggestions & experience welcome.

Mike

[Burt]

Mike,

'Don't have any info worth sharing on this one. I find dove tails to take to long to be worth while for me in a commerical setting. I either use a box joint or just a plain butt joint with pocket screws.

Clarification on the box joint - I am referring to those made with a router bit designed for the joint - not the finger joint.

Burt

[toollovingschultz]

burt did you mean a drawer lock bit like this ?

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-99-240-2.../dp/B00004T7MM

Andy

[Burt]

Originally Posted by toollovingschultz

burt did you mean a drawer lock bit like this ?

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-99-240-2.../dp/B00004T7MM

Andy

Andy,

You got it.

I think we're caught again on terms Mfgs use to describe their bits.


Burt

[toollovingschultz]

Originally Posted by Burt

Andy,

You got it.

I think we're caught again on terms Mfgs use to describe their bits.


Burt

Burt not trying to correct terminology just thought a picture was woeth a thousand words or so the saying goes that is why I posted the link.
Andy

[Burt]

Originally Posted by toollovingschultz

Burt not trying to correct terminology just thought a picture was woeth a thousand words or so the saying goes that is why I posted the link.
Andy

Andy,

No problem at all. With the photo, it should be very clear.


Burt

[Brian Kincaid]

With all the work you have already put it go for maple. They are more difficult but the dovetails will look great.

I have used poplar and while it milled well I feel it is a paint-grade wood.

Although I have seen quite a bit of furniture with plywood dovetails I don't like it. If I were to make drawers with only ply I would probably go with pocket holes for simplicity.

-Brian

[Burt]

Originally Posted by Brian Kincaid

With all the work you have already put it go for maple. They are more difficult but the dovetails will look great.

I have used poplar and while it milled well I feel it is a paint-grade wood.

Although I have seen quite a bit of furniture with plywood dovetails I don't like it. If I were to make drawers with only ply I would probably go with pocket holes for simplicity.

-Brian

Brian,

Let me add one other consideration. The Baltic birch will be far more stable than the maple. I have seen maple move and create problems.


Burt

[Dennis H.]

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm wondering about that drawer lock bit. Can you use that bit with the SSRK? I'm farily new to routing and when I see a "router table only" type bit, I always wonder if I could use it with the SSRK. So far I've only routed rabbets and some grooves.
thanks,
-d