I'm making a drawer unit with a pine dust frame and a poplar face frame. How differently do the two woods move seasonally? Can I glue the entire mating edge or should I leave the ends free? The climate here varies from mostly low humidity in the summer to very high in the winter.
The question (I think) isn't really about the differential in the woods but rather that both woods are running their grain in the same direction. I have to admit that I'm unfamiliar with "dust frame" so I can't give a direct answer.
IF the dust frame is like the toe kick then as it runs across the front FF you have no worry as the bottom rail of the FF and the dust frame are ong grain on long gran and most of the movement is cross grain so I don't see a problem.
However, If I have this right, then I assume on the sides, the dust frame is running across the side panel, then regardless of different or same woods, you need to account for the movement in the panel width.
I could be way off base here but I am still reeling a bit from the Texan thing about leading a horse to water and the image of that second guy sucking.
Neither will give you problems, unless you use fresh construction grade lumber immediately versus letting it drop moisture prior to use.
How wide is the face frame and what will be the grain situation where they join? If you don't have a cross grain situation, and any likely expansion/contraction will be in the same direction, you will most likely not have a problem. Even then, if the face frame is narrow, say 1 1/2" or so, you will probably still be OK.
FWIW, and not that it matters for your project, but I have had better luck over the long haul making dust frames (rails, stiles, panels).entirely out of a good grade of plywood, instead of solid wood. Although I've had to edge them a time or two, it was less expensive and provided better dimensional stability.
Thanks for the responses so far.
This drawer unit is going under a cantilevered hearth that is about 10" from the floor. There will be three drawers side-by-side about 17" by 15" and about 7" deep. The dust frame is made of 1X4 pine ripped from wider boards and the face frame is 1X2 poplar. They will be joined long-grain to long-grain. I'm debating whether to rabbet both pieces or just edge-glue and pocket screw the dust frame to the face frame. Any thoughts?
I wanted to make the dust frame out of plywood for stability but the store only had some crappy stuff that was pretty beat up and not very straight. The pine, on the other hand, was VERY straight. Unusually so for pine.
Edge glue all you need, long to long. Float the ends.
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