Secondary wood use

Depends on your taste, actually. I use Baltic/Russian/cabply for my drawer bottoms, and depending on the piece, for shelves, etc.

Are you going to be leaving the drawers empty and open for all to see? If so, then buy the Baltic/Russian/cabply and put some kind of colored finish or stain on it.

Oh yeah... if you really want some help maknig up your mind, take a look at the price of a sheet of 3/4" cherry solid core plywood. Here in South Texas it is about $100 a sheet.

Robert

Matter of opinion and personal preference. Is your house furnished with IKEA stuff or antique Chippendale pieces? It comes down to practicality versus cost. Most people will never see the drawer box. Chances are, you will rarely see it yourself as drawers are no usually left hanging open. There is no reason you can't use cheaper materials, but there is no reason not to use it as a bragging point when you show off your finished piece to friends.

I wouldn't disagree.

Although for an "end table" you're quite possibly using some big pieces of cherry to make the top and main carcase, then fitting one small drawer to it. The drawer box might just not be that much timber in addition.

For one thing, it contrasts with the timber of the drawer front, which may highlight nice joinery there. That's a fairly modern view, but not unreasonable.

Personally I like to use maple for drawer runners, as a wear issue. If this means making the whole drawer sides from maple, then so be it. Maple is one of those timbers (especially UK grades) where much of it's only fit for secondary wood anyway, so it's not as if I'm losing fine timber.

Thanks for confirming what I thought. My lumber supplier only sells full sheets, so I can eliminate one. And the rest of the drawer eliminates a few board feet of solid wood. Then there's my long view ecological side that says the supply of cherry is dwindling, so why use it when it isn't necessary. As far as bragging rights, this will be my first furniture piece (everything has been built-ins and cabinets so far) so just getting it done in a satisfactory manner will be adequate bragging for now.

Thanks,

Maple's good for that, but around here birch is cheaper and just as suitable.

I like birch, especially where heart and sap wood are combined. I've built two desks out of it.

I don't think so. I often use whatever odds and ends are laying around, since I don't leave drawers sticking out when I'm not using them! The last drawer I made was out of 1/2 standard pine ply from Menards, and no one has said boo about it yet- the outside of the table was good maple, and that's what you see when you look at it.

Of course, YMMV.