Drawer Secondary Wood

[FS7]

I use poplar - cheap, no resin, easy to work, few knots.  I haven't had any trouble with it warping.  I usually finish it with shellac to seal it once the drawer is together.

+1 - This is exactly what I do. A light coat of shellac will seal it, and I scrub it with GF orange oil after to take down any dust nibs. On top of that, the drawers still have a wonderful smell when opened, even after years.

I have never tried 1/2" pine, but I have made plenty of drawers with 3/4" clear pine (radiata). The results are the same as the poplar.

For what it's worth, drawers are often terribly overengineered. The first desk I ever built I made about 12 years ago and the drawers were 3/4" knotty pine, finish nailed together, with an MDF bottom. They are still fine.

[Splinter Puller]

Poplar.

I've also used aromatic cedar for dressers which the buyers loved.

I use 1/2" baltic birch plywood for office drawer uses.

[rwe2156]

Any soft wood: pine, poplar, soft maple, cypress.

For cabinets I go with 1/2" ply.  I think you keeping the joinery simple to avoid tearout is paramount.  Lately I've used exposed Dominoes and they really go together fast and look good, too.

BTW, don't poo poo it, you'll be surprised how ok trim head screws and a little filler looks, too.

I gave up machine dt's a long time ago.  On cabinetry its not worth the effort.  On finer furniture they look horrible.  On ply wood there's tear out to deal with.

[MattRadtke]

Whatever is soft and easily available.

I was mid-project one and realized I didn't have any drawer side material.  Oops.  I found was some rustic cherry that was about $1.50 a bf.  Some of the easiest dovetails I've ever cut.  And since this was just drawer sides, I ended up with some rather pretty wood--I was able cut around ever defect.

[SteveS]

For fine furniture I use 1/2" Eastern maple.

For lower end or shop cabinets I use 1/2" Russian birch ply or equivalent.

[handi]

I use poplar but a few years back Home Depot had a special on "white wood" in 4 foot lengths.  No knots, straight and clean.  I used that for the pullouts on my kitchen cabinets.  All blind dadoes.  All still solid after about 14 or 15 years.  I have no idea what "white wood" is exactly.  It cut like pine.  But clear with not even small knots.

Probably alder. My local Lowe’s had it for a few months. It was an AWESOME replacement for poplar at the price of regular pine.

[TRW]

I use mostly poplar and clear pine but have also used 1/2-inch baltic birch and soft maple depending on the quality of the furniture.