I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions on
what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer not
the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
Jim
www.woodblog.com
Nova <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> With the exception of shellac, the smell of the carrier lingers for a long
> time attaching to anything stored in the drawer.
I've used "lemon oil" (actually made from lemongrass) for inside
drawers. Smelly, but pleasantly so.
Generally I use shellac though.
On 09 Jul 2004 15:41:19 EDT, "Jim Sharman" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions on
>what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer not
>the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
>and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
Speaking less as a woodworker and more as an ex-commercial cook, I
would recommend plywood material for the boxes because of the greater
stability it offers. I assume you will be using ball-bearing drawer
slides, there is no wear issue from the edge of the plywood on solid
wood. I would also seal them very well, either with shellac or even
with thinned poly. Sometimes it is nice to be able to really *wash*
the inside of a drawer - like after you have just knocked over a
gallon of syrup, half of which ran down the front of your cabinets and
into the drawers. (don't ask)
Make them solid, with good fitting bottoms so that they continue to
work well for many years and you won't be sorry.
Tim Douglass wrote:
> On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 17:40:05 GMT, Phisherman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I'm curious, where does the "no finish at all" on the inside of
> drawers come from? I suspect that insides weren't finished in the past
> because of cost, but it really doesn't add much to the cost and makes
> the drawers much more useful.
>
> Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
> the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
With the exception of shellac, the smell of the carrier lingers for a long
time attaching to anything stored in the drawer.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)
Tim Douglass wrote:
>
> On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 21:40:56 -0400, Nova <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >Tim Douglass wrote:
> >
> >> On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 17:40:05 GMT, Phisherman <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> I'm curious, where does the "no finish at all" on the inside of
> >> drawers come from? I suspect that insides weren't finished in the past
> >> because of cost, but it really doesn't add much to the cost and makes
> >> the drawers much more useful.
> >>
> >> Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
> >> the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
> >
> >With the exception of shellac, the smell of the carrier lingers for a long
> >time attaching to anything stored in the drawer.
>
> I'd sort of forgotten about lingering odor - more of a problem if you
> are going to be storing clothes than for kitchen utensils. I guess it
> takes me so long to finish anything that by the time I actually get it
> to the point where I'm putting stuff in it any fumes are long gone.
>
> Tim Douglass
>
> http://www.DouglassClan.com
Drawers in some old furniture and cabinets have no finish except for
the false front. Lack of finish probably results from money savings,
skill in smoothing wood, and use of wood without defects or species
and cuts that don't warp easily. Look at any production furniture and
you find that very little of the hidden part of a furniture is
finished. When I looked at oak dining tables, about the only thing
with a finish was top surface and the observable outside. When I
bought an unfinished oak table, I finished every surface I could
reach. Didn't take much material or extra time since I didn't sand
the normally hidden parts. Putting finish on one surface, especially
large surfaces of a table is a guaranteed board-warper. May take a
while but eventually.....
Lots of modern kitchen cabinets are mostly plywood and often have
little finish except on the outside. Lack of finish is "tacky" in
more than one sense of the word. On absolutely straight grained
quarter sawn, dense, beautifully colored wood lack of finish might be
acceptable, but most of us either can't find or can't afford such
wood.
Finish every surface, except maybe direct contact sliding surfaces and
put an oil finish on those is my motto.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
> I finish inside drawers...
I try to always finish with drawers off ...
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/15/04
"Tim Douglass" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
> the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
Besides the lingering smell of the product used for the finish, I like the
look and contrast of the finished and unfinished wood. I have had some
women mention that they did not want their clothing to smell like the finish
used inside of a drawer. I generally leave the inner 5 surfaces of a drawer
box unfinished.
>
> Tim Douglass
>
> http://www.DouglassClan.com
On 09 Jul 2004 15:41:19 EDT, "Jim Sharman" <[email protected]>
wrote:
|I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions on
|what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer not
|the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
|and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
I'm using poplar for the sides and Baltic birch ply for the bottoms in
the bath vanity I have under construction at the moment. I haven't
tried maple plywood, but I have tried Baltic birch and there is no way
that I can cut dovetails in the stuff without chipout or outright
delamination. (Any tips on doing this appreciated)
I plan to use several coats of Enduro clear WB poly with the final
coat souped up with crosslinking additive. Too many wet things and
stuff like polish remover to use anything less bulletproof, I think.
The next project is the kitchen and I plan to do the same unless I
learn some new tricks. (Always a distinct possibility)
Wes
Use mellamine covered 1/4 inch for the bottoms goes a long way.
Jack
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Tim Douglass" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
> > the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
> >
>
> I know that I'd want to be able to clean out my kitchen drawers with a damp
> rag or cleaning solution. Bare wood does not take that very well. If you
> make them early in the project the lingering odor would be long gone before
> installation.
> Ed
Thanks; it is still evolving.
--
Alan Bierbaum
Web Site: http://www.calanb.com
"A Dubya" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hey Alan,
>
> ...nice website you have there...
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> aw
>
>
I like solid 1/2" maple with dovetail joints. Seal the wood with poly,
lacquer or shellac. You can use melamine bottoms to have a cleanable
drawer. Baltic birch ply also works well if you don't mind the plywood
look.
--
Alan Bierbaum
Web Site: http://www.calanb.com
"Jim Sharman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions
on
> what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer
not
> the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
> and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
>
> Jim
> www.woodblog.com
>
>
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > I finish inside drawers...
>
> I try to always finish with drawers off ...
Well that is kinda kinky... LOL
"Tim Douglass" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
> the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
>
I know that I'd want to be able to clean out my kitchen drawers with a damp
rag or cleaning solution. Bare wood does not take that very well. If you
make them early in the project the lingering odor would be long gone before
installation.
Ed
On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 11:59:51 -0400, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
|I used a slow climb cut on front.
Don't have that option when the pins are the width of the DT bit. It's
a straight thru pass.
BTW, I have read the D4 manual and realize that it states that you
should forget about dovetailing plywood. But who believes the manual.
[g]
Wes
|
|On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 16:57:23 +0000, Wes Stewart <*n7ws*@arrl.net>
|wrote:
|
|>Good to know. I have a D4 and brand new Whiteside bits. A backer
|>board usually handles the chipout on the back side but I had some
|>problems on the front (entry) side when doing the tails.
Thanks to everyone for the replies. Not sure what I will do yet but you
have given me a lot of information to think about. Thanks again.
Jim
web site: www.woodblog.com
"Jim Sharman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions
on
> what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer
not
> the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
> and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
>
> Jim
> www.woodblog.com
>
>
On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 08:47:46 -0400, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
|Used a Keller jig and bits for 1/2" BB. I used backer of ply and the
|drawer stock was no chips.
Good to know. I have a D4 and brand new Whiteside bits. A backer
board usually handles the chipout on the back side but I had some
problems on the front (entry) side when doing the tails.
I've had the surface lamination actually tear off, similar to planing
the endgrain of a stick and having the edge split off.
I know of two local sources for BB, one about 50% higher priced, maybe
I'm getting what I pay for at the lowball source.
Wes
On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 17:40:05 GMT, Phisherman <[email protected]> wrote:
>This is a personal choice. I like solid wood for drawer sides and
>back with ply on the bottom. A secondary wood such as pine or poplar
>is suitable. A spit shellac finish (dilute with equal amount of
>alcohol) for the inside of drawers is what I'd use, or no finish at
>all.
I'm curious, where does the "no finish at all" on the inside of
drawers come from? I suspect that insides weren't finished in the past
because of cost, but it really doesn't add much to the cost and makes
the drawers much more useful.
Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
Tim Douglass
http://www.DouglassClan.com
Used a Keller jig and bits for 1/2" BB. I used backer of ply and the
drawer stock was no chips.
On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 14:33:53 -0700, Wes <n7ws@_yahoo.com> wrote:
>I'm using poplar for the sides and Baltic birch ply for the bottoms in
>the bath vanity I have under construction at the moment. I haven't
>tried maple plywood, but I have tried Baltic birch and there is no way
>that I can cut dovetails in the stuff without chipout or outright
>delamination. (Any tips on doing this appreciated)
On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 15:53:00 -0700, Tim Douglass
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 17:40:05 GMT, Phisherman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>This is a personal choice. I like solid wood for drawer sides and
>>back with ply on the bottom. A secondary wood such as pine or poplar
>>is suitable. A spit shellac finish (dilute with equal amount of
>>alcohol) for the inside of drawers is what I'd use, or no finish at
>>all.
>
>I'm curious, where does the "no finish at all" on the inside of
>drawers come from? I suspect that insides weren't finished in the past
>because of cost, but it really doesn't add much to the cost and makes
>the drawers much more useful.
>
>Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
>the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
>
>Tim Douglass
>
>http://www.DouglassClan.com
I finish inside drawers....
"Jim Sharman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions
on
> what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer
not
> the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
> and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
>
> Jim
> www.woodblog.com
Solid wood looks the best but if you go with a plywood I get great mileage
using BALTIC BIRCH. This plywood is all Birch and has more ply's.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> ya know, when it's hot in the shop and I'm out there alone I often do
> lose the drawers. spraying finishes is one of the processes where I
> *wouldn't* want to do that....
Ok, you could have kept that to your self... ;~)
Swingman wrote:
>
> Glad you got the joke ... hmmm, wonder if there is a binary group for that?
>
Yes, there is.
I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
--
Mark
N.E. Ohio
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice
there is.
Never argue with a fool, a bystander can't tell you apart. (S. Clemens, A.K.A.
Mark Twain)
When in doubt hit the throttle. It may not help but it sure ends the suspense.
(Gaz, r.moto)
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Tim Douglass" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>
>>Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
>>the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
>>
>
>
> I know that I'd want to be able to clean out my kitchen drawers with a damp
> rag or cleaning solution. Bare wood does not take that very well. If you
> make them early in the project the lingering odor would be long gone before
> installation.
> Ed
Inside a kitchen drawer? One of the places I would consider once again using
Minwax gloss, that thick heavy plastic crap.
Set the drawers in front of fans to help them harden between coats. I've noticed
the lingering stink comes from earlier coats out gassing through later coats.
In a production situation this is unrealistic. As a DIY let's be real. You
wouldn't be building your own if ultimate speed was that important.
Then as you say, giving it a wipe with a damp rag .... Hell, giving them a scrub
with a brush. Little bits of festering food are one thing, as has been said,
suffer a big boff of syrup and you'll wish they could be hosed, or at least
washed in the sink.
--
Mark
N.E. Ohio
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice
there is.
Never argue with a fool, a bystander can't tell you apart. (S. Clemens, A.K.A.
Mark Twain)
When in doubt hit the throttle. It may not help but it sure ends the suspense.
(Gaz, r.moto)
"Leon" wrote in message
>
> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > > I finish inside drawers...
> >
> > I try to always finish with drawers off ...
>
> Well that is kinda kinky... LOL
Glad you got the joke ... hmmm, wonder if there is a binary group for that?
;>)
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/15/04
"Jim Sharman" wrote in message
> I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions
on
> what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer
not
> the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
> and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
Plywood works nicely, but the look and appeal of hardwood drawers is hard to
beat, IMO.
Maple is an excellent drawer wood, and poplar works well also if you stay
away from the multi-hued heartwood.
Many folks prefer to leave their drawers unfinished on the inside ... I
personally prefer to use a few coats of shellac on mine. The choice is
yours.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/15/04
Blum has a realy nice slide with a built in side (metabox)....
http://tinyurl.com/25eax
I found some replica at Lee valley that are realy affortable...
http://tinyurl.com/yu7g9
These make some nice, sturdy easy to clean drawers (my wife loves ours)
--
Christian Charette
"Jim Sharman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions
on
> what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer
not
> the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
> and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
>
> Jim
> www.woodblog.com
>
>
On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 19:26:45 GMT, "Leon"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> > I finish inside drawers...
>>
>> I try to always finish with drawers off ...
>
>Well that is kinda kinky... LOL
>
ya know, when it's hot in the shop and I'm out there alone I often do
lose the drawers. spraying finishes is one of the processes where I
*wouldn't* want to do that....
On 09 Jul 2004 15:41:19 EDT, "Jim Sharman" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I am building a cherry island for our kitchen and am looking for opinions on
>what kind of material I should use for the actual box part of the drawer not
>the drawer fronts. Should I go with 1/2 inch maple plywood or solid wood
>and what if any kind of finish should I apply to the inside?
>
>Jim
>www.woodblog.com
>
This is a personal choice. I like solid wood for drawer sides and
back with ply on the bottom. A secondary wood such as pine or poplar
is suitable. A spit shellac finish (dilute with equal amount of
alcohol) for the inside of drawers is what I'd use, or no finish at
all.
On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 21:40:56 -0400, Nova <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Tim Douglass wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 17:40:05 GMT, Phisherman <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> I'm curious, where does the "no finish at all" on the inside of
>> drawers come from? I suspect that insides weren't finished in the past
>> because of cost, but it really doesn't add much to the cost and makes
>> the drawers much more useful.
>>
>> Can anyone offer any sort of practical reason why you might not finish
>> the inside of a drawer other than to save work/finish?
>
>With the exception of shellac, the smell of the carrier lingers for a long
>time attaching to anything stored in the drawer.
I'd sort of forgotten about lingering odor - more of a problem if you
are going to be storing clothes than for kitchen utensils. I guess it
takes me so long to finish anything that by the time I actually get it
to the point where I'm putting stuff in it any fumes are long gone.
Tim Douglass
http://www.DouglassClan.com
Swingman wrote:
> "Leon" wrote in message ...
>
>><[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>ya know, when it's hot in the shop and I'm out there alone I often do
>>>lose the drawers. spraying finishes is one of the processes where I
>>>*wouldn't* want to do that....
>>
>>
>>Ok, you could have kept that to your self... ;~)
>
>
> We can hope/pray that there is no associated binary group.
>
Probably has his own clandestine site with streaming video.
--
Mark
N.E. Ohio
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice
there is.
Never argue with a fool, a bystander can't tell you apart. (S. Clemens, A.K.A.
Mark Twain)
When in doubt hit the throttle. It may not help but it sure ends the suspense.
(Gaz, r.moto)
Swingman wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>
>>I finish inside drawers...
>
>
> I try to always finish with drawers off ...
It was only a matter of time.
--
Mark
N.E. Ohio
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice
there is.
Never argue with a fool, a bystander can't tell you apart. (S. Clemens, A.K.A.
Mark Twain)
When in doubt hit the throttle. It may not help but it sure ends the suspense.
(Gaz, r.moto)
"Leon" wrote in message ...
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > ya know, when it's hot in the shop and I'm out there alone I often do
> > lose the drawers. spraying finishes is one of the processes where I
> > *wouldn't* want to do that....
>
>
> Ok, you could have kept that to your self... ;~)
We can hope/pray that there is no associated binary group.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/10/04