mm

miey

22/02/2005 5:23 PM

Is this imported "Baltic Birch" suitable for dovetail drawers???

Comments welcome.


This topic has 15 replies

MM

"Mike"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 9:51 AM


Wes Stewart wrote:
> On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:23:49 GMT, miey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Comments welcome.
>
> I don't know what "this Baltic Birch" you refer to, but my admittedly
> limited experience says no.
>
> The usual tearout problem with solid stock is blowout when the
> dovetail bit exits the work piece. That can be mitigated with a
> backer board.
>
> What I've seen with the plywood is tearout on the front side when the
> bit enters the work and grabs and tears the face lamination.
>
> All of this assumes, of course that you are routing the DTs.

I had some very recent experience with this material and my dovetail
jig. Even using backer boards front and back did not solve the problem.
In the end I used finger, or box, joints cut with my dado set on the
table saw. While it worked well I still had some de-lamination on
assembly. I had to adjust the joint making it less tight.

Good luck. Mike

mm

"mp"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 2:51 PM

> I would never cut plywood with one of my LN Independence back saws.
> :-)

Just as well as it would be rather tricky attach to it to the router.

Td

"TeamCasa"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 9:51 AM

"miey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Comments welcome.

If properly cut, Baltic Birch can be used.
You will experience some tearout if you cut the BB with a machine (router).
Scoring the cutlines and using a scrap piece as a backing will help.

Dave



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Jeff Cooper

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 11:51 AM

Wes Stewart wrote:
> On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:23:49 GMT, miey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Comments welcome.
>
>
> I don't know what "this Baltic Birch" you refer to, but my admittedly
> limited experience says no.
>
> The usual tearout problem with solid stock is blowout when the
> dovetail bit exits the work piece. That can be mitigated with a
> backer board.
>
> What I've seen with the plywood is tearout on the front side when the
> bit enters the work and grabs and tears the face lamination.
>
> All of this assumes, of course that you are routing the DTs.
>

That has been my experince too with trying to route dovetails into 1/2"
baltic birch. I ended up using a 45 degree drawer lock bit like:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30119&cat=1,46168,46174

That provided a decent surface for gluing and seems reasonably strong.
Dovetails would look nicer, but for simple drawers where appearance
isn't a major concern, this works.

Jeff

Gg

"George"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 6:19 PM


"Mike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>

> In the end I used finger, or box, joints cut with my dado set on the
> table saw. While it worked well I still had some de-lamination on
> assembly. I had to adjust the joint making it less tight.
>

With applied front, this is the way to go, IMO. Use of a nice spiral bit
and a router jig will give clean cuts.

You have compared prices of this stuff with other good secondary solid woods
in your area? I can get basswood for a song, so that's my preference.

LH

"Lowell Holmes"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 11:59 PM


">
> I had similar thoughts. But I have had pretty good success with
> dovetails in BB using an inexpensive Japanese DT saw. Chiseling the
> waste is "interesting" with the grain changes between layers.
>
> Interesting effect for drawers in shop furniture, but not something
> I'd put in the living room and certainly not something SWMBO would
> allow outside the shop.
>
> --
> Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked
> infrequently.

Well, now you've got me to thinking a bit more about it. I could use an old
Stanley dovetails saw I have and use a coping saw to waste out the rails and
pins. A sharp chisel would do a credible job of dressing up the bb. It
wouldn't be a "Williamsburg" quality joint, but a nice challenge.

So much of the Baltic Birch I've seen lately has lamination problems, I sure
wouldn't spend much money trying to do it. I think planing some white wood
from the borg will make better drawer sides. As far as that goes, some of
the fingerjoint drawer side material from McCoy's or Sutherlands makes
pretty nice looking dovetails and it's already 3/8" thick.

an

alexy

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 5:46 PM

"Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Dick Snyder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>I forgot to include the following piece of advice that I received from this
>>newsgroup before I built my drawers.
>>
>> Before running the router from left to right to make the cuts, first run
>> it lightly from right to left. This helped eliminate a lot of the tear
>> out.
>>
>> "miey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> Comments welcome.
>>
>>
>
>I would never cut plywood with one of my LN Independence back saws.
>:-)

I had similar thoughts. But I have had pretty good success with
dovetails in BB using an inexpensive Japanese DT saw. Chiseling the
waste is "interesting" with the grain changes between layers.

Interesting effect for drawers in shop furniture, but not something
I'd put in the living room and certainly not something SWMBO would
allow outside the shop.

--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.

DS

"Dick Snyder"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 2:35 PM

I just finished making 6 drawers using 1/2" baltic birch. I did get a small
amount of tear out but it was minor and the drawers came out nice and tight.
I was NOT trying to make a piece where the dovetails show other than when
the drawers pull out however.

"miey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Comments welcome.

UA

Unisaw A100

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 10:34 PM

miey wrote:
>Comments welcome.


If you are speaking of "Classic Birch" as sold by Home Depot
the answer would be no/not really/Your Mileage May Vary.

For shop cabinets though it's way nice.

UA100

WS

Wes Stewart

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 10:40 AM

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:23:49 GMT, miey <[email protected]> wrote:

>Comments welcome.

I don't know what "this Baltic Birch" you refer to, but my admittedly
limited experience says no.

The usual tearout problem with solid stock is blowout when the
dovetail bit exits the work piece. That can be mitigated with a
backer board.

What I've seen with the plywood is tearout on the front side when the
bit enters the work and grabs and tears the face lamination.

All of this assumes, of course that you are routing the DTs.

LH

"Lowell Holmes"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 10:05 PM


"Dick Snyder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I forgot to include the following piece of advice that I received from this
>newsgroup before I built my drawers.
>
> Before running the router from left to right to make the cuts, first run
> it lightly from right to left. This helped eliminate a lot of the tear
> out.
>
> "miey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Comments welcome.
>
>

I would never cut plywood with one of my LN Independence back saws.
:-)

WS

Wes Stewart

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 6:37 PM

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 11:51:17 -0600, Jeff Cooper <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Wes Stewart wrote:
>> On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:23:49 GMT, miey <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Comments welcome.
>>
>>
>> I don't know what "this Baltic Birch" you refer to, but my admittedly
>> limited experience says no.
>>
>> The usual tearout problem with solid stock is blowout when the
>> dovetail bit exits the work piece. That can be mitigated with a
>> backer board.
>>
>> What I've seen with the plywood is tearout on the front side when the
>> bit enters the work and grabs and tears the face lamination.
>>
>> All of this assumes, of course that you are routing the DTs.
>>
>
>That has been my experince too with trying to route dovetails into 1/2"
>baltic birch. I ended up using a 45 degree drawer lock bit like:
>http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30119&cat=1,46168,46174
>
>That provided a decent surface for gluing and seems reasonably strong.
>Dovetails would look nicer, but for simple drawers where appearance
>isn't a major concern, this works.

I wanted appearance, so I gave up and did the right thing and used
poplar. [g]

Wes

LH

"Lowell Holmes"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 9:20 PM

I've used it for such, but I prefer soft maple for drawer sides. At
$2-$3/board foot, it doesn't cost much and it finishes really nice.
"miey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Comments welcome.

nn

nospambob

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 11:55 AM

I used 1/2" BB for drawers using a baccker board for DT joints and had
no problems. Slow climb cut entry then usual speed with router.

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:23:49 GMT, miey <[email protected]> wrote:

>Comments welcome.

DS

"Dick Snyder"

in reply to miey on 22/02/2005 5:23 PM

22/02/2005 4:58 PM

I forgot to include the following piece of advice that I received from this
newsgroup before I built my drawers.

Before running the router from left to right to make the cuts, first run it
lightly from right to left. This helped eliminate a lot of the tear out.

"miey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Comments welcome.


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