dovetailed drawers

[bhen]

I am in the process of building a dresser for a little one on the way and i am having a hard time picking out a wood to dovetail for the drawers. I am going to build a solid box with a oak front. I have heard that baltic birch is a good choice, but I don't want the plywood look and i am afraid of chips and can't find solid 1/2 inch material. I am concerned about a soft wood and lasting long term. i want this to be an herlom. Any suggestions!!!!!!!!!

[cjh20]

I almost always use hard maple for my drawer sides. All of the local hardwood dealers around me carry it in 1/2" stock. If you can't find it locally, there are many places on the Internet that supply hardwoods.

[bhen]

do you put a sealer on the drawers?

[cjh20]

do you put a sealer on the drawers?Today 10:38 AM

I usually just use what ever varnish (polyurethane or lacquer) that I'm applying to the drawer fronts.
One thing to note when you are looking at 1/2" stock is that most dealers quote the price by square foot rather than board foot. It's often much cheaper to buy 5/4 stock and resaw (if that's an option for you).

[Bob D.]

Shellac makes a good sealer for drawer interiors that leaves no oder once dry, and it dries quickly. Poly will smell for a couple days or more, and anything you put in there will pick up the smell from the fumes.

[Bob R]

Another option if you have trouble finding the wood, is to get 1/2" poplar at one of the big boxes. They are normally precut into 2-4' lengths and 1-4" wide.

You might also try water-based poly as an option for finishing inside the drawers. It doesn't retain the smell for a long period like oil based poly.

Bob R