Drawer front suggestions needed

[ironhat]

A friend with a gaggle of kids (or is that a covey?) has remodeled his attic into a dormitory for his three sons and is making built-ins for most of the furniture witch will be drawers, for the most part. I have suggested soft maple, birch or poplar for the face trim (he's pricing it out) but balked when I suggested birch ply drawer fronts with the edged trimmed in solid wood strips. He hasn't decided on whether these will be false fronts or the actual drawer fronts but for the sake of economy. I've suggested that the later would be most cost effective. There also ought to be a simple edge dressing that could be added to these trim strips to dress up the fronts. I'll have to explore Brian's inventory or even my large box of mostly-never-to-be-used bits-for-$69 (or whatever I paid).
TIA,
Chiz

[cabinetman]

IMO drawer fronts for kids drawers would be better if they were an added front to the drawer box, in case they needed to be repaired. A solid wood edging on plywood doesn't have to be very thick, could be 1/8". As for a face decoration an applied moulding could be added.



A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER - John Keats

[ironhat]

Thanks, cman. Hae you seen the popular edge treatment which looks like a small recessed bead close to the drawer/ door front and then, another 1/4"w x 1/4"h flat above that (I wish I could use that CADware)? I wonder if that's a premilled piece or if it could be homebrewed. I don't see a cutter profile like that on Holbren or B&B. Is that as clear as mud for you?Later,
Chiz

[Papa]

Plywood drawer fronts.

Ironhat,

The beaded edgebanding you described is called "cockbeading." It turns a plywood drawer front into something elegant.

Shopsmith Vol. 19/No. 114 has step-by-step directions on how to make it on a router table (the Buffet Server article). I recently made some from cherry scraps to edge birch plywood drawer fronts and was very pleased with the results (sorry-I can't post photos). I'll never throw away hardwood scraps again.

Papa

[cabinetman]

I have an idea that might help you decide how to do the edge. Maybe something similar to this.



A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER - John Keats

[JimD]

Baltic birch plywood looks pretty good without edging because it doesn't have voids like more typical plywood. You can also route an edge on it like solid wood. I use it for drawers I dovetail togther. It is much less than solid wood where I live, only a bit more than more typical plywood.

Jim

[ironhat]

I suggested the Baltic Birch to him but he thinks that it will resemble the 1960's cabinets that he grew up with. C.man, I'll suggest that one to him - I like it but he says that he's thinking something 'clean'. I guess I have a different definition of 'clean' than he does. Hey, PaPa, I'm glad to hear that it has a name. I'll ;ook up that issue and maybe I'll be able to cut that myself. I love that look but so far he hasn't liked anything I've offered but he doesn't have any suggestions of his own. Maybe he's too overwhelmed with the choices.
Thanks, all!
Chiz

[crokett]

Chiz,

Make a few samples to show him the options. If it is going to be painted, the baltic birch with a routered edge looks just fine.

[ironhat]

You read my mind regarding samples but this is a stain and Danish Oil finish. He just called and said that there were a couple of things that he had do get done besides this before the baby arrives in two weeks. Since I'm on the road the following weekend that pushes us out two more weeks. I might actually have time to work on my own project.

Chiz