Shop cabinet lumber question

[JeffG78]

As for drawer guides, I have used these for a few mobile cabinets. The are really inexpensive (<$5.00/drawer) but Ive had no problems with them. They are very substantial and glide smoothly. They are not really loose like a wheel glides or the BB guides on the CMan tool chests, (You need to apply a bit of force but nothing excessive, maybe they will break in with use.). Only downside I've seen is that the shipping is on par if not more than the slides themselves

http://storesense.megawebservers.com...2370+Series%29

Wow, are those prices per 10 pair? If so, they are incredibly inexpensive. I see what you mean about the shipping though. Even with the high shipping costs, they are 1/2 the price of the box store glides. If the quality is good, they are quite a bargain. Are they only sold in ten packs?

[JimD]

I've never seen clear fir lumber advertised for sale. Clear softwood (multi species) is more expensive than poplar around here, however. Poplar is bad if you get it wet but nice to paint. It can also be stained but I don't think it looks so good clear finished.

#2 is OK for drawers, at least that is what I used. You need to avoid knots with black around them (they are from dead limbs and the knots will come out) and knots on the edge, particularly a narrow piece (because it will be unstable). Small sound knots do not affect the functionality of the piece. I have made raised panel doors from #2 softwood and I saved the pieces with the most knots for the raised panels. I used the more clear stuff for the frames. Using logic like this, you can get good use out of this wood. Appearance is obviously different from "nicer" hardwood but I have used it for furniture and consider it fully adequate for shop stuff.

Plywood is cheaper. I can get 3/4 baltic birch about as cheap per square foot as #2 softwood. Low grade plywood does not machine like solid wood but baltic birch machines very well. MDF does too but it is weak.

The base cabinets in my shop use OSB uprights. I covered the edge - I think OSB is very ugly when cut - but structurally it is only a little weaker than plywood. OSB is much cheaper than plywood. If it does not turn you off visually, it is a reasonable way to go.

Jim

[JeffG78]

Thanks everybody for the comments and help!!!

radhak mentioned that his HD carries fir. I checked several HD's and a Lowe's today and none carry it around here. It must be a regional thing.

At this point, I *think* I am going to stick with the original plans and try to cut back on hardware costs in order to buy more #2 and premium pine for the doors and drawers. I am still open to ideas, but the ShopNotes plan fits my space perfectly and has and is the right balance of storage and workspace. My plan was never to build fancy cabinets, but rather simple, strong workbenches. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I need doors and drawers to keep the dust at bay. I use a shop vac on my TS, but the RAS, router, and miter saw make quite a mess. I like the idea of having all my cased tools and hand tools away from the heavy sawdust. When I look at the shop cabinet material list, the bulk of the cost is in hardware and the MDF for the top and shelves. No matter what design I choose, the top and shelf area will be about the same.

There are certainly differing opinions here about using pine for a project like this and I will seriously study all points of view before I proceed. I look forward to hearing more ideas!

[JimD]

Southern yellow pine will not be your problem in mixed softwoods. It is recognizable by the tendency to have sap at the knots and the strong hard/soft grain pattern. It is quite strong and holds up well. Our computer desk frame is all southern yellow pine dimensional lumber planned down. My shop doors have frames of southern yellow pine dimensional lumber. You need to seal the knots and preferably the whole thing with shellac but otherwise it is nice wood - smells good when you cut it too. There is something else in those piles that is noticably softer and often has blue/grey streaks in it that decays rapidly and is not very strong. I would avoid boards that show the blue/grey for anything other than raised panel or something like that where strength is not critical. Clear softwood saves some time picking around flaws in #2 but when I do not need big pieces, I generally save money and waste time - I go with the #2. Rather than pay the price the big box stores charge for clear softwood, I would visit the hardwood dealer and see if he has some poplar or ash or something like that for around $2/bd foot. I think clear softwood is more than this and if you could get ash or something else you like for an eqivalent price... (ash looks a lot like oak and is sturdy)

Jim