Dovetails with ply and solid

It’s possible you would have issues with swelling, but it probably depends on how deep your drawers are. I considered making drawers like that once, but was really concerned about chip-out of the ply faces when cutting the dovetails.

Dovetailing ply to solid woods usually works fine. Expansion and contraction
of woods usually only causes problems with bigger joints, like very long
tenons.

Make sure the maple is dry though.

I assume we are talking router-cut, half-blind dovetails and baltic birch?

If so, it helps reduce tear-out if you use a marking knife or marking gauge (to define the line across the stock) then do a light scoring cut before you route them.

—Gerry

-- Gerry -- "I don't plan to ever really grow up ... I'm just going to learn how to act in public!"