# Solid Wood OK for Dresser? (vs. Veneered Plywood)



## DerekJ (Dec 21, 2015)

Good evening! It's been a long time since I've posted anything here as I've been on a woodworking hiatus as of late. With our first baby on the way, I've been tasked with building a dresser for the nursery. She wants the dresser to be walnut.

*My question is whether or not you would have concerns using solid walnut for the sides, top and bottom of this dresser?* In an ideal world, I think the "right" thing to do is use 3/4" walnut ply for the cabinet but I don't have any and am not comfortable applying edge banding to finish the faces (and that stuff is $$$, wow!). Plus, I have a lot of leftover walnut from a too good to pass up deal (<$2/bdft).

My plan would be to glue up a two 18"x50" panels for the top and bottom and two 18"x31.5" panels for the sides. I don't have the desire to learn dovetailing at this time, so I plan to join them using a simple overlap rabbet and either dowel it with an accent wood, or spline it with an accent wood.

I've had some issues with wood movement in the past (Nebraska) but that was due to poor practices as much as environment. So, would you guys have any strength, movement or longevity concerns with building this cabinet out of solid wood?

Thanks in advance! I'm looking forward to getting back at it in my garage!


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## MikeDilday (Feb 21, 2017)

I don't understand your concern about the price of banding walnut if you are leaning to building the whole thing out of walnut. Solid wood will give you a much better appearance. If you are making it with a face frame the bottom is not structural. I normally build it with solid wood joined to make the larger panels. A face frame and spanners across the back at the top and bottom wide enough to make it rigid. The bottom and back are covered with 1/4" plywood. You can use plywood for the top and sides but it would need to be banded for appearance.

The dresser I build for my grandson I used solid oak and pocket screws.


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## GT350 (Dec 22, 2012)

I do most of mine with solid wood but I do watch out for cross grain. I usually will make wood slides and dado them into the sides, I glue the fronts and backs of those frames, use mortise and tenons but leave a gap in the back tenon and don't glue that one so the sides can expand and contract. I don't glue the frames to the sides and using this technique I have never had a problem. I don't like working with plywood.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Most definitely solid wood is OK. If fact I prefer it to plywood. Like said, just watch the cross grain and allow for movement.

Do you have a plan? If you have a plan or a drawing and information on the the base, top and if you are going to use dust frames or metal slides the guys here can help you with the cross grain construction parts.








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This book is an excellent guide to chest of drawer.

https://books.google.com/books?id=9r8oqhL4qd0C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false


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## laterthanuthink (Jan 17, 2018)

That's a great question. For the first time ever, I have been negatively affected by wood movement. I thought all the warnings were overblown until I finally got bit. It's on the sides of a dresser that I made. I've never had an issue with the top or drawer faces. But the sides of a beautiful birch shaker style dresser, which I normally would have used a plywood veneer for the sides, I used glued up panels of solid wood. Every Minnesota winter, those dresser sides cup and pinch my drawers shut. In the summer everything flattens out again. I have remedied the situation somewhat by adding heavy bracing where I could inside the dresser box that reduces the cupping. I'm actually glad it happened to me. I feel like more of a woodworker now and understand all the concern shared with me by more advanced woodworkers. I learned something important. With better design like the dresser pictured in Alaska Guys post above, with the bottom of the sides held together just like the top, may be all that's needed. My dresser has an open bottom.


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

Definitely use solid wood rather than plywood. You just need to make sure that the grain in the four sides of the carcass runs the same way (the four sides, not including the front and the back). The back needs shiplap, tongue and groove or frame and panel construction. If the drawers slide on divider frames they need to be put in grooves in the sides and only glued in the front. A great short article that explains the techniques: https://www.finewoodworking.com/fwnpdffree/011163036.pdf


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

jdh122 link is a perfect example of how to do a chest of drawer use dust frames.


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

In my opinion, using plywood top, sides and front makes it look like factory work, or cheaper looking. I use solid woods myself. If you want quick and easy, I guess you want plywood. For a richer and more appealing, then you want solid wood.


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## BlueRidgeDog (Jan 2, 2019)

I would only use solid wood, as otherwise you could just buy a piece of factory furniture.

I have a blog going on a dresser that is almost done:

https://www.lumberjocks.com/BlueRidgeDog/blog/129196

I would recommend the sides feature a floating panel so you could glue the drawer webs all round. Good luck.


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## DerekJ (Dec 21, 2015)

Thanks for all the feedback! This is the style she wants, so I'll be working with it as my guide.

I planned to use metal slides to make it easier to open and close - but am open to other options if people think they are better.

I've never built a dresser - or anything with drawers - before, so have apt of reading to do to get comfortable and understand the requirements to be successful.


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## DerekJ (Dec 21, 2015)

> I don t understand your concern about the price of banding walnut if you are leaning to building the whole thing out of walnut.


Mike, rereading my post I realize I made it sound like the edge banding was expensive… I was actually talking about the plywood. Sorry about that!


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Congratulations on the addition to your family. Solid wood is great, but you have to deal with wood movement. If that is a big concern, I would go with plywood, but since you have a lot of walnut at your disposal, then it goes without saying.
Looking back at the picture of the dresser you wish to copy; are you going to paint or leave the walnut natural? If you intend to paint, then it would be a shame to use walnut. In that case, I would opt for a less expensive wood (poplar for example) or plywood or a combination of wood/plywood. That is just what *I *would do.


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## DerekJ (Dec 21, 2015)

> Congratulations on the addition to your family. Solid wood is great, but you have to deal with wood movement. If that is a big concern, I would go with plywood, but since you have a lot of walnut at your disposal, then it goes without saying.
> Looking back at the picture of the dresser you wish to copy; are you going to paint or leave the walnut natural? If you intend to paint, then it would be a shame to use walnut. In that case, I would opt for a less expensive wood (poplar for example) or plywood or a combination of wood/plywood. That is just what *I *would do.
> 
> - MrRon


I would sooner DIE than paint walnut, don't worry

Just using that as a style guide!


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

If you are going to paint, choose a closed grain wood. Soft maple is a good one for paint and hard enough to take more abuse that many of the softer closed grains woods.


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