My daughter asked if I would build a small storage cabinet for some of her quilting fabrics. What would be the preferred wood choice for the drawers without breaking the budget. Planning on 1/4" birch ply for the bottoms. The cabinet itself will be red oak.  Seems the price of  wood has gone thru the ceiling over the winter months.

Edited March 30, 20214 yr by Al B

I use mostly poplar.  Lightweight, clear, inexpensive, and easy to machine or join.

 

19 minutes ago, kmealy said:

I use mostly poplar.  Lightweight, clear, inexpensive, and easy to machine or join.

 

+1

Baltic  Birch plywood

14 minutes ago, Smallpatch said:

Baltic  Birch plywood

+1

... I use whatever I've got enough of, almost all my wood is salvage wood.

I like the look of solid wood drawers and poplar works well. It does have the green hue to it. Other possibilities are alder or soft maple. 
Paul

I prefer solid real wood vs manufactured. Ply is ok for carcase and drawers.

Al, I wish you were closer.  I have plenty of cedar to sell and I would make you a sweet deal.  I prefer cedar for this part of the south to keep bugs out of the blankets and quilts.  We will be looking for that thread when you get started.  

3 hours ago, Larry Buskirk said:

... I use whatever I've got enough of, almost all my wood is salvage wood.

 

+1

I almost always use poplar, on occasion I'll use maple. Both are fairly inexpensive around here. But poplar is so easy to work (and it's is the less expensive) it gets first dibs.

My vote goes to poplar.  Cheaper and very easy to work with.

Like @Larry Buskirk, I usually look around to see what I have on hand first.

I don't have a local source for baltic birch, but I have made a lot of drawers from a good cabinet grade plywood - not the junk at borgs.

Most of my drawers are simple boxes with a separate face attached.

I've used Baltic birch before for sides and bottom, depending on the style of cabinet, like building a set of kitchen cabinets. But for individual one off pieces, I tend to lean towards poplar as the secondary, it just seems more warm and stylish.

Plus, been trying to stay away from ply's period, and making everything from solid lumber, some nasty stuff in that ply glue, gets in the air while cutting, then it gets inhaled etc. Plus leaning more towards hand tools these days, cross cutting a board or ripping a board with a hand saw is easier then cutting ply with a handsaw.

 

Lot of pluses and minuses for either or, as far as durability, I don't think you could go wrong with either or. Another plus for using solid wood for the sides, if the sides get dinged up or deep scratches, solid wood is easier to repair than if the ply gets a deep scratch or worse.

Although changes in humidity isn't much of a concern here in the desert, BB or, another good cabinet grade ply, practically eliminates any swelling effects from humidity. I abhor sticky drawers. And, metal glides, if used, move with the wood.  

Baltic birch works well, too, and I've used it.   Decisions in my shop:
a) what do I have sitting around

b) what is the general look and feel of the piece.  Is it utility or a classic reproduction

c) will I have to buy a whole sheet of Baltic birch and only use about 10-20% of it

d) cost considerations.   I would not choose something like cherry or walnut for a secondary wood.  

e) what is readily available locally

Thanks to everyone for your help. Based on what you've recommended, and after checking prices here, Poplar will be used. Looks like I'll have to buy 3/4" thickness and plane it down to 1/2". 1/2" is much more expensive to purchase. Hey Gator, cedar would be great for the intended purpose of the cabinet, but around here  it's not easily available and where it is, you'd think they were selling gold nuggets.

2 hours ago, kmealy said:

Baltic birch works well, too, and I've used it.   Decisions in my shop:
a) what do I have sitting around

b) what is the general look and feel of the piece.  Is it utility or a classic reproduction

c) will I have to buy a whole sheet of Baltic birch and only use about 10-20% of it

d) cost considerations.   I would not choose something like cherry or walnut for a secondary wood.  

e) what is readily available locally

I like your check list but there is one exception. Plenty of cherry from mills here in Mississippi. But poplar is not as easy to find. Of coarse I don't do much flat work so the 250 bf I bought a few years ago will still go a bit farther, NOT so for my walnut as the Coffee Bar tool most of thatand just scrapes left except for the turning logs in yard and those in the shop already. Guess I could resaw for small projects.

2 hours ago, Gerald said:

I like your check list but there is one exception. Plenty of cherry from mills here in Mississippi. But poplar is not as easy to find. Of coarse I don't do much flat work so the 250 bf I bought a few years ago will still go a bit farther, NOT so for my walnut as the Coffee Bar tool most of thatand just scrapes left except for the turning logs in yard and those in the shop already. Guess I could resaw for small projects.

Yeah, 1/2" cherry at my closest and likely cheapest source going for $4.75 a board foot, poplar $2.95.  Most other places are likely more expensive.  But yes, it's very geographically dependent.  There is usually also a premium for Pennsylvania cherry.

 ... Most of the Poplar around here goes to the paper mills.

When we go by the SIL/BIL we see truckloads headed for the mills.