Ash for Drawers?

[james bell]

Is there any problem using ash for drawers? I can purchase it for $1.95/bd ft for 4/4, whereas red maple is $2.50 and hard maple is $3.50.

Any reason I should spend more for maple?

[Robert Parrish]

Are you talking drawer sides or fronts. In any case ash is a good choice, it has similar characteristics to oak. I use it all the time for drawers and I have used it to make carousel horses.

[james bell]

Drawer sides and back - I am using walnut for the front.

I have been using ash for my shop cabinet drawer fronts - inexpensive and also getting practice resawing making the ash false fronts 3/8" thick. But haven't tried to use them for sides/back which I will dovetail.

[Charles Wiggins]

I'm not an expert on this, but here's some info that might help you decide:

http://www.taunton.com/promotions/excerpts/DrawerBuildingBasics.pdf

http://eberhardt.bz/GME_Wood_Land/GME_Woodworking_Stuff/4_Information/15_Secondary_Wood.pdf

[james bell]

Charles, great links, thanks

[Frank Drew]

James,

Particularly when dovetailed, ash contrasts nicely with walnut and other dark woods; try, if you can, to select quartered or otherwise mostly straight-grained stock for stability.

[Thomas Pender]

Have had reasonable success. Totally agree with comment by Frank to try for quarter sawn - hard to resaw without warping otherwise. I have had good luck making dovetails with my Akeda jig with ash. Since ash does not stain or otherwise color that well IMHO, drawer sides are almost a perfect use - have had good luck with fumed QSWO half blind fronts and walnut very nice contrast and the ash waxes really well and is easy to plane.

[glenn bradley]

I've used it with no regrets.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=103481&d=1229125739

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=113007&d=1237058122

[Jeff Willard]

I think ash would be the better choice even if the cost differences were inverted. Ash is more stable.

[scott spencer]

I've used ash for drawer sides (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/Towel%20Chest/TowelChest008.jpg)with satisfactory results...should be no problem.

[NICK BARBOZA]

I see no problem with using the secondary wood such as ash for draws sides. High end makers such as Thos. Moser use ash for nearly all of their case pieces.

Go for it!
NWB

[james bell]

Done - thanks for all the responses.

And, great pictures from Glenn, very nice!