Good source for thinner (drawer stock) lumber?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I've been contemplating making new kitchen drawers for our cabinets. There aren't many, and really only four *need* to be replaced right now. I know I could probably buy pre-made boxes cheaper, but it's simple work that would get me doing something again, and I don't see why I couldn't knock out a box a day at a leisurely pace if I started with mostly finished lumber. Probably re-use the original drawer fronts for now.

In a perfect world, I'd resaw and dress the sides and back down from rough lumber, and I've certainly re-sawn pieces this size by hand before, but without a coarse saw, proper re-sawing saw (on my "bucket list") or access to a bandsaw (on my wish list, but really requires either a separate shop space or a move - either of which I'd love to undertake when finances and the future of my employment were more stable.

Ideally I'd like to pick up some thinner S2S or S4S lumber in the 1/2" or 5/8" range. Going with readily available 3/4" stock is going to look a little clunky. The local lumber places I go, I haven't seen anything like this, (although I'll have to check again) and the amount needed for four to eight or ten drawers isn't probably enough to warrant a special order. There's always something at the borgs, but I've had mixed luck with the wood from there.

Anyone have good recommendations for somewhere to order online? Nothing fancy, and not huge amounts, but I am looking to go solid wood, although I'll probably go with ply for the bottoms.

[Judson Green]

Couldn't your local place make it s4s and at ½"? My lumber place could, wouldn't look the best, but at least the bull work would be done.

Ask your local cabinet shop if they could help ya out.

[Brian Holcombe]

Sorry this is outside of your requested recommendations, but could your lumberyard re-saw the stock for you? 6/4 stock re-sawn to size would probably fit the bill.

Online, the only thing I can think of is to use drawerbuilder.com and to specify a knocked down drawer, nailed joints (I presume these are rabbeted) and just buy them oversize enough that you can cut their joinery off and apply your own.

[Keith Mathewson]

Try your local hardwood supplier. Pretty common and easy to find around here.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Last I looked, there wasn't anything on the thinner end of the spectrum "on the shelf" at the couple of local hardwood dealers I frequent, (although I'll check again), and anything "custom", included a minimum order, which I don't know if this project will meet (although I need to bounce some numbers to be certain.)

I'll certainly be asking around locally, but right now the options that route don't look great.

[Tom McMahon]

1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2
http://www.ocoochhardwoods.com/

[Mike Siemsen]

Vermont Craigslist shows this luchbox planer for $125. http://burlington.craigslist.org/tls/4540766239.html
or this one for $145 in Burlington http://burlington.craigslist.org/tls/4483478798.html The ad says he bought a bigger planer maybe he would just plane some boards for you?

[Winton Applegate]

band saw requires either a separate shop space or a move

Did I ever tell you about the time I had a Delta 14" band saw in my kitchen for a year or so ?

Ha, ha,
It wasn't even mine it was my girl friend's.
Not your run of the mill girl friend. I call her my surfer girl (friend). Born in Berkley, grew up in Hawaii, raced bikes all over the US with a sponsored team. Settled in Colorado and first job here she was working construction on the third floor of an apartment complex.
Yah
you know . . . same ol' same ol'.

I put on different pulleys and cut metal with it so not much dust or mess.

[Pat Barry]

Wrong answer I know but use baltic birch. You could always laminate a piece of solid wood to cover the exposed plies from the top view. Perfect for kitchen drawers

[Dave Anderson NH]

5/4 stock is readily available at a lot of lumberyards. Cut it to the blank sizes such as 3" x 12" or whatever sizes you need for drawer sides and backs. After cutting to size then resaw by hand and you should yield 2 pieces a minimum of 3/8" thick after cleanup. You can even get 1/2" if you are careful. Resawing small cut to size pieces isn't very hard and the saw shouldn't wander much at all if you're careful.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Wrong answer I know but use baltic birch. You could always laminate a piece of solid wood to cover the exposed plies from the top view. Perfect for kitchen drawers

Ah, I hate working ply by hand if I can avoid it is really the only reason - I've minimal if any power tools accessible right now.


5/4 stock is readily available at a lot of lumberyards. Cut it to the blank sizes such as 3" x 12" or whatever sizes you need for drawer sides and backs. After cutting to size then resaw by hand and you should yield 2 pieces a minimum of 3/8" thick after cleanup. You can even get 1/2" if you are careful. Resawing small cut to size pieces isn't very hard and the saw shouldn't wander much at all if you're careful.

Oh, I've been there and done that - I certainly don't mind terribly if that ends up being the best option, resawing pieces that small isn't terribly hard, but I'm preferring to avoid that if I can if for nothing else than the downstairs neighbors are always around lately and I'm trying to be a concientious neighbor. (I'll use that excuse rather than the others; for another project I'd probably just jump in that route, but I've got some issues going on)

Winton - sounds like a lady after my own heart, and I've been with a few like that. I'm sure the wife would actually be okay with that solution, as well, but I'd there's a limit to what I could effectively cram in this small, second floor space (and I'm not always convinced our floors aren't going to collapse with the workbench up here before I start adding machinery, too . . . ) so I'm thinking of waiting until I can fit a machine a bit more like I'd want to have long term into my space. Really, what I ought to do is get my father to let me carve out a little space in his garage to put a bandsaw we could both use in there, but he's about three square feet from ending up on an episode of Hoarders, so that's a little ways off.

[Jim Matthews]

http://www.metrohardwoodsmaplegrove.com/mg/specialty/drawer-sides-slides

Another supplier of ready to join pieces already to thickness.

[Jim Koepke]

When living in California there was a hardwood dealer in Berkeley that carried lengths of 'drawer side' material. My recollection is it was either 8 or 10' stock with the bottom groove already cut. They had three or four widths for the different drawer depths.

Not sure what the wood market is like on the right coast, but there may be local sawyers who would be happy to do the work for you.

jtk

[Curt Harms]

Is there a lumberyard with a millwork shop associated? Buy 3/4" and have it planed down? Or the lumberyard might know somebody who'd be willing to do it. As you said, there's not a lot of bd. ft. involved.

[steven c newman]

At the local Amish Lumber Supplier here, they have what Levi calls "Filler strip" 1/2" thick boards he uses to fill out a stack of rough sawn 4/4 boards.

At the local Lowes, they do have a large bin of "Hobby Stock" of thin wood. Oak, Poplar , and pine mainly. Up to 1/2" thick, if I remember..

I'd check the hardwood dealers around your area first, to see if they might have them "Filler" pieces. They will be roughsawn, but they should be around 2/4-----1/2" or so thick.

[Mike Brady]

A lot of viable ideas here, but for the last few years I have made my drawer sides out of 1/2" poplar that is available at every Home Depot store. It is S4S and comes in 4" and 6" widths. The lengths are short, but so are drawer sides...usually about 36". They are perfectly milled and I usually cut off the length I need, shoot the ends and lay out my dovetails and drawer bottom grooves without having to dress the boards in any way. The cutoffs are kept to to test plane setup. I know my lateral adjustment is right when I get 1/2" shavings the same thickness from each side of the plane.

[Prashun Patel]

I have found that 3/4" tends to be more readily available and hence is inch for inch cheaper than buying 5/8 or 1/2 - unless a dealer has offcuts and extras.

For kitchen drawers, I don't personally find 3/4" clunky.

I also find the best bet for thinner stock is the 'craft' bins of poplar at LWS or HD.

[Greg Portland]

or access to a bandsaw There is a ton of WWing in Vermont. Surely some shop could rent you some time on their saw?

[Shawn Pixley]

The Woodcraft near me has 1/2" pre-grooved wood for drawers. I haven't used it, so can't give you a feeling on adequacy.

[lowell holmes]

40 years ago when I was building houses, we used to buy drawer sides material in 4" or 6" widths.

Check this link for a source.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2005438/15704/precut-drawer-side-60-x-4-stock.aspx

[lowell holmes]

Another link that has solid wood as well as plywood stock.

https://www.baersupply.com/baer/servlet/CyberVendor/category/G5086643/catalog/group.jsp/BHK-of-America-Drawer-Side-Materials.html