Dovetail joint between solid wood and plywood?

[Jim Barstow]

Normally, when I make drawers for a high end piece, I use solid wood throughout. For more utilitarian pieces, I build a box out of Baltic birch and attach a solid wood front. I use dovetail joints throughout. I’m now considering a hybrid approach where I use Baltic birch for the sides and back and solid for the front. This would mean I would have a dovetail joint between the solid wood front and BB plywood sides. I’m concerned about wood movement, however. Is this a bad idea I would come to regret? The solid wood is cherry.

[Jim Becker]

The risk increases with the height of the drawer front...the taller it is, the more it's going to move in the direction that will be constrained by the plywood. I personally wouldn't do this. I'd either use solid stock all around or do a plywood box with an applied drawer front that can float in dimension across the grain.

[Charlie Velasquez]

I wouldn’t worry about it if the drawer sides were maybe 6” or less. You are probably talking a few thou expansion/contraction between pins, and we can assume the case is going to be in a relatively climate controlled environment.
As always make sure your build environment mimics the piece’s final environment. Especially in this case.

edit: aha, I am too slow. I see Jim already addressed the height issue.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

There is also a question of the environment.

I glued ply to some regular wood. I expected it to split off, but, I was in a hurry and planned on remaking the thing in the not too distant future. At this point, it was about 15 years ago and it has not shown any sign of problems so I never bothered to remake it. I keep thinking I should because I want to make something "pretty" and it his holding chisels, but other things take precedence.

This is stored in my basement that does not significantly vary the humidity.

[Lee Schierer]

I don't know what you pay for Baltic Birch plywood, but around here I can build several drawer boxes for the cost of one made from baltic birch. I use yellow poplar or for really fancy work I use soft maple for drawer boxes.

[Pat Barry]

I did this with red oak drawer fronts and 1/2" baltic birch years ago for bedroom dresser and bed side tables and never have seen an issue. Drawer sides are 5.5 and 3.5 inches tall.