Cosmetic selection of width of wood for a drawer face glue up

[Brian Runau]

I have some drawer faces that will wind up @ 9-1/2" tall by 19-1/2" wide. When I glue up drawer faces I try to use two pieces that are similar in size 5" x 5" and trim from both edges to get the say 9-1/2 vs a 7" and 2-1/2". I have some 8" wide stock that is "left over" that I can get two faces from and add to them to get the 9-1/2 total after milling etc..., but I am concerned how this would look cosmetically. Similar coloring and I would do my best to get grain match etc..., but I am concerned about splitting the 9-1/2 up this way.

Thanks for your input.

Brian

[glenn bradley]

If you have good sections of grain match and the joint will be essentially invisible to the casual observer I wouldn't concern myself. Depending on the pulls you plan to use you could have the glue line at the pull line to assist with the disguise. If the glue-up will be obvious I would be tempted to do a glue-up on every drawer front to make it appear purposeful.

[Jim Becker]

It's all about how important the visual result will be to you. My preference will always to use material for something like a drawer front without having to glue up a panel. If a glue up really is necessary, my first choice is going to be rift-sawn because it's the easiest to create a nearly invisible glue joint.

One other thing you can do...use the solid stock for the physical utility and then veneer the faces for quality.

It's the little things that take a very nice project to an outstanding one.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Could you glue a 1" piece to each side of the 8" board, so it would look sort of like a picture frame without ends? It seems to me that would look nicer than 8 and 2, but I have odd ideas about most things. It might even be a possibility to use something contrasting, if you like that look.

[Christian Hawkshaw]

I always prefer to use boards that are wide enough to avoid a glue up...but sometimes it can't be avoided. I built a filing cabinet a few years ago and did not have boards wide enough for the drawer fronts, so I did glue ups. Adding on to what Jim said, I joined some of the drawers where the grain was more rift. Most of the boards are quarter sawn grain, but the grain will fade into rift along the edges. Here is a thread on the filing cabinet:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?271831-Stickley-Inspired-Filing-Cabinet&highlight=

[Brian Runau]

Thanks to all. Decided to use a 6-1/2 wide board and cut 4pcs for glue up. I will hid the joint as well as I can. Brian

[Lee Schierer]

Using wide boards is great, but you don't always have them nor can you always get them. When you need a wider board for a top, side or drawer front it's all about grain selection and color match to get a nice looking glue up. The 3 drawer fronts shown below are all made of three pieces, can you find all the seams?
476434476433

[Christian Hawkshaw]

Using wide boards is great, but you don't always have them nor can you always get them. When you need a wider board for a top, side or drawer front it's all about grain selection and color match to get a nice looking glue up. The 3 drawer fronts shown below are all made of three pieces, can you find all the seams?
476434476433

That is a good example of a glue up....I could find 5 of the 6 seams, but had to study the pictures to find them. I could only find one seam in the drawer on the left side.

[Bill Dufour]

I might rip the 8" boards in half keeping them oriented the same and insert a 1.75" wide board between the two halves. Similar or contrasting wood.
Bill D

[Phillip Mitchell]

Maybe I missed something but why not use wide stock and get it from a single board....or glue up along rift/straight grain and often times it disappears with some care.

[johnny means]

I specifically avoid glue ups that a re divided into halves. Better to have three or more somewhat random sections than to have a top and a bottom. I'll often rip a board in half just to flip one half and glue them back together to look like separate boards.

[Brian Runau]

Using wide boards is great, but you don't always have them nor can you always get them. When you need a wider board for a top, side or drawer front it's all about grain selection and color match to get a nice looking glue up. The 3 drawer fronts shown below are all made of three pieces, can you find all the seams?
476434476433

I always try to use what I have in my on hand stock, when possible, part of the art of woodworking to me. Thanks.

[Michael Drew]

My ego is not too large to ask..... What's rift-sawn?


It's all about how important the visual result will be to you. My preference will always to use material for something like a drawer front without having to glue up a panel. If a glue up really is necessary, my first choice is going to be rift-sawn because it's the easiest to create a nearly invisible glue joint.

One other thing you can do...use the solid stock for the physical utility and then veneer the faces for quality.

It's the little things that take a very nice project to an outstanding one.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Rift sawn is between quarter sawn and flat sawn, where the grain runs at around 45 degrees give or take. If you quarter a log and then take a quarter and cut boards from the two flat faces alternately this is also called rift sawn. In true quarter sawing you cut a wedge like a clapboard between each board, so it's pretty wasteful. Even a flat sawn cant will produce some quarter and rift sawn wood as the angle of the grain in the rings in each board changes. I don't think I described that very lucidly, but if you google it you'll see diagrams that will make it all make sense.

[Mel Fulks]

Has two meanings. One is wood sawn so that the grain is on slight angle to surface. The other is when husband and wife are taking turns
sawing.

[Phillip Mitchell]

My ego is not too large to ask..... What's rift-sawn?

When the end grain is running between 30-60 degrees off parallel of the face of the board. Typically produces “straight grain” as opposed to flat sawn cathedrals and is easier to get a visually seamless glue line when edge gluing for width.

You will typically get sections of rift / straight grain closer to the outer edges of wider boards. Looking at the growth rings of the end grain of a log will tell you why that is.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, rift sawn can be a wonderful thing because it tends to be stable, doesn't have wild grain and generally is free of the additional marking that true quarter sawn brings so it doesn't compete with figured material, is really excellent for square/rectangular legs because all faces have exactly the same grain, etc. I like to use it for rails and stiles when a highly figured panel will sit between them, for example.

[John C Cox]

I generally go for one of two strategies:

A. Get the grain and color match as close as possible to make it look virtually identical. Then, judicious use of stain takes care of the rest.

B. Make the addition super high contrast so it stands out, and says, "I meant to do this." To pull this off, you have to follow it all the way through, though. It looks like a mistake if you do 1-drawer front different from the rest. It looks like design when you do them all the same way. So for example, rip the 8" board down the middle and joint in a 2" or 3" wide strip of lighter/darker wood right down the middle.

Things in between look like mistakes.

[Michael Drew]

When the end grain is running between 30-60 degrees off parallel of the face of the board. Typically produces “straight grain” as opposed to flat sawn cathedrals and is easier to get a visually seamless glue line when edge gluing for width.

You will typically get sections of rift / straight grain closer to the outer edges of wider boards. Looking at the growth rings of the end grain of a log will tell you why that is.


Yea, rift sawn can be a wonderful thing because it tends to be stable, doesn't have wild grain and generally is free of the additional marking that true quarter sawn brings so it doesn't compete with figured material, is really excellent for square/rectangular legs because all faces have exactly the same grain, etc. I like to use it for rails and stiles when a highly figured panel will sit between them, for example.

Thanks guys. Appreciate the info. Now if I can just get my short term memory to remember to talk to my long term memory.....

[Derek Cohen]

It's all about how important the visual result will be to you.

…. use the solid stock for the physical utility and then veneer the faces for quality.

It's the little things that take a very nice project to an outstanding one.


I totally agree with Jim’s advice. I would have stated the same if he had not.

It depends on the importance of the drawers. For the workshop, then do anything, but as soon as it becomes part of furniture for the home, then I would not settle for second best.

Regards from Perth

Derek