mixing pine and walnut

[Mike Steinhilper]

Would there be a problem using walnut as a drawer face and building the rest out of pine? Plan to use box joints.

[Guy Germaine]

There shouldn't be a problem with it, other than tearout. I don't like pine because it tears out pretty easily, and it gums up the blades. Poplar is a good choice for drawers. It's relatively cheap, and a lot harder than pine. It will machine a lot better, and wear a lot better too. IMHO

[Mike Steinhilper]

Good thought on the poplar, i've used that in the past. I just happen to have a bunch of pine laying around right now. Guess I'll just give it a shot.

[glenn bradley]

I'm with Guy but have used pine. I got by as it was a shop cabinet set of drawers but, I left it 3/4" thick for strength (my 1/2" prototype was too weak) and have had some movement issues although not enought to make the drawers stick. I don't think I would use it for house-furniture.

[Ken Werner]

Don't know about walnut, but I've made charry faced drawers with pine sides, and they've held up well for years. The color contrast is also nice.

an example:
www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=49138

[Mike Steinhilper]

ken, nice tables. the cherry does make for a nice contrast. I'm glad to hear you used pine with success.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

One thing to watch out for: when you sand the piece, the lighter colored wood dust can get into the open grain of the walnut, creating a cloudy appearance. I discovered this on some pieces I made with mahogany and maple. A good blast of compressed air will clean it up, or you can pretreat the darker wood with sanding sealer (i.e., shellac).