Should 9" wide dresser drawer be one solid piece of wood or two glued together?

[dennis thompson]

I am making a dresser, the front of the drawers are approximately 9 wide and 33" long. should I use one solid board or should I glue together2 boards each 4 1/2 " wide?
Thanks
Dennis

[Frank Drew]

Dennis,

For my tastes, one board (I hate the look of glued-up drawer fronts unless the grain is so straight that you really, really can't tell), and I'll go even further: Ideally, IMO, all the boards for the drawer fronts in a dresser should come from the same tree if at all possible. Remember, I said ideally; in any case, the boards should be matched as carefully as possible for the most harmonious look.

Tables and chests of drawers, in particular, are horizontal and vertical methods to showcase beautiful wood, so careful selection of your material makes all the difference.

[Chip Lindley]

There's nothing wrong with glued-up drawer fronts if the grain is pleasing. I have found some very pleasing patterns in glued-up panels. Putting the grain-puzzle together is a part of the craftsmanship in a piece; plus alternate boards can be flipped to minimize cupping. Often wide boards must be ripped and reglued anyway, after jointing on a small machine. With nice hardwood usually at a premium, narrow, glued-up stock makes sense.

But for the elite, or for a heirloom-quality piece you wish to pride yourself in, there is certainly nothing wrong with using wide boards, when available. Make sure wide stock has a low mosture content to head off heartbreak later.

[johnny means]

I was taught to always us odd numbers in glue-ups, in order to avoid seams in the middle of panels.

[Jim Becker]

Unquestionably one board if it were me building...

[Chris Padilla]

Do what looks best and with what you have. Ideally, one board...but if not...spend some time matching.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I would use only one board. There should be no trouble with cupping with a nine inch width, providibng the wood is reasonably cured. If you do go with two boards carefully joint them, put them side by side as the final glueup is to be made and wet the surfaces to see that you don't have any unpleasant surprises in finishing.

[Eiji Fuller]

I was taught to always us odd numbers in glue-ups, in order to avoid seams in the middle of panels.

try that with a bookmatch.

[Darnell Hagen]

try that with a bookmatch

Resaw twice.

[Andrew Gibson]

I have been lucky a couple times and found wide boards for a few projects. My favorite is a dresser I built for 16" and 17" cherry.

Check out the top 3 drawers, as well as the bottom drawer and the skirt. there are no glue up's in the piece.

[Darnell Hagen]

Well done, Andrew!

Nothing says handmade by someone who cares like continious grain.

[Gary Radice]

I am making a dresser, the front of the drawers are approximately 9 wide and 33" long. should I use one solid board or should I glue together2 boards each 4 1/2 " wide?
Thanks
Dennis

Structurally there is no difference.
Esthetically, I think one board looks better.