Back panel Choice

[Mike Burke]

I am working on a dresser and need to make some panels for the back of it.
Using quarter sawn white oak
The panels are 12 x20 x 3/8 thick, there’s 3 of them.
I don’t want to go through the process of resawing and making these panels.


I have a couple of ideas
The one that is making sense to me right now is,
Using MDF core 1/4” oak, maple or birch plywood
And then veneering it with quarter sawn white oak veneer. Probably won’t be 3/8 thick but would work. dresser back.jpeg


Here is the drawing of the back.
Any suggestions for other choices on how to get this done ?
I appreciate it
Thanks

[John Pendery]

Your described approach sounds like a good one to me. Have you cut the rails and stiles for the back panel yet? It would be easy to adjust the joinery to accommodate a slightly thinner panel if not. If so, I imagine a workaround wouldn’t be too troublesome.

[Jim Becker]

A good sheet goods supplier can provide you with QSWO or other white oak veneer product that you can use for your panels. You can also source veneer and do your own layup for the panels including PSA backed for simplicity. (remember to get something innocuous to do the other surface. If you use .25" MDF and add the veneer, it should be just fine for your application.

[Robert Engel]

If the back is not seen, why use expensive material? Certainly not worth the effort to veneer. Save the expensive material for what matters.

[Jim Becker]

If the back is not seen, why use expensive material? Certainly not worth the effort to veneer. Save the expensive material for what matters.

That's not an unreasonable thing in many cases. OTOH, sometimes there is just personal satisfaction when even the "hidden side" looks nice and matches the rest of the case. It's purely subjective.

[Darrell Bade]

I like my backs to look good. Unless it was sitting out from the wall where it was seen though I would use flatsawn oak plywood. I use a lot of quartersawn red oak and for a back I would use flatsaw red oak ply, easier to find and usually much cheaper than quartersawn ply.

[Mike Burke]

Thanks for the suggestions and advice. Makes sense to me to spend my money on something more important.
Thanks again.

[Richard Coers]

There is only one piece in 51 years of hobby and professional woodworking where I made the back a show piece. It was a drop front secretary I did in figured cherry. It has never been off the wall in 40 years.

[Rob Luter]

I had a similar application and used plywood with pre-applied QS White Oak veneer. It looked really nice and was pretty painless to use. No worries about seasonal wood movement either.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I made some oak panels out of unfinished flooring once for a drop ceiling I made.

[roger wiegand]

There is only one piece in 51 years of hobby and professional woodworking where I made the back a show piece. It was a drop front secretary I did in figured cherry. It has never been off the wall in 40 years.

I made one piece where I knew it would always be against the wall so didn't bother making the back look at least decent. Wouldn't you know that we moved and that cabinet ended up out in the middle of the room. I then had to invest a lot of time and effort to retrofit the back so I wouldn't cringe when I looked at it. No more unfinished backs for me.

[Thomas McCurnin]

When I make traditional cabinets, I like to use frame and panel construction, and use 1/4" or 3/8" panels of the same wood captured between grooved stiles. I do this even on the back. It's fun.