drawer bottoms

Re: drawer bottoms

Bruce, a MN Galoot

>I've never used yellow pine anything but I've used white pine for drawer bottoms and it seems to work well. They weren't glued in, so they haven't split or anything.

Bruce

no

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Most old drawers I've looked at had pine bottoms. The only problem with pine is it's softness,but drawer bottoms don't get any wear so it shouldn't matter.---Jack

Eighteenth Century Drawers

Warren in Lancaster, PA

>Usually in historical work we see white pine in New England, tulip poplar in Mid-Atlantic and yellow pine in the south. There are a lot of exceptions and sometimes a mixture in one piece. Generally these woods are light and easily worked, plentiful locally and thus cheap. I have used white pine and poplar the most; clear pine is more easily worked and poplar is somewhat more sturdy. I have never seen yellow pine at a sawmill locally and have limited experience with it as a cabinet wood.

Re: Eighteenth Century Drawers

greg forster

>Good information from Jack,Bruce and Warren. Bill, either white or yellow pine will work for drawer bottoms.

In East Tenn. poplar or yellow pine would be most historically correct. You might find a sawmill for wide poplar or YP. Another possibility for SYP are old(1920s and earlier) buildings- mills, warehouses or schools being renovated. We remove alot of floor joists for stairwells and elevator shaft openings. Sometimes you can get great joists 12-14" wide to resaw.

I have old heart pine (HP)boards 5/8" x 18-24" wide- 6to 8' length, just about quater sawn,most have no knots,that I'm saving for drawer bottoms and case-backs. Also gathered alot of HP 2x4s (full) to resaw- 15-22 rings per inch, again lumber removed during renovation.

This old heartpine is about as hard as 30 year concrete, but so straight/tight grained that it's not too bad to work with.

thanks all

bill tindal, E.TN

>I have some of each and wanted to use it up in some useful application. Normally I would use poplar but again, I would like to be rid of this small amount of pine if I could use it in the drawers.