Drawer Box Wood Species
Below you can view the different woods available for dovetail drawer boxes. The pictures of wood samples shown include a natural clear finish. The natural color and grain variations are allowed in all the wood species below for drawer boxes.
Simply click on the images below to view the specifications
Scroll over or touch the images below to view the specifications for each of the wood species
A heavy, very strong, hard, closed-grained, even textured hardwood. The sapwood is nearly white while the heartwood is a cream color or light brown tinged with red. The natural range of colors allowed but mineral streaks are limited to 1/8" wide by 3" long.
Birch
A medium weight, strong, rather hard fine-grained hardwood. A light reddish-brown heartwood with the sapwood varying from a whitish brown to a light yellowish brown. Small gum pockets are considered normal markings. A variety of color and grain variations along with sapwood allowed with mineral streaks no larger than 1/4" wide by 4" long. Cherry is very sensitive to ultraviolet lighting and will darken with age.
Cherry
This hardwood is heavy, very hard, strong, close-grained, tough, stiff, uniform texture with excellent resistance to abrasion and indentation. The color is a creamy white sapwood with a reddish-brown heartwood. Mineral streaks are common and are not considered a defect. The natural range of colors allowed on the face side.
Maple
The mixed hardwood selection will consist of glued up stock with a variety of hardwoods. These drawers are attractive as we randomly mix various species for the drawer box sides. The wood comes from the fall-offs that occur during our everyday manufacturing. This is an environmentally friendly option to consider with a beautiful and unique look. The bottoms will come in maple unless you specify otherwise.
Mixed Hardwood
Red Alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density, a relative of Birch that is fairly straight grained with uniform texture. Alder is a light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge, there is no visible boundary between sap and heartwood. Because Alder has a close grain and readily accepts stain, Red Alder can imitate Cherry, Mahogany and even Walnut with the proper finishing.
Red Alder
A heavy open grain hardwood with larger more prominent pores. Red Oak is very hard, stiff, and durable with great wear resistance. The heartwood varies from a pink brown to a reddish brown while the sapwood is a whitish or grayish brown and the natural color and grain variations are allowed. Mineral stain allowed no larger than 1/8" wide by 6" long. Pin burls and small pin knots and limited sapwood allowed. Small filled knots allowed on the backs of doors as long as they do not show through to the front of the door.
Red Oak
Soft Maple is about 25% softer than Hard Maple, otherwise in most respects it is very similar to Hard Maple. Soft Maple has a grayish white sapwood, sometimes with darker colored pith flecks. The heartwood varies from a light to dark reddish/silvery brown. The natural color range is allowed. Soft Maple is our most popular wood species for dovetail drawer boxes.
Soft Maple
A closed grain hardwood that is heavy, very strong for its weight and exceptionally stable, commonly known as American Black Walnut. The heartwood is a dark brown to a dark purplish-brown with a light gray-brown sapwood. The natural range of colors allowed, including limited sapwood. The grain pattern can be highly figured, pin burls and mineral streaks no larger than 1/8" wide by 3" long allowed.
Walnut
Characteristics are very similar to Red Oak except it is closer grained and slightly heavier. The color varies from a light brown with a grayish tinge in the heartwood to shades of ochre in the sapwood. Limited amounts of sapwood will be blended into the front of the doors. Pin knots and burls are also allowed with mineral streaks no larger than 1/8" wide by 3" long.
White Oak