What would be the best selection ?

[charles lewis]

I`m attempting to build a Cherry Tall chest and would like to know from the fine furniture guru`s what would be the best selection for secondary wood for the dust panel frames maple , poplar , ash ect. I plan on using ash for the drawer sides which appears to be what the Stickley piece I am attemping to copy used for the drawers but my daughter did not get a pic of the dust panel frames.Ash is about 80 cents more than poplar and hard maple is about $ 3.00 more in my area.Thanks for looking

[Julian Nicks]

Secondary woods are traditionally what is available/ durable/ least expensive. I can't help on what the stickley piece had, but I would use whatever I could get that's affordable since it will never be seen.

[Joe Scharle]

Ash is the traditional drawer material and I've used it (scrap) in web frames. Save the hard maple for tops/cutting boards etc. I've built webs with walnut, cherry, poplar, soft maple, scrap pieces of cabinet ply, etc. In fact, just about any hardwood scrap works for me!

[charles lewis]

Thanks for the response thats what I fiqured but in reading some other posts one member indicated poplar did some strange things over time but did not elaborate on what happened to it.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Do some looking for a Stickley piece with the secondary woods listed and use that material. If you're going to go to the work to make a piece like you described and if you want it as a piece of furniture for a long time as a Stickley reproduction I would find out what Stickley used and use it. There's plenty other places to save a few bucks.