What wood for faceframes please

[Bill Petersen]

I will be building face frame cabinets that will be painted. I would like some recommendations for a good wood to use. I don't have a thickness sander so would worry about tear out with maple. I do want a smooth grained wood that is hard enough to hold up to use.

Thanks, Bill

[Jeff Monson]

I like paint grade soft maple for painted cabinets, hard with tight grain. Poplar would be my 2nd choice.

[Von Bickley]

I like paint grade soft maple for painted cabinets, hard with tight grain. Poplar would be my 2nd choice.

I agree with Jeff......

[Charles B Wilson]

I vote for poplar

Charles

[Dave Zellers]

Poplar....

[Bill Petersen]

Thanks, folks. Looks as if it will be poplar.

Bill

[Don Sundberg]

I am using poplar for my painted trim project (base, casings, & a built in across one side) I do have a related question. is there a better choice for cope & stick door frames? The flat sawn wood I have tends to not be the straightest after getting it milled up. I have been running into some twisting.

[Alden Miller]

I am using poplar for my painted trim project (base, casings, & a built in across one side) I do have a related question. is there a better choice for cope & stick door frames? The flat sawn wood I have tends to not be the straightest after getting it milled up. I have been running into some twisting.

I try to use quarter sawn or rift sawn for the door frames. I have run into the same issue you have and switched to using these and haven't had an issue since.

-Alden

[Matt Meiser]

My local lumber store sells "wormy soft maple" which is soft maple with steaks and some small worm holes. The holes fill instantly with filler during sandng and the streaking hides easily with good primer. The best part is that its even cheaper than poplar and works wonderfully--even better than poplar as its a little harder and doesn't have as much tendancy to dent and fuzz up.

[David Kumm]

I second the vote for soft maple. I've never seen a cabinet that didn't have the face frame nicked up after some time and i can crease poplar with a fingernail. Plates banged into the cabinet will dent maple but not as much. Dave

[Dan Hahr]

The stuff I've made from poplar, early on in my woodworking education, is dinged up considerably. Any paint grade or better maple would be much better for holding up to bumps and dings. Look at how easily you can dent poplar with your fingernail. Its okay for cabinet drawers and such, but I wouldopt for soft maple, as its not much more.

Dan

[Jeff Duncan]

Poplar is too soft for doors or FF's in my opinion, soft maple is pretty much the standard for decent cabinetry. I wouldn't worry so much about tear-out as much as I'd worry about how the project holds up over time

good luck,
JeffD

[Chris Padilla]

I use birch and birch plywood for painted boxes.

[Mark Wooden]

Soft maple. Just watch the grain when jointing and planing and the tearout won't be a problem. Like JeffD said, it'll last.