I am planning to build a machinist tool box for my son, you know, the type with graduated drawers and a removable front with a hinged top. I hope to use some mahogany he got for me (1/2 in and 5/8 in thick, 3 to 4 inch wide pieces, 1 and 2 ft long). Tool box will be something on the order of 15 inches tall, 20 inches wide, 12 inches deep. There is not enough mahogany material to build both the box and the drawers out of the material I have. I'm thinking that I would use the mahogany for the drawer fronts and then find a complementary wood to use for the box top and sides and the removable front. I will use poplar or other secondary wood for the drawer sides, backs, and bottom, as well as the interior casework. Not having worked with mahogany before, I'm not sure what other woods work well with it though. Do you guys have any favorite combinations that llok well paired together with mahogany?
Another option might be to use mahogany for the entire exterior but resaw it to a bit under 1/4" thick and laminate it to a structural base for the box sides and top. What material would be a good substrate for this? I suppose some BB plywood would work as a substrate but not sure if I would need to laminate to both sides of it to make it stable (less prone to warping). Thoughts?