As you might guess, I love solid wood. I will use solid wood down to the most minor components of a piece. "Solid wood" furniture that is sold on the market today often does not have solid wood drawer bottoms or drawer sides. Generally they are made of plywood.
I thought I would show a bit of construction of my drawers. Each piece for the drawer bottom is resawn from larger stock and tongue and groove routed to fit together. They are held in place by a dado cut within the drawer sides, completely housing the drawer bottom with the exception of the back that is left open to allow for wood movement. Here are a few photos of the drawers parts and their construction.
Why don't I use plywood? There are some advantages to plywood such as very little wood movement which means it is quite stable. A good thing for mass production. However, I have deep concerns over the glues that are used in plywood. Most have formaldehyde to some degree or another in them. These create serious contaminates for indoor air quality. I feel that if you are buying quality custom pieces that are meant to last generations then they should serve those who use them to their benefit including their health. Maybe you agree.
