There was one goal when I started this project, staining cherry to create contrast. This is an idea I’ve been considering since I currently have a very limited budget for projects and I still want to create interesting two tone pieces.

When I started the design, one key problem came to light, I had to build this cabinet in a way where I could avoid getting stain on certain parts. The simple solution, pre-finish the stained pieces, but I didn’t want to take the easy route. So, on top of trying to stain the pieces I also planned to use flush joinery which meant that it would be impossible to pre-finish without permanently damaging the pieces. To solve that, I treated the contrasting wood (natural cherry) like glass panels and inserted it into a rabbet after the finishing was done. I could then pin it in place with some nailer strips to hold everything together.

Going back to the fact that I don’t have a lot of extra cash kicking around when it came to making the drawers and shelves I figured I could save a buck by using some construction-grade lumber. This stuff is typically considered “untouchable” by the fine woodworking community for good reason, it’s horrible. Now remember, I’m specifically talking about construction grade lumber, not pine in general, pine is actually a great wood to work with. The construction grade stuff usually comes from very young trees and is filled with tiny (explosive) knots. In the case of drawer boxes and shelves though, it works great because it’s lightweight and cheap!