I have a couple of questions, I started to build my own drawer boxes recently, I made the sides from 4/4 maple and I used some 1/2 inch Baltic birch I had for the bottoms.
I machined the solid down to 5/8 and ran them through the dovetail machine.
I noticed on some of the drawer boxes that I purchased in the past that the sides of the boxes were glued up with approximately 2 inch strips. That seems like a lot of work, but I assume it was special equipment to make them.
I am trying to figure out what material is the most cost effective. I know a couple suppliers supply the drawer sides already machined to 5/8’s.
I think some sort of 4x8 birch plywood would be more economical for the bottoms. Most of the drawers that are smaller could have 1/4 inch thick bottoms as well.
Anyways thanks for any ideas.

You can buy drawer side stock in 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" from several suppliers in either solid or ply. Anderson Plywood is one source for ply sides. Just material ripped to width and grooved for a bottom. Wurth, WW hardware, etc. are some sources for hard and soft maple drawer side material. As you mention, many of the maple sides will be but and edge glued for width (even 3.5" tall sides may come with a glue joint).

Unless you have the equipment to efficiently lay up tall drawer parts, or resaw 5/8" material out of thicker stock, its likely going to be much cheaper to buy your sides as opposed to planing down 4/4 to 5/8". Thats a lot of work and a lot of waste. If your hardwood supplier would supply you 7/8" material RGH that would be the best route but I dont have any suppliers that would ever run that material unless I were to buy a full kiln charge.

I use 15mm Baltic Birch plywood with 9mm BB bottoms.

Dido what Leo said

Basswood is the traditional material for drawers. It is easy to machine and inexpensive. Accepts a finish and looks great.

Gosh,
Basswood, thats a blast from the past. Use to have a sawmill and small kiln and aroud here in mid-Atlantic we called Basswood "Lin" (they kinda pronounce in "Len".. bunch of hillbillies calling "Basswood" by its genus Linden Tilia Americana.

Where in the world would anyone now come up with a source for large quantities of Basswood for drawers? Ive almost never seen it on a commercial hardwood list. Its definitely super soft and easy to machine but I cant say I'd choose Lin over hard/soft maple for the kitchen drawers of today.

We use poplar. It's still a hardwood but obviously very soft and machines well with little to no tear-out. If I need 250bf or more I can get it planed down to 5/8" for me from the mill, but often times I don't need that much, so we'll spend the time to plane it down (3 passes). 1/4" birch plywood for the bottoms (dadoed in). If I have a drawer >30" I'll use a piece of 1/2" scrap ripped to 3" to support the bottom in the middle, brad nailed in front and back (this works out well as the distance from the bottom of the drawer to the bottom of the dado for the bottom is 1/2" for undermount clips.)