Wood Thickness for Dresser Drawers

[Bryan Patrick]

I want to build dresser drawers with Kreg joints. Dimensions: L- 31" w- 24" d- 9". Can I get away with using a pine plywood that's 1/2" thick?

[Ken Darga]

Bryan,

I'd make the drawers from oak or birch vs fir/pine.

For drawers the size you describe, I'd make them from 3/4" stock, and with a 1/2" bottom.

[Mandodad]

I would start by asking what type of slides you are intending to use, mechanical slides, or wood sliding on wood. with wood sliding on wood, the pine would wear quickly.  with mechanical the small screws going into softwood would not be very strong.  best would be the type of slides that wrap under the edge of the drawer.  that said, I have done a lot of drawers with 1/2" bass using nylon glides sliding on the wood casement. 

If you are pocket-hole drilling  the sides, you need to use the "micro" jig and put your pocket holes on the outside of the drawer  boxes for the screws to have better holding power.

[Bryan Patrick]

Ken,

Thanks for your reply last night. How would you attach the bottom - with a daddo'ed groove or with pocket holes?

If a groove, do you glue inside the groove or leave it dray for expansion/contraction?

Thanks!

BP

Ken Darga said:

Bryan,

I'd make the drawers from oak or birch vs fir/pine.

For drawers the size you describe, I'd make them from 3/4" stock, and with a 1/2" bottom.

[Bryan Patrick]

Thanks for the reply. You bring up a good point about the soft wood holding on to the rails.

THanks!

BP

Mandodad said:

I would start by asking what type of slides you are intending to use, mechanical slides, or wood sliding on wood. with wood sliding on wood, the pine would wear quickly.  with mechanical the small screws going into softwood would not be very strong.  best would be the type of slides that wrap under the edge of the drawer.  that said, I have done a lot of drawers with 1/2" bass using nylon glides sliding on the wood casement. 

If you are pocket-hole drilling  the sides, you need to use the "micro" jig and put your pocket holes on the outside of the drawer  boxes for the screws to have better holding power.

[Ken Darga]

Bryan,

I'd install the bottom in a groove---allowing the bottom to float in the grooves---no glue.

Glue is only effective when you have a closed joint---two sufaces mate.

Glue does bond in an open joint; ie, when there is a gap between the two surfaces.

Make the groove width 1/2", (for 1/2" plywood bottom), and the groove depth 3/8", in 3/4" material.

Locate the groove 1/2" from the bottom edge.

The grooves can be made using a router, or on a table saw.

The drawer size, you denote, will require a "center support", 1/2" thick plywood x 3" wide, running front to back and centered from side-to-side.

Glue this center support inplace---locate the glue where the ends butt and along the surface where the support makes contact with the bottom panel.

(The center support will give additional rigidity to the bottom, to increase resistance to sagging when loaded).

The sides, back and front can be joined using the Kreg pocket hole system.

Locate a pocket hole screw 1" from each end.  Add 2 more screws, equally spaced between the 2 screws.

You'll end up with 4 screws at each corner.

Position the screws so the points of the screws are directed "inward", so they're away from the outside edge.

Bryan Patrick said:

Ken,

Thanks for your reply last night. How would you attach the bottom - with a daddo'ed groove or with pocket holes?

If a groove, do you glue inside the groove or leave it dray for expansion/contraction?

Thanks!

BP

[David Dean]

Well Bryan with all these great answer's here's my 2 cents. if you go with the Kreg way you well have to go 3/4" 0n 3/4" that meins your side's and your fronts well have to be made of 3/4" plywood and that make's a havey drawer but you can use pine to that is up to you.

Here's how I do it frist I cut your drawers height for you its 9" tall the side's 24"x1/2" and your fronts will be30"x3/4" and now cut a 1/4" dado 1/2" from the buttom on all peice's.

Now that you got all of that done you well need to countersink 4 hole's along the egde of your 1/2". 3/8" works great for 3/4" fronts. Oh your bottom should be 30 1/2"x 23"x 1/4".

[Ken Darga]

Bryan,

Make a sample drawer of 1/2" material with a 1/4" bottom.

Make a sample drawer of 3/4" material with a 1/2" bottom.

Compare the two---select which one is most suitable for its intended end use.

A drawer, of the size you've described,  made of 1/2" material will suffice, providing it's made with suitable joinery methods, to make it rigid. 

Glued rabbeted and dado/grooved joints will result in stronger construction.

Keep in mind, drawers of that size and depth, are subjected to getting loaded with heavy materials.

I've seen drawers, of the size you intend to make, that were loaded with books, and came apart at the joints. The construction of the drawers were not suitable for storing a drawer full of books.

[Bryan Patrick]

Ken,

Thanks for taking all this time to help me think this through. In the end, I'm going with a 3/4" maple for the sides and a 1/2" sandeply for the bottom. I was trying to save money but the carpenter in me kept saying, do it right now or do it all again later.

Thanks!

BP

Ken Darga said:

Bryan,

Make a sample drawer of 1/2" material with a 1/4" bottom.

Make a sample drawer of 3/4" material with a 1/2" bottom.

Compare the two---select which one is most suitable for its intended end use.

A drawer, of the size you've described,  made of 1/2" material will suffice, providing it's made with suitable joinery methods, to make it rigid. 

Glued rabbeted and dado/grooved joints will result in stronger construction.

Keep in mind, drawers of that size and depth, are subjected to getting loaded with heavy materials.

I've seen drawers, of the size you intend to make, that were loaded with books, and came apart at the joints. The construction of the drawers were not suitable for storing a drawer full of books.

[Jay Boutwell]

Bryan, building drawers can seem like a simple task however if the task is taken lightly it is a failure ready to happen.  Drawers are critical in any chest or any type of cabinet and when not built correctly the lenght of time of satisfactory use is short lived.

The drawer that is built using butt joints are the weakes of all.  There are other joint construction methods that serve better and not that hard to build.  The use of a dado in the sides are one that is easily made using a table saw and even using a normal 1/8" wide kerf if you do not have a dado set.  The dado is cut into the sides and then the ends (Front and Back) are inserted into the dado and glue and staple is a fast method that will give you a strong drawer.

What some do not take into consideration is that when a drawer if opened and closed, the contents of that drawer is exherted against the front and the back.  When opened the drawer contents are exherted against the back as it is the back that stops the contents from spilling out the rear.  When you close the drawer it is just the reverse of the above.  True, the contents will move very little if the drawer is opened and closed using a light touch.  The problem is that when opening a drawer is is done in many cases with a yank on the front and then a slamb when closed.  All this in repeated times will actually tear a drawer apart.

This is part of the reason for the dove tail joint.  It is not just for appearance but also for strenght in the joints.  Even then in the half blind dovetail the strongest joint is cut with the tails on the sides and the sockets are cut on the front and back.  If you look at a dove tail the configeration of the joint uses wood that is inserted into sockets and are not in a straight plane and therefore resists the pulling apart of the joint.

A box joint is another strong joint but gets it strength from the friction of the wood between one another in the joint and as from the extra amount of glue surface.

Technology has developed a router bit that is called a "lock joint bit" and makes a drawer joint similiar to the dado.  It is not that expensive and pays off in the long run as you can make a strong joint with little effort.  It is best done on the router table but can be done using a hand held router run against a guide.   They come in both the 1/4" and 1/2" shank.  

Inserted drawer bottoms are the better method to go and actually will perform much better that a nailed on or glued on bottom.  Unless the drawer box is made of plywood then it should not be nailed or glued as the wood expansions will also destroy a drawer box.  A dado or groove in the drawer bottom is much stronger than the nailed glued on bottom as you have a large amout of surface supporting the drawer bottom and the bottom is not locked to the drawer ends and bottoms thus getting rid of the threat of wood expansion. 

Drawer slides are the better way to go if you are wanting a drawer that will function well year after year and not become a problem with swelling of drawer guides that give you a tight drawer the refused to retrack or close in and out of the case.  Even with the parfine wax and fancy slick liners for wooden tracks have there problems as they depend on the wood that they are mounted to.  Because of the metal slides they have an ability to work well even when wood expands and changes shape.  The also are easier on the drawer as they are constant in how hard and or how soft they close.  Some wood slide drawers get to the to the point that the require a swift kick to close and a truck and chain to pull open.

It will of course depend on what you are looking for.  If you want a drawer to preform well time after time the it is a must to build it correctly.  When I build a drawer I do not want to have to perform regular maintainence on it to make it work. 

You asked about using 1/2" pine.  I would not have a problem using it if it was a good grade and free of splits and void near the jointry.  I would also use a good joint of either a dado, lock joint or a dove tail.  I would in no way use butt joint with either nails staples or screws as there is just to much demand on the a drawer joint.

I mentioned using nails or screws in the side of a lock joint or in a dado  but in this case all the nail or screw is doing is holding the joint tightly together,  it is the wood pulling against each other and resisting the force of movement.

In my many years I have build drawers out of many types and kinds of wood and if done correctly will give a long life.  I do however feel that the best and strongest drawer material to use is a multi core plywood such as baltic birch.  There have been very few times that I have resorted to using anything thicker that 1/2" material to build the drawer box.   If you think about it 3/4 inche material is pretty heavy stuff and if you are not using a good slide you will again have to resort to the truck and chain method of opening and a big foot to close.

This is a point that you will have to determine is what are you intending the drawer to hold.  The heavier the contents the heavier material you will be required to use .  The size you have mentioned is still with in the range of what I would use !/2" material if building something like a kitchen or bath cabient drawer.  I have many times build a large drawer in the size range you are indicating but used plywood and full extension slides with 1/2" drawer bottom.  In the drawer is a large assortment of pots and pans including cast iron pots and skillets.  There has been no failures.   I build a set of kitchen cabinets for my neighbor with a cabinets that contains two large 10 Inch high by 32 Inch wide drawers and 22 inches front to rear and these have been used as pantry for can goods.  They have been fully stocked with can goods and there has been no problems.  This has been over 8 years ago and the kithen is used heavily by both adult and children.  I did however use the dove tail jointry and 1/2" bottoms.  The drawer box is 1/2 baltic birch and the ride on full extension 150 lb rated ball bearing slides.

Good luck and happy building. I hope this is of some help to you and if you still have questions please contact me for help.

[Bryan Patrick]

Thanks again to everyone who helped me in this. I just added photos of the drawers I built to my page here on this sight. It's been a fun project and i've learned alot thanks in large part to this discussion!

- BP