Drawer question

[Roy G]

I am making a chest of drawers and have run into a situation I need some advice about. I have 3 drawers that will be 38" wide. I have never made any drawers this wide so I would like a solution as to what needs doing for the bottom. Would 3/8" plywood be enough? Do I need a support mid-drawer? Should I make a frame and panel arrangement for the bottom? The drawer front is to be cherry and the sides will be poplar all dovetailed together. No mechanical slides are involved.

Thanks for any input.

Roy G

 

[creasman]

It comes down to weight. I've made chest of drawers with drawers that wide using 1/4" plywood for the bottoms. These would hold clothes and the weight would never be that much. The depth of the drawers also matters. Most chest of drawers aren't more than 16" deep. Using 3/8" plywood you should be fine.

 

[Dovetail]

Traditional drawers house the drawer bottom in a groove in the front and sides of the drawer, and it can slide out the back underneath the back of the drawer. This is to allow the solid wood bottom panel to expand and contract without stressing the drawer box corners. Using plywood for the drawer bottom eliminates this constraint and you can glue the bottom panel into the front, sides and back of the drawer (a strong arrangement). 3/8 should be fine for all but the heaviest contents. You could also run a support down the middle and have two panels make up the drawer bottom. This would stiffen things and you may be able to use 1/4 inch plywood and lighten the drawer a little.

 

[Willemjm]

I am making a chest of drawers and have run into a situation I need some advice about. I have 3 drawers that will be 38" wide. I have never made any drawers this wide so I would like a solution as to what needs doing for the bottom. Would 3/8" plywood be enough? Do I need a support mid-drawer? Should I make a frame and panel arrangement for the bottom? The drawer front is to be cherry and the sides will be poplar all dovetailed together. No mechanical slides are involved.

Thanks for any input.

Roy G

3/8” Should be fine.

I you use 1/4” ply with MDF core, that will be fine as well.

Often, when we go past 36” wide, we put a stile in the cabinet center and use two drawers side by side. It is not so much the strength of the drawer, but rather the slides can become problematic on a wide drawer.