Drawer Bottom Material

[dlu]

I'm building some pantry drawers that will hold canning jars. The cabinet will be about 30" deep and I'm planning to use 27" Blum Movento unmount slides (769.6860S). The drawer boxes themselves will have inside dimensions of roughly 400 mm x 661 mm (16" x 26") and could hold 24 quart jars. So, a fully loaded drawer would weigh about 75 pounds.

So, what I'm wanting to know is, what should I be using for the drawer materials? Normally I'd build the drawers out of 1/2" Europly with a 1/4" bottom panel. But we don't usually load the drawers with anything near that heavy a load. Will a 1/4" bottom work on a drawer that big? Would it be better to use 3/8" material? What about the sides, is 1/2" adequate or should I got to 5/8"?

 

[tjbnwi]

We build all of our drawers out of 5/8 solid maple. The slides will support the bottom, go to 3/8 if you are more comfortable with the thicker bottom. You also have the option of a 1/2” support on the bottom of the 1/4” drawer bottom.

Tom

 

[dlu]

We build all of our drawers out of 5/8 solid maple. The slides will support the bottom, go to 3/8 if you are more comfortable with the thicker bottom. You also have the option of a 1/2” support on the bottom of the 1/4” drawer bottom.

Tom

How do you do the 1/2" support? Strips parallel to the sides? I kind of like that idea, because space is tight and it would be nice not to lose the height in the drawers.

 

[P_K]

1/2" plywood bottoms with 5/8" solid wood sides. 3/8" and 5/8" sheet material can be difficult to find.

 

[tjbnwi]

How do you do the 1/2" support? Strips parallel to the sides? I kind of like that idea, because space is tight and it would be nice not to lose the height in the drawers.

As you describe, the 1/2” support runs front to rear in the center of the drawer. With the under mount slide the bottom needs to be 1/2” up, you’re using this space. Glue and staple or run screws therough the front and back.

Tom