Question about plywood thickness for SYS-AZ

[Kpp80202]

I’m planning on building a fixed, 32 mm system unit for shelving and SYS-AZ drawers, and wonder if I need to use .75”/18 mm plywood for the vertical pieces that get drilled for the 32 mm system or if I get by with .5”/12mm? Does anyone here know off the top of their head?

 

[tsmi243]

If you just want to build a basic open-front box, then it's going to be a problem.  The left & right sides WILL bow outward, the slides will self destruct and you'll have a real bad day.  1/2" isn't rigid enough to stay straight.

If you're building it into a larger structure like a builtin, or can add a face frame, then it'll work.  Properly braced, 1/2" is plenty strong and will hold system screws just fine.  It's just too floppy to stand on it's own.

 

[Packard]

I see 5/8" (0.625") cabinets made from plywood and particleboard.  But those are mostly face frame units with attached backs. 

You need to attach the face frame with dadoes so this requires a bit of setup.  It will look and feel cheap regardless of how you attach the face frame and the back.  The 5/8" thick boards are going to be a bit too thin to accept a slide-in back so you will have staple the back to the box. 

All in all, it seems like a lot of compromises to me.  But it will be substantially lighter and once mounted on the wall it will gain significant structural strength. 

Plywood is very expensive nowadays so there is an incentive to use thinner materials. 

 

[Kpp80202]

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll stick with 3/4" since it'll just be a basic box with no face frame.