Thread: Beginner - how to build 5 large shallow drawers?

Can’t go wrong with ply

Thanks, ply, just pine I take it, what thicknesses, 3/4" on the sides and 1/2 on the bottom?

How to join it, pocket holes for the sides, route out a recess for the bottom?

Minimum 3/4 for sides and 1/2 for the base. They are big drawers so base needs to be glued and screwed in place.

At those widths and depths, it would probably be better to cut grooves in the sides, font and back and have the bottom sit in the grooves, definitely a lot stronger and if you've got a table saw and a flat top or ripping blade, it's easy and quick enough to cut the grooves. I don't think 200mm is a shallow drawer either. My laundry drawers are near your planned size, they were done using 18mm MR melamine board. Very heavy but each one is very strong, plywood would work well too, maybe just put on a nice solid wood front to pretty it up.

Edit: Another option, did my garage storage drawers this way, sides and back sit on the bottom and the drawer runners fix to the drawer sides and bottom. The whole thing is held together with melamine glue (need to rough up or cut through the melamine layer) and staples. Fine furniture it is not, but as long as your cutting of the parts is precise, it comes together nicely. If you're using plywood I would probably pocket hole them or just use screws through the bottom into the sides, back/front. The staples were fast and it's strong. I did these about the same time as the laundry drawers, these were from left over sheets of melamine. The bottom drawer holds two routers, circular saw, belt sander, various accessories. These are about 3 years old now and they do the job. The garage storage was going to be temporary but as with all things that work fine, temporary is becoming permanent. If you're after assured longevity though, do it with grooves/dadoes.

Garage drawer:
20230607_123726.jpg

Laundry drawer - I remember now I did these with grooves because the slides are attached to the sides only, so the whole weight of the drawer is hangning of the sides.
20230607_133938.jpg

Hi there,

Firstly, there's nothing wrong with pocket holes, especially if they're:

1. Used correctly, which is obvious.. and
2. You probably want to put a false front on your drawers if aesthetics bother you.

I have used pocket holes on many of my workshop (and even work bench) drawers. No dramas and can be very strong.

Slots also work, but so does a lot of glue and screws/nails/staples too. Dowel joints, biscuit joints, dominoes or fancier joinery like slots and dovetails will of course, work too... but the sane-ish amongst us may see that as a bit excessive for a work bench. )

I have no disagreements with the suggestions to use ply, or melamine, scrap pine, or even MDF/form ply... it really depends on your priorities, cost, aesthetic preferences, and of course, what you'll put into those drawers. I say that, because if you put serious loads in a 12mm/0.5" based drawer... you'll want to glue and screw very well, maybe "up" the side thickness and even consider stronger rails. I.... may have put a 3" thick, cast iron tool table in a drawer much like your specs... and broke it... it bent the slide rails, then when I pulled it out, the ensuing jam cracked some glue joints. So....

As a born-again "hey let's over engineer everything with scrap wood laminated together if it saves a few bucks" nutter, there's really no right or wrong way. However, if you make several drawers out of differing materials (particularly differing thicknesses of materials) may I gently remind you that you'll have to adjust the dimensions on a case-by-case basis. Not too hard if you're organized..... awful if you're not. Of course, this is something I've learned the hard way P

In general, I do use 17/18mm ply or MDF for sides, anywhere between 10-17mm on the base, depending on size, what it's storing, and how much load I expect it to take. Just keep an eye on your drawer weight, as some of the cheaper Bunnings/online slides are only rated to 35/45Kg. If you use MDF it can get surprisingly heavy and that'll eat into your load capacity.

All the best on your drawer making!
Harmo.

Mine are about that size and I used ply base and 19mm pine DAR sides. Work fine.

You can also use these for a quick simple solution
Drawer Metabox 320H 450 C15 450Mm 'H' Cream 30Kg Single Extension | Lincoln Sentry
. You can buy them a lot cheaper at Hafele.

Cheers

I’m building some drawers for my bench trying different methods for the bases with each one


There’s two installed so far and a third of equivalent size will be started this weekend and then smaller half width to keep space for the space for pattern makers vice

Drawers are approx 850-900 x 550 deep and 100mm deep to handle planes and al my hand tools. Fit out is slow going but I’ve enjoyed trying different bases.



This was my first drawer and is just dominoed in the corners and tongue and groove pine base and is holding up really well so far with the weight in it



The second drawer isn’t tongue and grooves into the sides, I grabbed some inspiration to the ‘slip drawer method’ I read about in an old wood review magazine but I just bastardised it. I just cut all pieces to size and used 6mm dowels to glue it together sanded and then dominoed into the sides and back. This one doesn’t have as much free movement as the first so I’ll see how this one goes over time and May pay attention more to the slip drawer instructions and try again worst case

The next drawer I’ll try I’ll look up another method and see what comes out.

I have used ironbark and some bloodwood offcuts I had for the sides so not your typica material to use in this case but I have so much material I’ve already bought that I’m not going back elsewhere to buy more pine just because it’s cheap. This material years old very stable and I milled it from the log myself.

Cheers
Nathan

I forgot to mention that there will be portions of this build out I’ll use pocket screws on as well as I’m doing this in a weird order of building the drawers into the bench not as a standalone tool chest. I’ll be install dividers and the perpendicular board for the smaller drawers and vice to be housed and don’t see many other options than pocket screws to retrofit into the bench. I’m not elitist around how things are done I think pocket screws still have a useful place for certain tasks. Will post pics when done

Cheers
Nathan

Currently doing these for SWMBO...for the kitchen. Widest 804mm.
Used Meranti from a door and window maker, less than half the price of the Green Shed.
Bought 60 x 19 and 45'd the corners. Ran a rebate around the inside edge for the bottom to fit into. Glued and nailed.
Found some 2400 x 1200 x 12mm ply on FB for $10 per sheet. Unused but second hand. One side a bit stained but the "up" side is fine.
I share your concerns re: weight, as SWMBO likes to load things up.. Those drawer sides also come in bottom mount, with three fixing points. I then "rebate" with a 12mm straight cut bit into the bottom deep enough to have the complete runner flush with the bottom of the drawer. Looks neater. Beware, The bttom mount require 13.5mm not 12.5mm allowance. Don't ask me how I found out.

Originally Posted by rthorntn

What would be the best way for a well equipped beginner that's a bit too happy using pocket screws?

What materials should I use for the sides and bottom?

I already have the slides, they're pretty heavy-duty.

Thanks
Richard

Old style works well.
I would skew nail and glue the sides into rebates in the drawer fronts. Skew nail and glue the sides to the backs , no rebates.
The bottoms have a taper at their front , run front to back and go in a slot at the drawer front and are glued at/ to the sides only and nailed at the back. The rest of the bottom pieces are fitted in between and are not glued just nailed at the back. Done this way shrinkage doesn't distort the drawer it just leaves gaps in between boards. After that a slip is glued on the sides over the bottoms for the drawer to run on and they make the side the same depth as the front. Because the sides were cut at the start the depth of the drawer front down to the top of the slot to take the bottom . This is how nailed drawers were done in antique country furniture in the UK in the 17th / 18th century. When they didn't want to dovetail them . They are very strong and last hundreds of years. Drawer fronts running front to back is a pre 1800 thing you see in most drawers from back then . stronger but they show the movement in the bottoms. They were normally covered with thick paper loosely fitted in for use. By the owners possibly, or the Makers.
Solid sides and bottoms of pine is good enough. Solid is the best and strongest.


For desk and side tables and chest of drawers the material size was 9.5mm thick for the sides and bottom . Bottom sometimes thinner. Workbench I would go 12.7 on both or thicker.