Thread: Routing out particleboard question

Originally Posted by yhprum

Hi all,
I have a possible bad idea I want to run by some more knowledgable types.
i would like to make some workbench cabinets with drawers that would use the drawer bottom as the runner/slider. The drawer bottoms would be 12mm ply and extend 10mm from each drawer slide. This part would fit into a 13mm channel on each side.
I would like to have this groove every 75mm on the cabinet sides to make the drawers able to be moved about. The drawers would be sized so the height would match the 75mm grooves. I would make the cabinets from 25 or 18 mm particleboard.
is it reasonable to expect I could use my 1/4 inch router to do this. Would I burn through router bits? I plan on making some type of fixture that I could use to guide the router and make the cuts parallel and spaced at 75mm?
Something like this guy did:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=32a_UzZaCIx93zK1&v=sSNLwEu1QCk&feature=youtu.be

You wont burn through router bits as its only particle board but you may get some chip out and may make for an inaccurate cut. Other than that, yes you can cut particle board with a router.

Its possible to do but there are a couple of down sides. The particalboard will be a lot less rigid with slots cut in it and the cut surfaces will be liable to ware from the drawer sliding. The particle board is harder on the surface and a bit more mushy inside. Ply itself would fare better but likely cost more. Faced with the same task I would stick wooden runners on the sides for the drawers to run on. If you do go the trenching way its likely better to do the trench walls with the tablesaw and clean out with the router.
Regards
John

6mm meat left in particle board is a bit small. Why not screw on timber battens as shelf supports and top them off with laminate, and laminate on the mating surface of the plywood drawer bottom. Will slide better and last a long time.

Thanks for the inputs.
I will considering adding strips of mdf or plywood to achieve the same effect as the cut grooves. Maybe using fasters with glue. My tablesaw isn’t big enough or accurate enough to cut the grooves
cheers

building a large storage cabinet for the shed as we speak..... sort of

instead of routering trenches into chipboard/MDF what i do is..
each 'wall' I make 9mm thick usually plywood, then I cut my drawer bases wide enough to fit in each bay less about 4mm for sliding movement
Once I have them made then I cut spacers that are depth of the cabinet X 4mm extra than the drawer itself. As in if I want drawers 150mm high then the spacer is 153mm+ high this stops each drawer jambing on the one above.
Then I place 1 drawer base, add the spacer side on on top of base, screw/bradnail into place then repeat.
Once I have spacers in place then I can fit the drawer sides
Hopefully the attached makes this clearer sorry its not the right way up.