Do drawer boxes require center support?

[NathanJT]

Now that I've got over the cost of 12mm Birch plywood I'm biting the bullet and building the drawers for my wardrobe build. Plans are as below, the box being made of 12mm ply, the base being 5mm ply sitting in a dado all round, all held together with pocket holes/glue as necessary.

I'm a little bit concerned though that the weight in the base, given the overall dimensions, might be a little too much and that I'll need to add a brace across the middle (red line). These are going to be for clothes, but may potentially also hold shoes etc.

Is there any chance they'll sag and need that added support?

TIA

 

[robgul]

Given that width I'd be inclined to fit a brace - but nothing much more than a thin strip of timber glued all the way along the ply base and glued to the front/back .... and with a couple of thin pins.

How are the drawers running - wood on wood, or some sort of metal runner? If the former can you incorporate a centre "runner" in the frame of the wardrobe to support the brace?

 

[rogxwhit]

Dado in this context is an American term - here, we call it a groove. ;-)

A brace isn't going to do a lot, given that it'll be shallow, laid flat, and presumably ply like the rest. So I'd be inclined to wing it, though if it isn't too late you might up the base thickness to say 9mm.

 

[Jacob]

5mm ply OK for drawer bottom but I'd put a muntin in the middle.

 

[NathanJT]

Dado in this context is an American term - here, we call it a groove. ;-)

A brace isn't going to do a lot, given that it'll be shallow, laid flat, and presumably ply like the rest. So I'd be inclined to wing it, though if it isn't too late you might up the base thickness to say 9mm.

It's not at all too late, and I was thinking upping the thickness was the other answer, I don't want to add any additional weight to the draw if I can help it though, but I suppose another 4mm isn't going to add that much.

Apologies for the Americanism, I've clearly watched way too many US Youtube videos!

 

[Jacob]

It's not at all too late, and I was thinking upping the thickness was the other answer, I don't want to add any additional weight to the draw if I can help it though, but I suppose another 4mm isn't going to add that much.

A muntin is the tried and tested conventional answer. No need to have heavier base or reinvent the drawer!

 

[robgul]

A muntin is the tried and tested conventional answer. No need to have heavier base or reinvent the drawer!

Ah - having looked up what a "muntin" is that's precisely what I was suggesting - but use "real wood" not a plywood strip, to reduce the risk of flexing. The wide drawers on a Victorian pine dresser that we have uses exactly that solution . . . and has lasted, obviously, >120 years.

. . . and as for "dado" that, to me, is the rail around a room at chair-back height and the area below down to the skirting board.

 

[Jacob]

Ah - having looked up what a "muntin" is that's precisely what I was suggesting - but use "real wood" not a plywood strip, to reduce the risk of flexing. The wide drawers on a Victorian pine dresser that we have uses exactly that solution . . . and has lasted, obviously, >120 years.

Thats it!
It's not just a strip added - the ply bottom would be in two pieces, let in to slots in the edges of the muntin.

. . . and as for "dado" that, to me, is the rail around a room at chair-back height and the area below down to the skirting board.

That's it as well! Always interesting to look things up: Dado (architecture) - Wikipedia
Don't know why it became the name for a groove, maybe a common groove was to hold a dado rail.

 

[NathanJT]

Ah - having looked up what a "muntin" is that's precisely what I was suggesting - but use "real wood" not a plywood strip, to reduce the risk of flexing. The wide drawers on a Victorian pine dresser that we have uses exactly that solution . . . and has lasted, obviously, >120 years.

. . . and as for "dado" that, to me, is the rail around a room at chair-back height and the area below down to the skirting board.

Yes, I've always struggled with it on YT. To me a "dado" is a rail.

 

[NathanJT]

A muntin is the tried and tested conventional answer. No need to have heavier base or reinvent the drawer!

I might actually give that a go, mainly because I love the word "muntin".