How thick should kitchen drawer bottoms be?

[Stanleythecat]

Hi Folks

Thanks for all of your previous advice, I've learnt so much doing this kitchen build and it has gone pretty much to plan!!!

I am so nearly finished now, carcasses made and fitted, frames painted, doors made and fitted... So it's on to the drawers.

I have nine drawers to make 6 for two 800 in-frame units and 3 for a 1000 in-frame unit between them. They will be about 500 deep and I am using soft close runners with 12mm birch ply for the front/back/sides (unless you suggest otherwise!)

I have a 6.5mm and 9.5mm groover and was wondering what thickness ply I should use for the base of the drawers?

Many thanks

Leo

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If it were my wife jamming the drawers full, about two inches.

 

[monkeybiter]

If it were my wife jamming the drawers full, about two inches.

+1 :lol:

 

[Stanleythecat]

If it were my wife jamming the drawers full, about two inches.

... that's the one!!!!

 

[Racers]

6mm glued all round will be o/k, I have made bigger draws and they have held up fine using the same construction.

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've had flat pack stuff in the past that has lasted perfectly well with hardboard drawer bottoms despite being abused - because (as Pete said above) I glued them in well.

 

[Zeddedhed]

6mm glued all round will be o/k, I have made bigger draws and they have held up fine using the same construction.

Pete

+1

 

[ED65]

Coincidentally I was reading a lot about this just the other day while Googling around to see opinions on whether MDF is okay for a drawer bottom. Many of the threads I found had discussions on what thickness of material is best for kitchen drawers and in a few of them the overwhelming number of recommendations were to go thicker, with 3/8" ply over 1/4" which sounds to me like completely overkill to be honest. I mean how strong does a kitchen drawer need to be? 6mm should be just fine for the average person who doesn't have a large collection of cast iron pans

 

[skipdiver]

The one i built for my house, i used the metal boxes with 15mm melamine for bottoms.

 

[Stocksy27]

9.5 would be better obviously but I've used 6mm veneered mdf for years on big draws works fine just glue it in

 

[EddyCurrent]

I used 12mm birch ply for the sides and bottom, all fully glued. By using a joint as shown, the internal depth was the same as if I'd used a 6mm bottom in the same rebate.