Dresser Build - Looking For Drawer Input

[Jason Parker]

Hello everyone,
Long-time lurker and first time poster here, love this forum and the breadth of knowledge you can find here. I figured I'd reach out and ask for some insight on a project I'm working on. A good buddy of mine commissioned me to build four (4) dressers for two of their bedrooms. The dressers will be recessed into the wall by about 8" leaving around 16" protruding. These are beaded face frames with shaker drawer fronts (painted white). Tops will be 4/4 and 5/4 walnut (finished rubio monocoat). I've built the beaded faceframes and carcasses already and am getting ready to start the drawers which leads to my questions.
Kids-51-X2.jpg
The four dressers vary in overall widths (35"; 38"; 51"; and 56") specific to each room. All in all I have 24 drawers to build. Based on the design he wants we made a few compromises at his request and I wanted to run a few things by someone for their input:

• Drawer Sides: These will vary in height 3 1/4", 5 1/4", 7 1/4" and 11 1/4". Due to the expense, we opted to use 1/2" ply for the smaller upper double drawers and 3/4" ply for the larger single bottom drawers (for strength and stability). I would prefer to make them out of poplar or hardwood but I don't have resaw capability, and drawer side stock is pricey. Anyway, I'm a bit concerned with the overall unsupported drawer width for the larger bottom drawers (being 43 3/4" and 48 3/4" in width) but figured the 3/4" ply is strong and I could reinforce with a cross brace on the bottom of the drawer for additional support in the middle if needed. I was going to use box joints but he's not in love with seeing the plywood grain on the side (not to mention the probability of tear out) so I may need to rabbit the boxes. I thought about using a lock miter but I imagine tear out on plywood would be also be an issue. I planned on edge banding the top of the drawers with 1/4" walnut but I don't think I have many options trying to edge band the sides where the box joints are. Thoughts? Alternatives?
• Drawer Bottoms: Plan is to use 1/2" and 3/4" Duraply MDO signboard (I had a few extra sheets) for the bottoms, as well as the drawer front panels. The MDO is a flat, clean surface that should serve as a bottom well.
• Drawer Finish (interior): Since these are dressers, he doesn't want any issues with fumes or smelly clothes. I also didn't want to leave them unfinished so I was thinking of a few coats of shellac after assembly. Any concerns? I'm curious how the MDO will take shellac (never applied it to MDO before).

I'd appreciate your input if you have any before I start going down this road and trying to avoid undesirable results. Thanks....

[Jamie Buxton]

The drawer is a complete drawer box with an applied front, right?

If the front and back of the drawer box is plywood, through joinery at the corners is ugly. Use a tongue and groove joint. There’s a vertical groove on the side, and a mating tongue on the end of the front or back. You cut the joint entirely on the tablesaw. It is fast, and it is sturdy enough with ball bearing slides.

If you use sidemount slides and half inch plywood sides - a perfectly reasonable choice - look out for the screws that come with the slides. They’re usually half inch long, and penetrate through the “half inch” plywood. You can buy 7/16 screws from Woodcraft and other suppliers.

3/4-thick drawer bottoms is thicker than you need. I generally use 1/4”, and use up scraps by doubling up the drawer bottoms in the middle, where the potential for sagging is highest.

[Jamie Buxton]

Yes, edge banding the top edge of the drawer box parts is good. Iron-on veneer tape is much much much faster than solid lumber. Solid lumber is better, but be prepared to spend a couple weeks gluing banding on your hundred drawer parts. If you can, arrange your shop schedule so you have something else to be doing while all that banding is curing.

[andy bessette]

These drawers sound like something that belong more in a shop than a bedroom. However, if you are committed to this route, I would use epoxy glue and pneumatic brad nailer to assemble and edge band them.

[Lee Schierer]

Drawers made from 3/4" material are going to be very heavy and won't add any appreciable strength. In my experience, typically drawers for dressers are made from solid wood. I've made a number of dressers, some of which are more than years old. All of them have 1/2" tulip poplar drawer sides and 1/4" plywood bottoms. None have failed or required rework. The drawer corners are all half blind dovetails. Knowing that 1/4" plywood today isn't the quality it was 40+ years ago, I might opt to use 3/8" or 1/3" ply wood if I could find it.

With regard to finishing the drawers, typically I used Deft Clear brushing lacquer. You could also use shellac. What ever you choose, don't select any oil type finishes. Unfinished drawers tend to snag on delicate items and don't retain a smooth finish over time.

I'm curious. What sort of home has walls that are thick enough to allow the 8" deep recessing of these dressers?

[Jason Parker]

The drawer is a complete drawer box with an applied front, right?

Yes, they will have separate shaker style drawer fronts.

If the front and back of the drawer box is plywood, through joinery at the corners is ugly. Use a tongue and groove joint. There’s a vertical groove on the side, and a mating tongue on the end of the front or back. You cut the joint entirely on the tablesaw. It is fast, and it is sturdy enough with ball bearing slides.

That was my alternative plan but like much of the compromises he wanted to make, I wasn't in love with this type of joint.

If you use sidemount slides and half inch plywood sides - a perfectly reasonable choice - look out for the screws that come with the slides. They’re usually half inch long, and penetrate through the “half inch” plywood. You can buy 7/16 screws from Woodcraft and other suppliers.

Great point. I didn't think of that, thanks for the heads up!

These drawers sound like something that belong more in a shop than a bedroom. However, if you are committed to this route...

Drawers made from 3/4" material are going to be very heavy and won't add any appreciable strength. In my experience, typically drawers for dressers are made from solid wood.

I was committed due to the compromise, but I don't like it either. I'm going to try and persuade him otherwise to use maple, poplar, or oak even, since material cost will add up for the number (24) and size of half the drawers.

I'm curious. What sort of home has walls that are thick enough to allow the 8" deep recessing of these dressers?

It's a cape style home with kneewalls in the bedrooms on the 2nd floor.

Thanks all for the feedback and confirming my hesitations. I don't have resaw capacity so there is going to be a lot of planing (what a waste!), dust and wood chips in the near future (I hope). Even if I had resaw capabilities there really isn't saving any $ and just adds an additional step.