# Drawer bottoms, what do you use?



## skatefriday (May 5, 2014)

I'm building some drawers for a cabinet and I'm wondering
what material people typically use for drawer bottoms?

My plywood suppliers are all quoting about $28 a sheet
for maple mdf and $57 a sheet for maple veneer core.

Seems pretty expensive for 1/4 veneer core. What are
people using these days for drawer bottoms?


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

It really depends on the project. For a piece of furniture, I would use either baltic birch or veneer core core plywood. It would also depend on what type of wood is used for the drawer sides.

For shop cabinets or such, I will use just 1/4" BC plywood so that I have one pretty good side. I have also been using Arauco plywood which I get a Menards. It is a good quality plywood and better than the standard stuff. In addition, Menards stores their sheet good flat not like HD which puts them on racks with arms and puts a bend in them.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Baltic birch for nicer stuff, luan for more utilitarian applications and thicker (~ 1/2") AC plywood for heavy duty use.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Luan here


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Baltic birch here.


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## OldWrangler (Jan 13, 2014)

1/4" Birch veneer at HD for $23.00 a sheet.
Strong and workable.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I agree with all above. Depends on what cabinet it's in, and if it's going to be holding something heavy or not


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## lateralus819 (Mar 24, 2013)

I've seen a few reputable builders using solid wood. I don't see a difference, does anyone else?


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

1/4 inch Birch from HD - $24 plus tax. Just bought a sheet for some paint grade kitchen cabinets which are also being constructed from Birch (3/4 inch).

I have also used the 1/4 inch prefinished birch for cabinets which have interior pieces made from the pre finished 3/4 Birch.
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/93006

I guess the question is what kind of cabinet are you building?


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

Any of the above including solid wood. HD and Lowe's have 1/4" ply for a little over $20 a sheet.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

1/4 ply from Home Depot, I find it sufficient.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

1\4" sanded ply.


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## timbertailor (Jul 2, 2014)

1/4" Birch for most drawers.
Larger drawers holding heavy object usually get 1/2 solid wood.

I have been known to spline the bottoms of some drawers that I used 1/4" plywood on if I was concerned about extra support.


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## skatefriday (May 5, 2014)

So in other words, nobody uses MDF for drawer bottoms. Odd because when I called
asking for a price for 1/4" maple sheets, they all quoted the MDF price first and none of
them disclosed that it was MDF until I asked if that was veneer core.

The drawer sides are baltic birch, but it hadn't occurred to me to use 1/4" baltic
birch for the bottoms. I'll start asking about that.

The opacity of the plywood market, combined with the "we don't really want to
sell to non-pros" can be very annoying at times.


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

If you have a source, you could buy 3/8 inch Baltic Birch and cut a rabbit around the edge of your drawer bottoms so it fits in the drawer groove yet has the thickness and strength of the 3/8. 

Same goes for 1/2 inch I guess.


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## NoThanks (Mar 19, 2014)

I like the pre-finished birch for most, depending of course on what your building. 
I'm surprised I haven't heard any replies for melamine. 
I've made a lot of drawers using maple melamine for bottoms. Looks nice with the pre finished baltic birch sides. Understand that 1/4" melamine on an mdf core isn't plywood, but I've never had or seen a failure with it.
Also have used several other woodgrain melamines that compliment the exterior color of the cabinetry.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

1/4" aromatic cedar plywood. Pretty stuff.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

1/4" baltic birch will be plenty strong, in fact, it's surprising how strong it really is in a drawer application.
Much stronger than mdf or hardboard typically used in drawer bottoms.


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