# Drawers in 1/2" MDF cabinets



## tiksi (Jun 20, 2009)

I've made some closet space in an attic kneewall. So far it's just open cabinets made of 1/2" MDF, but I'd like to put some drawers in some of them. The drawers would be 30" wide and 24" deep. Would the MDF be able to hold this? What type of material would you recommend for the drawers?

Thanks,

-tiksi


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

That will be a fairly large drawer. I would use as a minimum, 1/2" plywood for the 4 sides and bottom, like Baltic Birch, or Maple. Side mount full extension slides would work well. 

You could just rabbet the sides to accept the front and back. Run a groove on the sides and front to provide for the bottom. Cut the back short so the bottom will slide in and out.


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## tiksi (Jun 20, 2009)

*Thank you, but*

Thank you for your reply cabinetman!

So you think I need 1/2" for the drawer bottom? 1/4" wouldn't do?

But what I am more worried about is the cabinets themselves. They are made of 1/2" MDF and are large enough to house 30" x 24" drawers. Will the MDF be strong enough to hold these drawers? Or should I but in additional "walls" of plywood before I attempt installing drawer slides?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

tiksi said:


> Thank you for your reply cabinetman!
> 
> So you think I need 1/2" for the drawer bottom? 1/4" wouldn't do?
> 
> But what I am more worried about is the cabinets themselves. They are made of 1/2" MDF and are large enough to house 30" x 24" drawers. Will the MDF be strong enough to hold these drawers? Or should I but in additional "walls" of plywood before I attempt installing drawer slides?




If you're not going to put a lot of weight in them, ¼" might be sufficient. If you use side mount drawer slides the ½" MDF would likely be OK. If there is no face frame, maybe you could add one. If you don't have a real reason for the need for that width of drawers, maybe divide the opening and install two narrow ones.


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