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+-- Thread: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" (/showthread.php?tid=7095165)
"The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - Alan S - 09-11-2015
I always enjoy the woodgears.ca site, but today's entry was particularly entertaining. It seems drawer bottoms are likely strong enough, no matter what approach you use for them. I also like his conclusion that I've used as a thread title.
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - fredhargis - 09-11-2015
It was an interesting read. We woodworker's get all tied up in knots over the strength of something, whether it's biscuits, or clamp pressure, or maybe drawer bottoms...when in truth they are probably work well enough for what we are doing.
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - ruffcutt - 09-11-2015
I'd sure like to see that test done with 1/4 Baltic Birch bottoms.
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - meackerman - 09-11-2015
I'd usually more concerned on aesthetics of the drawer than strength of how the bottom is secured.
Try using a glued on the bottom drawer bottom with Blum Tandem slides...
But I have done the glued on the bottom drawer bottoms before.
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - Robert Adams - 09-11-2015
Same here. It's really the looks of the drawer and the style of slides that dictate you away from just gluing the bottoms on. You also gain a little drawer depth. I always make drawers as big as I can fit to use all the space provided.
I did like that quote too..
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - MsNomer - 09-11-2015
I like flat bottoms because stuff from the next drawer down can't stick up and catch.
Just made 10 drawers for the van. I used 1/2" ply bottoms with rabbet in a groove. Waaay overkill.
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - daveferg - 09-12-2015
If you're going to just use regular wood runners (instead of drawer slides) how well is plywood going to hold up at the new contact point of a drawer runner? For that type of design I usually use at least poplar for sides.
Interesting side note----I built an end table and matching coffee table with somme small drawers. I groved around all four sides and trapped my plywood bottom.
Flash forward a couple years----drawer was open and I knocked over a large glass of water, with most going in the drawer. After I rushed to empty the drawer contents, the water was still holding. Tight as if it were a plastic tub---just dumped the water and let the draw dry out.
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - MsNomer - 09-12-2015
Drawer slides. K&V8400RV. They have a spring to keep them closed while driving. A bit hard to open, actually, but that's OK.
Re: "The space efficiency of pure chaos is hard to beat" - AHill - 09-12-2015
Yep, glue is strong. I'm thinking he does this for shop drawers and not for high end cabinetry. Aesthetics does matter.