Kitchen cabinets - cleats or thick back

[Greg McCallister]

I am making some kitchen cabinets (sort of a pantry off of the main kitchen) which will consist of 3 cabinets that are 42" x 20" x 15 - 3/4 ply. This is my dilemma, I was thinking using 1/2" backing. I searched on this and it has been mentioned but those were for smaller cabinets.
Should I use 3/4 for the back or use cleats with 1/4 back to reduce overall weight?
Price is not a factor as it would be minimal - just strength. Also the lower part of the cabinets will have coat hooks which will add to the weight they need to support.

[Matt Meiser]

I used 3/4" backs everywhere. They are heavy, but sturdy and I won't have to worry about where I need to put screws.

[Greg McCallister]

Matt,

I checked out your kitchen build for your mother.
Nice job!
My main concern is the total weight of the cabinet. Do you think it adds that much more weight? Did you rabbit/dado the backs or pocket screw them in?

[Michael Schwartz]

A french cleat does make installation very easy. If you rebate the back the carcass the depth of your plywood back panel plus the thickness of your cleat the cabinet sides will sit flush with the wall and the french cleat can be hiden.

Making a french cleat is as simple as setting your table-saw to 45 degrees and ripping a scrap of plywood.

To hang, screw the other 1/2 of the cleat on the wall, and just lift the cabinet up onto it, and screw through both into a stud if you want.

[Matt Meiser]

It probably adds a few pounds over a 1/2" back. My cabinets are a LOT heavier than the 1/2" particle board with 3/16" backs that Lowes sells. You only need to deal with the weight during construction and hanging.

I couldn't use french cleats because these go all the way to the ceiling. You need at least an inch or so clearance to use a french cleat.

[sean m. titmas]

Should I use 3/4 for the back or use cleats with 1/4 back to reduce overall weight?

I use 1/4" for the backs on base cabinets because they are rarely ever seen and do not have the same loads as wall cabinets. For the wall cabinets i use 3/4" to keep the look and feel of the cabinets clean and strong and to prevent any racking stresses when it is hung on the wall.

[Greg McCallister]

Michael,
French cleats would not work as Matt described as they will go all the way to the ceiling.

Matt,
How did you fasten the backs as I noticed you are using prefinished ply?

[Matt Meiser]

Rabbets all around the back, glue, and screws.

[scott vroom]

Rabbets all around the back, glue, and screws.

Matt, how did you cut your rabbets?

thanks

[Matt Meiser]

Dado blade on the TS with a sacrificial fence.

[scott vroom]

Dado blade on the TS with a sacrificial fence.

3/8" wide and 3/4" deep?

[Matt Meiser]

Only 1/4" deep (measured from the face of the cabinet sides/top/bottom by 23/32 which is the actual thickness of the ply. Their purpose is to aid in assembly and hide any defects (chipout) at the edges of the back.

[Thomas S Stockton]

I always use 1/2 for cabinet backs, plenty strong and you can put screws anywhere which is nice if you have a narrow upper that only catches one stud. I also like how much cleaner a cabinet looks if you don't have a nailer strip on the inside.
Tom

[sean m. titmas]

I assume that when you use 1/4" for the backs that you are making the cabinets with 3/4" face frames to add some rigidity to the boxes? the only time i use 1/4" backs is when the box is either a base cabinet or a faceframe. i screw on a 3/4" back for my frameless cabinets to keep them square.

[Cary Falk]

I have built cabinets in a cabinet shop and have also built some of my own. We used 1/4 for the backs. Along the inside of the top of the cabinets we put a 3" stringer to put the screws through to the studs. We also put screws through the back piece on the bottom of the cabinet. Here are some crude garage cabinet examples of what I am talking about but it will give you a idea. Of course if the cabinets were nice I would countersink the screws and use button plugs. I have never heard of one falling off the wall.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0213.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0214-2.jpg

[Ed Peters]

On the uppers I cut a dado about 4" down from the top that is 1/2" deep and 2" wide. Before I hang the boxes, I install strips of 1/2" thick plywood which allows me to verify the stud locations and when they are up, they provide a system for hanging the cabinets at the correct height without a lot of effort.

Ed

[Nathan Callender]

Ed - interesting way to hang cabinets! That's pretty neat.

As for the thickness, I went with a 3/4" plywood back on my cabinets for the ability to put a screw anywhere when they are hung on the walls and also for simplicity. Adding a stringer isn't much more complicated but I chose simple for this round! 1/2 plywood would seem to work just as well.

BTW, the weight difference shouldn't be that crazy and since you're building out of ply, it's got to be lighter than the particle board/mdf things that people are hanging. The cabs I took down were this type and weighted a ridiculous amount!

[Michael Schwartz]

It probably adds a few pounds over a 1/2" back. My cabinets are a LOT heavier than the 1/2" particle board with 3/16" backs that Lowes sells. You only need to deal with the weight during construction and hanging.

I couldn't use french cleats because these go all the way to the ceiling. You need at least an inch or so clearance to use a french cleat.

Sorry, didn't quite read the dimensions this morning :D when suggesting the french cleat.

[Greg McCallister]

Thanks everyone for the replies - will go with 3/4.