Glue drawer bottoms?

[Dave Westover]

I built some drawer boxes from 3/4" pine and will be using 1/2" ply for the bottoms. I wondered if I should glue those in, or let them float? The bottoms will be fully captured in grooves on all sides. This is a hand tool chest so strength is my goal. Glue yes, or glue no?

The fronts will be lock rabbeted and though it looks like solid joinery, I thought by glueing the bottoms I might decrease some of the stress on that joint. Off track here, or oky doky?

Thanks for any insights.

[Paul Girouard]

With plywood sides and bottoms , my normal drawer box , I hot glue the bottom to the sides on the bottom side of the drawer. Mainly to take any rattles out and it hold the box square.

With solid wood sides in a tool cabinet I'd do my normal gig as stated just above.

[Dave Westover]

Why hot glue? My concern is wood movement. I dont know what to expect with expansion and contraction of the pine with a glued ply bottom. Id like the added strength glue would presumably add, but not at the expense of a broken drawer.

[Aaron Berk]

I built utility/tool drawers for my work bench about 5 yrs ago out of 3/4 pine. My drawers are about 15" wide and 24' long with nothing more than screwed butt joints, and a piece of 1/2" osb nailed/glued to the bottom. Sounds pretty sloppy right? Well it's been there for over 5 yrs and I haven't had ANY problems. These drawers get LOADED to the max and then my kids like to pull them out from the bottom up and pretend they are stairs to access my bench top.
I'd glue up the drawer.

[Leo Graywacz]

I usually make my drawers from 9 ply 5/8" ply and dovetail them, I put a groove in the bottom and use 1/2" ply bottoms (3 ply) and just let them float. I feel no need to glue them in.

[Cody Colston]

Since you are using plywood for the bottoms, there should be no wood movement concerns. Go ahead and glue them in if you want some added strength.

[Paul Girouard]

#1: Why hot glue?


#2: My concern is wood movement.

#3: I dont know what to expect with expansion and contraction of the pine with a glued ply bottom.

#4: Id like the added strength glue would presumably add, but not at the expense of a broken drawer.



#1: Mainly speed and the ability to glue, hold the box for a few seconds and know it's square so you can move to the next box.

#2: Yes, I know that, with solid wood sides that may be a concern, BUT I'd still go for the hot glue as the "grip" would be just at the bottom near your rabbet , the ply won't move that much (if at all) , well unless you leave the cabinet out in the rain , is it a portable cabinet or one that is expected to live at least inside a shop??

#3: Thats why I would NOT apply carpenters glue in the groove which is what I think you where referring to.

The hot glue should fail or "creep" before the wood would crack.

#4: Pine is cheap , at least relatively cheap. There is risk in every thing, but like I said I would NOT glue inside the grooves the drawer bottom sits in , that would be the way , most likely, for the Pine to crack.

Those are my thoughts on this.

Good luck, Paul

[Aaron Berk]

I know these aren't the best showcase of craftsmanship, but when time & money were on the line it didn't matter. They've held up flawlessly.

[Steve Schoene]

No reason not to fully glue the plywood bottoms. The solid wood sides have only minor expansion and contraction along their lengths. Thats about the same as you would expect with plywood, only minor expansion and contraction in either direction. Gluing the bottoms will add considerable strength. It may indeed by overkill strength, but there is no harm being done--just don't botch the glue up.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Either way with proper construction, you'll have a strong drawer. With gluing the bottom the drawers will be indistructble.

[Bill Arnold]

Another vote for gluing the bottom in place. I make my shop drawers with 1/2" plywood for all four sides and the bottom. I use lock rabbets on the four corners. I rout a 1/4" dado in all four sides and rabbet the edges of the bottom to fit the dado, making the bottom flush to the edges of all four sides.

[Steven DeMars]

I know these aren't the best showcase of craftsmanship, but when time & money were on the line it didn't matter. They've held up flawlessly.


Where did you find the big drawer handles . . .

[Chip Lindley]

I vote for either way! Glue will give you that feeling of extra security.

I am more concerned with how far from the bottom of your drawer sides you cut your 1/2" rabbet. This dimension will determine if you have any strength between the sides and bottom, (or not) when drawers are fully loaded. At least 1/2" I hope.

And those corners? Dovetailed? Half rabbeted? Butt joints? I do worry about drawer backs that separate from the sides from rough treatment! The momentum of a drawer full of hand tools coming to rest suddenly when the drawer is shut...I like sliding dovetails inset 1/2" from the back of drawer sides, so I can sleep well at night!

[Mac Cambra]

I have never glued the drawer bottoms in place, they always float. I also do not build the Norm Abrams style drawer either where the bottom overlaps the back, preferring to dado the back and assemble as with the other 3 sides.

Never had a problem.

[Mark Singer]

If the bottom is plywood, you can glue it, If it is solid wood let it float

[Bob Genovesi]

Another vote for gluing the bottoms as long as you're using plywood. The plywood won't move and if you add a few spots of glue the result will be a very strong drawer.

[Dave Westover]

Thanks a bunch folks. I am glueing the bottoms in place. I hope if the drawers ever fail, I'll be too old and senile to remember to update you all on their integrity ;).