Applied Drawer Fronts: How thin can you go?

[Ty Williams]

I'm making a set of drawers for my van to make camping less of a mess. I'd like to have some compassion for the asthmatic squirrel Ford installed under the hood of this thing, keeping weight to a minimum is the most important design consideration. The drawer boxes are made of 12mm Baltic Birch ply that I turned into drillium to get the weight down as far as possible. The drawer fronts need to be just over 2 feet wide and between 6" and 14" tall (varies by drawer). I'd like to apply a false front to each drawer to make the whole thing look nicer. To keep the weight down, how thin do you think I can get away with making the false fronts? At some point (1/2"? 1/4"?) will they just warp, crack, or break off? One of the pieces of wood in my stash that I'm considering is some spalted maple that's a bit punky in places, would it need to be thicker?

Thanks as always.

[George Yetka]

Why not make them the drawer front instead of false? Are they inset or over face frames?

[Jamie Buxton]

I use applied drawer fronts. I screw them on from behind, with the screws running through larger holes, so I can adjust the position of the front. The applied front then needs to be thick enough for screws to hold; I use 3/4".

If you're going to use glue to hold the front on to the drawer box, you could use an applied front as thin as 1/4". But you probably want to make them oversize, and trim them to fit after you install them. Trimming needs to be exact if they're inset, but can be sloppier if they're overlay.

[Jim Becker]

You can go thinner if you use stronger material, such as 3/8" ply or a man-made material. You have to balance the desire to lose the weight with the ability for the drawer fronts to hold up to reasonable abuse...which they will get over time. I don't know if I'd go to 1/4", but I'd be comfortable with 3/8" for this application unless there is no or really minimal overhang of the drawer face which can be done if you use undermount slides. Glue to attach for sure for thin faces.

[Bill Dufour]

I would keep the veneer at least 1/16" thick because scratches are likely in a vehicle.
Bill D

[Eric Brown]

My dad used plywood applied fronts on the kitchen drawers. Most of them were breaking after a number of years due to the front being the stop for the drawer. This would have been avoided if he had put in stops that kept the fronts from hitting.
I have more experience than he did back then, and I would use solid wood today. Stonger, easier to refinish.

[Richard Coers]

1/4" would not stand a chance if it overlaps a face frame and hangs off the drawer a lot. Maybe you could get by with Baltic Birch, but still could break a corner. You could make like a picture frame from 3/4" stock to cover the gap and still let the drawer front show.