Plywood carcase with permanent shelf

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187
Location
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
If I were to build a plywood carcase for a builtin cabinet with a face frame and wanted to have a permanent shelf in the center of this box what joint should I use for the plywood shelf? This cabinet will hold fairly heavy items for storage.

Just a simple dado?

Would adding a front edge add to the strength of the shelf? FWW magazine had an article about this, trying to locate the article now. Found it (M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 7 page 39) but is mainly for solid wood shelving.

Rough dimensions are 45"h x 30"w x 28"d.
 
what other aspects of the cabinet will support the shelf bill? if you`re going to use a faceframe and a back then setting a single piece of 3/4 into a dado will be strong so long as it`s not over 32" in width..be sure to glue the dados, faceframe and back to the shelf and you should be fine.....if you`re doing anything other than what i just discribed please post more details.
 
Thanks Tod.

Yes, I will use a face frame. Since you mention it, I thought I would used biscuits to attach the faceframe to the plywood edges of the box. That should be OK, right.

For the back, HD has some thin luan sheeting that I was intending to rabbet into the back. Pin and glue this to the carcase.

Does that sound strong enough?
 
biscuits are fine for the faceframe to shelf joint but so is plain ol` glue ;).....the joint between the faceframe rail and styles is what`s going to make or break the strength of the shelf..for major weight,(over 150#) i`d either half lap or mortise-n-tennon that and the top-n-bottom corner joints.
here are a coupla ways to do the shelf/faceframe joint that are stronger than biscuits;)

MVC-556S.JPG
 
Thanks again Tod,

I see what you are saying, I think... Instead of attaching a wide edge to the shelf your sketch shows a cleat attached to the faceframe rail that the shelf can then be glued and screwed into, right? Or, in the second drawing I would have to figure out how to rabbet the rail before making up the face frame or having to do a blind rabbet after the fac3eframe is together?

BTW I didn't intend to use biscuits to attach the shelf to the faceframe, just to attach the faceframe to the carcase (or plywood box edges) if I have my lingo correct!
 
bill,

in my experience, what you are planning to do is plenty good enough. if it makes you feel better you could always add a cleat at the back of the shelf as well.

chris
 
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