I am building a drawer for my big green egg table. It will be outside but will be under a covered porch.
I will be building the drawer out of cypress but was wondering about what material I should make the bottom out of. Most drawers have a piece of plywood for the bottom, but since this will be outside I didn't know if I should do this.
If I don't use plywood, the only way I know to do it is to slide 6" boards into the grooves to make the bottom of the drawer.
Any suggestions about which way I should go to build the drawer bottoms?
Thanks
I am a BB or Birch plywood guy, but how big is the drawer bottom? the bigger the thicker I go, usually 1/4", but a big drawer and heavy things in it I would go 3/8". It is a balance act. Not enough info for a definitive answer.
Since it'll reside outside, I'd still use plywood, but seal all 4 edges with glue. Apply the glue all around and let dry completely. Sand lightly so it'll still slide in the box side grooves. That should solve any moisture / warping problem. If it sees heavy moisture, you could always seal both sides with Spar varnish. I think all you're trying to do is keep the bottom from splitting/warping - right?
I wouldn't glue the bottom in place - just in case it does something not too nice. Just screw the bottom to the back of box. then if you need to you can remove / replace it.
Joel
You could build the bottoms out of Cypress. Just glue up three eights or half-inch stock and slide it in. Or you could make them with lap joints that just slide in over each other. I make solid wood bottoms all the time. You never know where that piece may end up. You may have a drawer full of water one day.
I'd use a good grade of plywood, and just because stuff happens, I'd drill a few weep holes way back in the corners. They don't need to be big, just an exit if water ever does find it's way there. Under a roof, you could still spill something on it.
Why choose A or B? Why not choose C? Or D?
If you have the ability to resaw, you can do what the old maker's did and make your own plywood for the bottom, gluing up layers of Cypress with Titebond 3 or Epoxy.
You could also use something unconventional for the drawer bottom. A piece of polycarbonate or aluminum. Better yet, if the drawer is for storing grill tools and such, you could use hardware cloth (looks like heavy duty screen with 1/4" holes) or perforated aluminum for the bottom. These options would prevent water from being trapped in the drawer.
Marine plywood would do the trick.
Aluminum; galvanized steel.