Cabinet Back too Thin ?

[jfynyson]

I'm building a hanging walnut tea cabinet (roughly 26" tall x 6" deep x 13" wide). The back panel I planned on using 3 shiplap ambrosia maple boards. However, upon further review of my design I see that my SketchUp file calls for 1/4" thick back slats. I purchased 4/4 (7/8") kiln dried ambrosia maple and have had it acclimating in my work space for a few months now. These boards need to be resawn to use as back slats for another small cabinet project also, so I thought I could get all of the 1/4" stock milled from this board.

Question:
Even with acclimating do you think the ambrosia maple 7/8" board will likely still bow/cup/twist after resawing and planing to 1/4" thickness for boards that'll be ~3-4" wide x ~26" long thus rendering them useless for shiplap back panels ? Or is there no way to really know until it's tried due to every board likely acting different ?

Thanks in advance !

 

[bob vaughan]

Or is there no way to really know until it's tried due to every board likely acting different ?

Thanks in advance !

You've got it
Vertical grain is less likely to give problems than flat grain, but other than that, its a roll of the dice. 1/4" is thin enough to bend back into shape.

 

[Martin Roper]

A horizontal cross brace would help tie everything together. I'm assuming you will have a shelf or two and you could hide the cross brace behind the shelf.

Imagine a 1/2"-thick brace hidden behind that shelf. It would be essentially invisible and greatly stiffen the back.

 

[Rwe2156]

I doubt it would be a problem They are thin and will be fastened down. Are you doing shiplap?

Or, do the slats horizontally.

 

[jr14]

Do you have time to resaw and let them acclimate again? Stickered and weighted to keep them flat? And at that thickness/thinness they would not be hard to keep in place with a cleat or cross brace

 

[mpeele]

Re-saw it and then deal with it. I have "helped" re-sawn lumber re-acclimate in the summer by leaving it outside in the grass over night with the re-sawn or bowed side up. The morning dew seemed to add the exact amount of moisture needed. In the winter I would have to spritz it with water and then use my mother in laws steam iron to flatten it. Steam iron works also great at removing small dings that always seem to find there way into my projects.

 

[jfynyson]

Thanks for all of the thoughts & input. Sorry, I didn't see all of the comments/questions come in after my response to Bob. I am planning to resaw, allow to rest prior to final thicknessing and they will be shiplaps. There are shelves and drawer box section to help keep things in check.

 

[danmart77]

I built this corner cabinet recently and have it hanging in the corner. The back of this cabinet is 3/4" thick pine and it sits on a ledger on the wall and it is secured with screws under each of the shelves. Do not usee thin backing or you might hear a crashing sound down the rooad,

This cabinet is 40" tall and 25 wide walnut and pine. Its heavy. The back is 5/8 thick pine. It is installed with a ledger under the bottom of the cabinet to bear the weight. I think thin back is a big mistake so be cautious there.

 

[jfynyson]

I intend to hang mine using a recessed French Cleat. So, the thin abrosia maple back slats will sit in a rabbet and the cleat will be glued to the back slats & top of the cabinet.