Gluing etc. vs. grain direction

[kipnflip]

I'm building a sort of dresser/drawer-unit, using wood strips left over from other projects.

The question is how to attach various parts correctly, so that expansion or contraction of the wood won't wreck the thing over time - popping glue joints, splitting the wood, etc. I've done a decent amount of woodworking, but hardly consider myself an expert; and I've seen videos online about problems that can arise when, say, gluing one piece to another when the grain is 90 degrees from the first. I've done some smaller "wood strip" projects and haven't had problems - yet - but don't know if problems would arise down the road.

1. I'll need to build an internal structure that ultimately supports drawer slides of some sort. To this end, I'd *like* to attach some front-to-back pieces on the inner sides of the unit. An example front-to-back piece (not quite long enough here; just an example), held here with clamps so I could take the photo, is shown. I might attach with glue, or some screws along the length of the cross piece, or both. Total length from to back is around 22 inches. Is this sort of thing likely to be a problem, with either glue, screws or both? If so, what else might someone suggest?

2. Same basic question for attaching the top (shown in another photo). I was planning to use some dowel pins in each corner. Maybe glue too, but obviously it wouldn't offer much strength on the endgrain of the two sides. Strength of the top may not be a super big deal, I suppose; I don't expect people to be picking the unit up by its top. Mainly, I don't want anything splitting and cracking over time.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

[wtnhighlander]

Use screws for the drawer runners. slot the holes in the runner itself, so the screws can move as the panel expands.

For the top, you have two problems. The side panel will expand across its width, and the top will expand along its length, so you have opposing movements. I would use either shop-made 'buttons' or figure-8 fasteners along the front and back rails for attaching the top. I would attach the top to the end panels ONLY in the center, perhaps with an L-bracket having the screw hole for the top side elongated.

You would be safer to make a top with grain running tge length, not the width.

Truly, you may have little to worry about. Most of those strips appear to be oriented so the growth rings pass through the top, sort of a quarter-sawn arrangement. In that case, expansion and contraction along the length of the top panel will be minimal.