Should I build this dresser?

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

the 3/4" mdf will be plenty strong. My 18"D x 24"W x 72"H bookshellf is made out of 3/4" and each shelf has roughly 40lbs of books on it with no bracing. There is a tiny bit of bending on one of the top shelves, but that's because it's had stuff on it longer (library increased a lot when I got into college). Had it for a few years now and I got it for like $20-$30 at wal-mart. You shouldn't have any problems with 3/4" mdf unless you build the think with duct tape.
And since you're building it on your own, I would put handles on the thing so it's easy to move if you want to.

Personally, I'd go with some real wood though. If you're going to put the time in, you might as well make it to look nice and make it so you can re-use it if you move. Just go to home depot and see what kind of wood is on sale and start working. Going to be kind of hard to build it properly without the right tools though. Wouldn't bother if you can't do it the proper way. Kind of a big project to tackle without tools and experience. If I were you, I'd just build a cabinet. Two doors are going to be a lot easier to put on than all those drawers.

You think this is a complicated job? [Not in a condescending tone, I swear]

I don't really think so. How I see it, it'll just be a lot of making everything's at a 90 degree angle and screwing/glueing in. The only complicated parts I see is the sliders, which I'd hope to buy pre-fab. Like already inserted wood and such. Maybe one or two long strips that I could cut up to the size I wanted/needed.

Cabinets seem like a lot more work. Besides, I don't need a cabinet, ya' know? I need a dresser. If I just had a cabinet it'd be useless. I don't hang my clothes up. Nor do I fold them all nice and neat.

 

[Hintzyboy 5,000+ posts]

You think this is a complicated job? [Not in a condescending tone, I swear]I don't really think so. How I see it, it'll just be a lot of making everything's at a 90 degree angle and screwing/glueing in. The only complicated parts I see is the sliders, which I'd hope to buy pre-fab. Like already inserted wood and such. Maybe one or two long strips that I could cut up to the size I wanted/needed.

Cabinets seem like a lot more work. Besides, I don't need a cabinet, ya' know? I need a dresser. If I just had a cabinet it'd be useless. I don't hang my clothes up. Nor do I fold them all nice and neat.

Building it properly will take a bit of work. It's not terribly complicated, but since you only have a cirular saw with which you have limited experience, I think it might be a bit much. You have to build front, rear, and side panels, plus the interior structure, plus the drawers. If stuff is even a little off, they won't slide properly. What I was suggesting would basically be a bookshelf with doors. It would function the same way basically, except the shelves wouldn't pull out. Maybe put 3-4" lips on each shelf to keep little stuff from toppling out. That would require much less cutting and being perfeclty square isn't as important. For a 2'x2'x6' cabinet, you're looking at 11 pieces of wood altogether with 12" tall shelves. Hell, if you figure out your measurements before you buy the wood, you could probably have homedepot/lowes/miscelaneous lumber yard cut the panels for you so all you have to do is assemble it.

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

Well, the thing is, I'm not really dreadfully skilled with a saw, and I won't lie. But I'm a perfectionist. I won't cut the wood unless it's straight and I know it is. I don't JUST have a circular saw. I have 90 degree angle tools, chalk line, etc. All the things necessary to make a straight cut with a circular saw. As for the sliding, I don't see how it'd need to be perfectly square? As I said: I wanted to buy it pre-fabbed inserts. I don't have a router, nor can I even dream of doing any of that with a saw.

As for the build as a whole, I already have it mapped out mentally, and have some bracing set up inside and such. I'm not sure if it'd be too complicated. Sure, to build a good one it'll be challenging... but I should be able to manage.

 

[Hintzyboy 5,000+ posts]

Well, the thing is, I'm not really dreadfully skilled with a saw, and I won't lie. But I'm a perfectionist. I won't cut the wood unless it's straight and I know it is. I don't JUST have a circular saw. I have 90 degree angle tools, chalk line, etc. All the things necessary to make a straight cut with a circular saw. As for the sliding, I don't see how it'd need to be perfectly square? As I said: I wanted to buy it pre-fabbed inserts. I don't have a router, nor can I even dream of doing any of that with a saw.
As for the build as a whole, I already have it mapped out mentally, and have some bracing set up inside and such. I'm not sure if it'd be too complicated. Sure, to build a good one it'll be challenging... but I should be able to manage.

to make it right, you'll want the drawers to be snug. If they're not perfectly square, they'll stick. I suppose you could just put a strip of wood on each side to hold the drawers up, but if you want to use the grooved strip and the plastic sliders, you need the stuff to be square.