I’m building a 72″ x 18″ credenza for my home office, and I’d like to put it on wheels to make it easier to move if needed. I’m concerned that if I only put wheels on the corners I will get some interior bowing.
It’s a very basic case using 3/4″ red oak plywood, with interior dividers and supports set in dado grooves at 18″ in from each side.
Should I put a set of wheels in the center to distribute the weight, or use another approach?
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The plywood should certainly be strong enough to prevent any sag. It just depends on how well you do the joinery. Without pictures, I assume that it will be a basic box. Like any box, if all of the corners fit well and are well glued and the box has a sturdy back that also fits well, the whole box should be very rigid and should easily span 72". To be safe, if you put the wheels under the two partitions 18" from each end, the entire load will be more evenly distributed. You could also install retractable wheels or use removable wheel platforms when moving is needed. The latter could reside in a closet or even in the cabinet itself when not in use. There are also commercially made moving slides that work quite well for occasional use:
https://www.amazon.com/SuperSliders-4703895N-Multi-Surface-Furniture-Sliders/dp/B002Y4CATE/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=furniture+slides&qid=1611956953&sr=8-6
Thanks. I was really just talking about temporary moving, like to pull it away from the wall to access an outlet or vacuum, but I think your comments still probably hold true.
For temp moving as you describe, I highly recommend the Supersliders. We have had a set for years and they are cheap and effective. They work with either hard surfaces or carpets.
Build it like you would to support it properly w/o wheels. If you wind up with 6 legs then you need 6 wheels if they are a permanent feature. Just treat the wheels like feet.
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