Question about how to orient the grain direction for a box/case I am building. Plan to put two boxes under the workbench and put drawers in the boxes.. The two boxes will be about 1.0 feet tall and 2 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep, each. Two boxes will be side by side, between the legs and above the stretcher. Solid red oak 3/4" for all parts. Will use biscuits to glue everything together. See picture below to see how boards will be assembled. Top and bottom, the red oak grain will go left-right. Two sides, the grain will go up-down. All four sides will have the grain running end to end in a circle and all expansion will be to the front and back for the sides and top/bottom.

How to orient the BACK panel? Do I put the boards so the grain runs up and down? Or do I put the boards so the grain runs left-right? If the grain is up-down, then the back expansion will push the sides out. If the grain is left-right, then the expansion will push the top and bottom apart. The way I am doing the biscuits, with the top and bottom ends being exposed and the ends of the sides covered, I think the boards with grain up and down will be better. The biscuits will keep the sides from being pushed out and the legs of the bench will keep the boxes compressed and not allowed to expand out. ??????


---------
| |
| |
---------