corner joint question

I am making bunk beds for my two boys aged 13 and 10.

This will be a corner group (L-shaped) with one bunk on the floor and the
other elevated and at a 90-dgree angle of the first to fit into a corner.
Both are single matresses.

ANYWAY, I was in the Navy. Our bunks had storage undernaeth the matress and
I want both of these to have the same features.

The box for the base of each bunk is the storage section and will be made of
2x8 pine. There will be 1" plywood inside to make "compartments" for storage
of different types of clothing. The 1" plywood that divides the interior of
each box, will also serve to provide support of the wooden lid, which is
hinged and holds the mattress. I also plan on using 1/2" plywood for the
bottom of each bunk/storage box. there will be a 1/2" channel cut into each
of the 2/8 boards that make the outter walls of the box, much like the
bottom of a standard drawer. That bottom plywood will be glued and screwed
as will be the plywood that makes the compartments.

My question revolves around the box made of 2"x8" material.

I am not so worried about the one on the floor, but the suspended one (on
4x4 posts mounted with 1/2" bolts). What about the corner joints of that
box? It is 2"x8" pine with the glued and scewed plywood bottom and glued and
screwed plywood inside as dividers. I want the corners to be strong. These
are boys, after all. I do keep a good eye on them, but they have been know
to rough-house once in awhile. I don't want this top bunk, with it's
mattress, sorage of clothes and rambunctious boys to colapse onto the lower
bunk.

I do not have a table saw, but I do have a router. I want the box to
provide strength to the posts so they do not sway from side-to-side. That's
why I am using large bolts to mount this box to the posts. All exterior
harware will be countersunk so no metal extends outside the wood. Also, I
plan on using gas-charged lifters like those found on automobile hatchbacks
for the "lids" of these boxes.

Any ideas? Can I just do a plain butt joint with glue and screws? I live
in an apartment, so I'd really rather not anchor this to the studs in the
wall.

Thanks to the goup for any help/ideas/advice.


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