Replies

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Apr 03, 2007 06:01pm | #1

   Most side-mounts have elongated screw holes.   Generally the drawer side adjusts up and down, and the carcass side adjusts front and back.  Start by putting your screws in those elongated holes.  Tighten the screws enough to hold the slides while you test the drawer fit.   Tweak until it fits right.  Then put screws through the non-elongated holes so nothing slips.

1. 
   wiskytango | Apr 03, 2007 08:05pm | #2

   Jamie

   yeah i have the up down adjustments figured out its i just need to make one side of the drawer close a little bit more. One side is hitting before the other side is.

2. 
   colebearanimals | Apr 03, 2007 09:51pm | #3

   Hi wiskytango,

            If one side is hitting first either your guides attached to the casework aren't square to the cabinet face or your drawer isn't square. Check them both. You'll probably find the culprit there.

                            Paul

1. 
   sapwood | Apr 04, 2007 12:19am | #4

   Another possibility: The carcase may be out of square. Or if it isn't real stiff, it may be sitting on an uneven surface thus causing it to be tweaked out of square.

2. 
   cmiller231 | Apr 04, 2007 04:49am | #5

   I agree with  you that the drawer slides are most likely NOT sq to the face frame.I just went through this with a dresser i built .  If the   Drawer face has a 1/8" gap on one side    you will probably  need to shift the slides over appox 1/8" or more.         Chris            

1. 
   sapwood | Apr 04, 2007 07:49am | #6

   If the drawer face touches on one side and creates a gap on the other, the fault is not misadjusted slides. Either the drawer is racked or the cabinet is, or the drawer face hasn't been attached firmly to the drawer box. (assuming that is the construction method used)

1. 
   cmiller231 | Apr 05, 2007 03:04am | #15

   35418.7 in reply to 35418.6 

   If the drawer face touches on one side and creates a gap on the other, the fault is not misadjusted slides. Either the drawer is racked or the cabinet is, or the drawer face hasn't been attached firmly to the drawer box. (assuming that is the construction method used)

    

     Then there is nothing to adjust .?

    IMHO  I certainly understand that  the case or the drawer is likely out of sq.Neither is easily fixed . So if the drawer is at fault  i would adj. the face of drawer  parallel  to face frame there by  throwing slides out of sq to face frame by shiming at back of slides .

   If its the case ,which i doubt because he didn't say there was problems with other drawers.I would then adj slides sq to face frame.There by throwing slides out of parallel to  case sides, which would not matter.

       I should not have jumped to conclusion that squareing slides to face frame would b e a cure all.

   Edited 4/5/2007 8:05 am ET by cmiller231

   Edited 4/5/2007 8:12 am ET by cmiller231

1. 
   wiskytango | Apr 05, 2007 07:28am | #16

   The drawers them selves are very square, probably some of the most square things i have ever made. It must be the the carcass is out of whack.

3. 
   oldusty | Apr 04, 2007 08:58am | #7

   wisky ,

               A few possibilities exist here , my guess is you may not have dropped an inch and a 1/16th from the width but only an inch . The drawer box or opening as has been suggested is less then square and because the drawer is fitting so tight there is no slack or slop to absorb the discrepancy .

     Some may say it is wrong to drop the extra 1/16th beyond an inch , in my experience of making a couple hundred drawers a year give or take for the last 25 years or so , I have determined it is better to err on the small side , and be able to shim out when needed as opposed to too large and stuck .

       Make sure the slides are mounted at an equal distance from the face on each side , usually about 3/32" - 1/8" back , if one side is off then one slide may be bottomed out before closing against the face .

     To even the face out , loosen the rear screws on one side and slip a shim in re tighten and try closing the drawer , this will show you if you are going in the correct direction . You may need to shim the front end of the slide instead .

     Worse case , if the drawer is simply too snug or tight it is possible to relieve the drawer side to create a looser fit .

        been there and done that it happens , but only sometimes .

                   hope this helps              dusty

1. 
   wiskytango | Apr 04, 2007 05:40pm | #8

   FIrst Thanks all for you sugestions. A few things. I built the drawers to be 1 inch smaller than the opening (this is the width of the two drawer slides). So are you thinking that the fit is just to tight? Also i checked square and it is a litle racked, i didnt have time to mess with it but idealy i would either shim the front of the drawer or the back to even out this square problem. and one more thing. While moving the peice around i have been getting chips/splits on the legs where it meets the ground. Any advice on how to make this not happen other than just be more carful?
   OH and a picture attatched!

   
1. 
   colebearanimals | Apr 04, 2007 06:08pm | #9

   Hi wiskytango,

              To keep the legs from splitting, slightly chamfer the leg bottoms. If the guides were not equidistant from the face then the  entire drawer  face would be proud from the casework not just one side. Something is definitely out of square. On the casework part of the guides you might try shimming the back of one side and the front of the other if the casework is not square. If the drawer is not square you'll probably have to make a new one unless it can be squared up ( maybe remove the bottom, rack it, and reinstall or replace the bottom).   

                                     Paul                               

   Edited 4/4/2007 11:39 am ET by colebearanimals

2. 
   oldusty | Apr 04, 2007 06:19pm | #10

       wisky ,

              Yup , on the tight fit , no scope or slack for adjustment . 1  1/16"  less for your box with similar type slides , not all slides .

     Also measure the width of the opening at the back , then you can determine which way to shim the cabinet member slide .or what ever ?

        Check for square off of the face of the cabinet .Sometimes a back can either fix the problem or make it worse .

       On  larger drawers it is common to have a bit of spring to them . Sometimes if the drawer bottom is warped it can set the box adrift .

    I place furniture glides under the base of free standing pieces , I use the old fashioned metal looks like a bottle cap with prongs . Usually I put them on before I finish the piece so I do no damage while moving them around . They make rubber and also plastic glides depending on what type of surface you have .

           Beautiful dresser 

                                   dusty

                           

    

1. 
   colebearanimals | Apr 04, 2007 08:55pm | #12

   Hi Dusty,

         I see we're in the same neighborhood, sort of. Moved here from Santa Cruz about 8 years ago. It's been one of my better decisions. Owning and operating a one man custom cabinet shop keeps me from having to sleep under the bridge, barely :)

                            anyway, the best to ya,

                                            Paul

1. 
   oldusty | Apr 04, 2007 09:31pm | #13

      Hi Paul , or should I say neighbor ,

                   Brookings is a very nice coastal town , fair weather and beautiful coast some good fishing too . The air sure is warm  in Harbor Oregon for some reason , only a few miles from Brookings it's like 10° warmer at times .

        Historically the coast in Oregon has been a difficult place to make a living , heck for that matter so is the valley .The ocean front land here is reputed to be the least expensive of it's type in the West .

                      best to you           dusty " a fellow Duck "

            

2. 
   colebearanimals | Apr 04, 2007 10:37pm | #14

   Just came in for lunch. Thanks for the laugh.

                         Paul

2. 
   wiskytango | Apr 11, 2007 05:35am | #17

   Ok i think i have it figured out. Everything is square or at the worst verry verry close. The problem (i think) is in the mounting position that i have the piece of the drawer slide that mounts to the carcass in. I have it set back about 1/4 inch from the front of the carcass. SO what seems to be happening is that just as the slide starts to pull the drawer itself to its final closed position the drawer face is hitting the carcass. Should the front of the drawer slide be mounted flush to the front of the carcass?

1. 
   oldusty | Apr 11, 2007 08:30am | #18

       Hi Wisky ,

                   Most side mounted full extension ball bearing slides mount about an 1/8" back from the face as an average . I am not familiar with the brand you are using , are they self closing ?

        If both sides are equal distance from the front that's not what's causing your problem . How about the drawer member ? is it tight against the back of the drawer face's ? are they both mounted equal distance from the face ?

      Have you tried the shims yet ?  This will tell you if the problem is alignment  .

        I think your boxes are toooooo tight , maybe even less then an inch shy ?Instead of 1" and a 1/16th " shy .                 Once I took the faces off and ran the drawer box through the ts and relieved the sides like a 1/32 " or so for about as tall as the slide went , it didn't really show that bad .

                Talk to us

                                  dusty

       

2. 
   wiskytango | Apr 11, 2007 05:30pm | #19

   oldusty
   They are not self closing but they definitely have a sweet spot where you have to sort of push them over a "hump" to there final resting position. I do have mine mounted about 1/4 from the front and that is right where it takes a little extra to push em shut. Yes everything is tight and square, I do think that the boxes are just to tight in general. I only allowed 1 inch for my hardware not 1 and 1/8 as suggested.

3. 
   oldusty | Apr 11, 2007 05:59pm | #20

      If you can get the faces off the drawer boxes try and relieve the sides to make the mounting surface of the box narrower .

             have you tried the shims ?

           1" 1/16th is the normal amount to drop in width not 1 1/8"

                  move the slides so they are an 1/8" from the face

                               good  luck

4. 
   wiskytango | Apr 11, 2007 06:16pm | #21

   I have tried shims and also I can take the face off but I think I am going to call it good. I would feel like a complete a$$ if I screwed it up now.

   I have been able to get them pretty darn good so I think i am calling this one quits and will make the next one better.

4. 
   terrylee86 | Apr 04, 2007 06:46pm | #11

   I have had this happen on large drawer boxes that are to be inset mounted.  Try shimming the the drawer slide on the side that is proud of the cabinet and place an 1/8" shim in the back screw hole.  Don't move any other screws and predrill your shim with a 1/4" hole so you can find the original hole.  I have done this on K-V 8400's and it has always worked.  You will have to play with the thickness of the shim, but 1/8" is a good start unless it is not out much then go lighter.  My problem always arises when I sand my drawer boxes on my oscillating edge sander.  Too aggressive sometimes I guess.