I’m about to purchase drawer slides for a new kithen (14 Blum Tandem slides). They sell for roughly $25 per pair through several internet vendors: Specialty Supplies, Inc.; USA cabinethardware.com; and a site called “ahturf”. Anyone out there familiar with any of these folks? Are there other distributors you might recommend? Thanks,
Chip
Replies
I have purchased from Woodworkers Hardware, wwhardware.com several times, they offer good service and competitive prices.
Robert
Robert and ASK,
Thanks for the replies to my question. I checked the Woodworker's Hardware site and their prices were just about the same as everyone else. I'll probably go with them. However, before I order, I'll check on that Manhattan Laminates site. Thanks again,
Chip
Chip,
I get all my Blum slides from Manhattan Laminates in NYC. I have trouble with their web site but you can always call them.
Do a google search for Manhattan Laminates
ASK
I have had great service from http://www.cabinetparts.com/
________________________
Charlie Plesums Austin, Texas
http://www.plesums.com/wood
A question for all of you about the brand of drawer slides you use. I've used KV, Accuride and Blum in commercial shops and they all seem about equal. For my own cabinets, I've been using the Liberty brand from Home Depot; they seem to be as solid as any of the others and are about half the price of Accuride. Do any of you have any long-term experience with Liberty slides?
Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
I had some leftover cheap Home-Depot drawer slides that I recently put into some drawers in my shop. Whatever brand they were selling 10 years ago. They were pretty terrible - the ball bearing wheels even fell off one of them.
I have used some of the current Home-Depot upscale full extension 100 pound capacity drawer slides (I think they were Liberty brand) recently, and they were fine, so that is the type I bought to replace the dead slide in my shop.
The under-drawer slides are very nice, and Home Depot doesn't sell them yet. I have also heard that the soft close gizmo for drawers and doors is great, although absurdly expensive. For most furniture I use wood slides, but for office or kitchen, where they are used dozens of times per hour rather than once per day, I look for metal slides and plan to go to the under-drawer type when I am organized enough to order them in advance.
The Home Depot euro style hinges are nowhere near as nice as Blum and Salice hinges, but they now have them. They are not as easily adjusted, nor are they as robust. ________________________Charlie Plesums Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood
For my shop drawers (since I created so many of them), I used Euro-style slides to save a few bucks. I don't really need full extension slides, so they work OK. When I first started considering Euro slides, I was surprised to find they have a load rating similar to ball-bearing slides. On the other hand, I've been using ball-bearing slides for furniture for appearance as well as the full extension capability.
Your mention of under-drawer slides prompts a question. Are you talking about the type that is totally concealed under the drawer or the type that have a slide under the side of the drawer that rides on an L-shaped cabinet mount? I'm looking at the Blum Solo slide for a pair of end tables I'm building.
Hinges are another issue. I've been ordering Blum Euros online from Rockler Pro and Woodworker's Supply.Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
"I do my own thinking; therefore, I vote for the best person."I will think next Tuesday; therefore, George W. Bush is the only choice!"
Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Bill
I have tried and don't like the single flat slide, about 1/2 inch thick, that goes under the center of the drawer.
I have seen and liked, but have not used, the full extension slides that are totally hidden under the drawer, but are used as a pair on each side. The drawer bottom has to be a little higher, and there has to be a notch at the back of the drawer. They are totally hidden from the user (show off the dovetails), and you regain the 1/2 inch on each side normally lost to the slide mechanism. I would use these on high-use drawers, such as desk or kitchen.
For "furniture" drawers like an end table, that are not opened dozens of times per hour and not loaded with heavy documents or tools, I like the feel of wood-on-wood. I put a pair of runners (top and bottom) in the opening, 1/32" above the bottom opening/below the top opening (so the drawer doesn't touch the finished part). I then make the drawer box about 1/16 less than the space between the runners. With hardwood and a little wax, you get a great feel that in antiques have lasted for hundreds of years.
Charlie________________________Charlie Plesums Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood
Charlie, I just finished a kitchen that had 10 large full extension drawers using the Blum Tandem slides. My client is thrilled with how easy they work, and the self-closing mechanism. This is the second kitchen I've done with these slides and do not plan to use anything else where possible. My wife has seen these and asked that I replace a number of our own kitchen drawers with ones using these slides.
With the blum tandems, you need to allow about 1 1/16" from the bottom of the drawer opening to the drawer bottom: 9/16" from the opening bottom to the bottom of the drawer sides and another 1/2" clearance between the bottom of the drawer sides and the bottom of the drawer bottom. Cutting the notches at the rear of the drawers is a bit of a nuisance (I cut them on my table saw using a dado blade), and the hole that catches the tab at the rear of the slide needs to be carefully placed for a good fit.
The slides allow easy adjustment for height at the front and back of the drawer, but the depth is fixed. Measure carefully! When I use 3/4" fronts on my drawers (mounted to the drawer box itself), I place the cabinet component 25/32" from the cabinet front (my drawers are all inset).
You need to get used to building the drawers to very specific dimensions because there is very little side-to-side adjustment allowed. Installation is a breeze. I mean, a breeze!
For about $35 you can buy a jig from Blum that makes drilling holes easier, but I've found I can make my own jig for about $0.00 and 5 minutes effort.
BTW: stick with the Blum slides. I tried another brand that was not nearly as well made and not much cheaper.
All-in-all. I think usig these slides can make your product more competitive with other suppliers, even after allowing for the increased slide costs.
Also, I buy my blum cup hinges from Woodworkers Hardware. The inserta product is great (namely, not one door has fallen off so far).
Hi, Bill. How does one "qualify" for the Rockler Pro site, and how is it different from their regular site? Your post is the first I've heard of it. Thanks!
"How does one "qualify" for the Rockler Pro site, and how is it different from their regular site?"
Apparently, you have to be receiving a Rockler Pro catalog. I began receiving it when I subscribed to a couple of free wood shop business magazines. In addition, you are required to have a business name. From what I've seen, pricing is generally 10% lower -- maybe more than that on some items. For example (and in context with this thread), Rockler sells the Accuride 3832 full-extension slide for $15.59 per pair; Rockler Pro sells it for $11.69 -- 25% lower.
Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
"I do my own thinking; therefore, I vote for the best person."I will think next Tuesday; therefore, George W. Bush is the only choice!"
Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Thanks, Bill. I'll give them a call and post the results here. Seems worthwhile.
Hery Chip,
I use CSHardware for all my slides and euro hinges. Nice people. Call and ask questions. I get my stuff quickly from them.
Regards,
Rick
I get most of my cabinet hardware from these guys when I can. I have been very happy with their service . They have a full line of Blum stuff. I have been satisfied with their pricing too.
http://www.cabinetparts.com/index.html
Many thanks to Clay and others who have recommended cabinet hardware sources on the internet. I've checked out most of them and prices don't seem to vary very much. So, it will probably come down to which site is easiest to navigate.
Fingrs is right about the need to be very accurate when making the drawer boxes. The last time I used these Blum Tandem slides (10 years ago) I found that it was easier to go metric for that portion of the project since all of the instructions were in metric. For me, "going metric" simply involved buying a couple of metric rulers.
Bones is right that Accuride makes a very good quality slide. I've used them on a number of occasions. However, a nice feature of the Blum Tandems is that they're invisable once installed. That's a good thing since both the Accurides and Blums are but-ugly.
Chip
I just bought some accuride from woodcraft that are very smooth and seem heavy duty. Pretty cheap. They were 100lbs rated 18" for $13.50. It has real smooth action. I had never purchased that brand before, but will again. I liked the fact that the lateral play in the slide was minimal. The mechanism for disconnecting and reconnecting the drawer to the slide was easy and seemed well designed (not a knuckle buster). Now will they stand up to the test of time under load, that is yet to be seen.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/productr.asp?pf%5Fid=131198&HaveCross=N&HaveSub=N&HavePromo=N&0=product%5Ffamily%2Easp%2Cfamily%5Fid%3D3984%26Tree%3D%2CACCURIDE%203732%20Full%20Extension%20Drawer%20Slides&gift=false&HSLB=False&mscssid=FB6BD815C1FA4338A2B5F5298BE06BB3
I tend to use Accuride slides, or similar clones. I've had good success finding what I need on eBay.
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