Drawer Slide Help Needed for Tool Cabinet
chris_german
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hi there,
First time here. I have a question about choosing the right drawer slides for a tool cabinet I want to build.
I have a base with a set of horizontal drawers and vertical drawers. I had received some advice to look at the Blum H-series drawer slides, so I am planning on using those for the base. However, I’m not sure if they will work in the vertical drawer application.
I also have a set of vertical drawers planned for the upper part of the cabinet. These are 3″ wide x 20″ tall x 9.5″ deep. What could be my best options to keep as much of the 3″ width as possible?
Thanks for taking a look.
Chris
Replies
I'm not sure you'll find drawer slide hardware you'll be happy with for the upper cabinet. I'd consider Blum for the bottom cabinet. They are fantastic, but use a fair bit of real estate. And those small drawers in the top cabinet really don't need slides.
If it were me, I'd make traditional drawers on wooden runners. That will make it easy to take a whole drawer out and set it on your bench during use.
Thank you for your reply. Would you put the wooden runners on the top and bottom of vertical drawers? Would I need to add dividers?
Something like an Accuride 2120 would only take 1/2" on either end assuming you would mount them top and bottom. I have recessed 3750's to get the look I am after along with the function.
I don’t think standard drawer slides will work mounted to the top and bottom of the vertical drawers. Their bearings are arranged to take the loads in one direction only. Perhaps you could find undermount drawer slides that would certainly work for the bottom and perhaps the top for stability.
I agree with John_c2 that wood guides would work best for the vertical drawers, perhaps with some UHMW glide strips along the outer edges of the bottom to carry the weight.
“[Deleted]”
Check out: http://www.rollon.com
The stuff's not cheap but you'll get ideas beyond "drawer slides".
Having just suffered thru installing side mount slides on the desk, 72 x 30, shown below, here are my thoughts. I used 24" side mount glides from HD, 100 lb rating, take 1/2" clearance on each side. I did hand cut dovetails - kind of - for the drawers with flush mount false fronts. Instructions are for 3/4" fronts, mine were around 7/8" adjust accordingly. The drawers must be DEAD SQUARE! One was perfect, the other about 1/8" out over the 24" length, after finding the problem I had to shim the glides to get flush fit. That, and my trusty 1867 Bailey #3 to ease things in nicely. If you want to use wood on wood slides, rub paraffin on the mating surfaces then gently melt in with a torch, should last a long time. Like hot waxing skis. There is a lot more about making the desk but that is a whole different story. Good luck with your project!
I have found the undermount slides to be not as long lasting as quality side mounts. With that being said...whatever you use on the bottom you will need a regular slide in the center at the top.