Thread: drawer slides.

We used to make up a mdf jig years ago for standard sets of draws in kitchen cabinets. There are numerous jigs available nowdays for holding the runner while you screw it to the side. You can also find it much easier to set them out and screw them on to the cabinet before you assemble it.
Regards Rod.

Originally Posted by Rod Gilbert

We used to make up a mdf jig years ago for standard sets of draws in kitchen cabinets. There are numerous jigs available nowdays for holding the runner while you screw it to the side. You can also find it much easier to set them out and screw them on to the cabinet before you assemble it.
Regards Rod.

tjhats the hard part

Getting drawers like this just perfect is a sweet thing to do.

One can buy a jig from Rockler/Kreg (there or CT) or make one based on the concepts of these jigs.

Here is a video: Super Simple Drawer Mounting | WOOD Magazine

Getting the heights right is a PITA and you need to make up a distance-o-matic (i.e. section of board). Once they are in, fitting the fronts is quite simple (mind the gaps!)

Hardware-Jig-KHI-SLIDE---Pic-2.jpg57302-04-1000.jpg

Originally Posted by Rod Gilbert

We used to make up a mdf jig years ago for standard sets of draws in kitchen cabinets. There are numerous jigs available nowdays for holding the runner while you screw it to the side. You can also find it much easier to set them out and screw them on to the cabinet before you assemble it.
Regards Rod.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lots of cursing and swearing.
Use a small spirit level and a tape measure or ruler. Pre drill holes.
If it is a new build, fit the slides to the carcass before assembly if possible.
Good luck with the drinking, sorry, building.

Small panel of thin MDF, width of the cabinet side (or at least the length of the drawer slide) and height so that it reaches to the bottom of the upper slide from the internal base of the carcass if you are trying to install slides in an assembled unit, or to the bottom edge of the side panel if installing into unassembled carcasses. Mark the base and front edges for repeatability.

Position the panel so that it it sits against the side panel, on the base (assembled carcass) and flush with the front edge (either assembled or unassembled), and bottom edge (unassembled carcass), and clamp in place.

Position the slide frame on the side panel tight to the MDF panel, clamp in place, predrill holes (Vix style bit is helpfull) and install screws. Then repeat on the other side of the cabinet.
If you are doing a run of cabinets with drawers at the same level, repeat for the rest of the carcasses using that slide level.

Then trim the alignment panel so the height is correct for the next lowest pair of slides and repeat the mounting procedure for that slide level, then trim and repeat for the next lowest etc.

This method will guarantee that slide levels match side to side and along a run of cabinets.

Sorry guys I got delayed in family issues...solved sort of

Malb, I must be thick but I dont understand the following...

Originally Posted by malb

Small panel of thin MDF, width of the cabinet side (or at least the length of the drawer slide) and height Height of what?so that it reaches to the bottom of the upper slide from the internal base of the carcass if you are trying to install slides in an assembled unit, or to the bottom edge of the side panel if installing into unassembled carcasses. Mark the base and front edges for repeatability.

Position the panel so that it it sits against the side panel, on the base (assembled carcass) and flush with the front edge (either assembled or unassembled), and bottom edge (unassembled carcass), and clamp in place.

Position the slide frame on the side panel tight to the MDF panel, clamp in place, predrill holes (Vix style bit is helpfull) and install screws. Then repeat on the other side of the cabinet.
If you are doing a run of cabinets with drawers at the same level, repeat for the rest of the carcasses using that slide level.

Then trim the alignment panel so the height is correct for the next lowest pair of slides and repeat the mounting procedure for that slide level, then trim and repeat for the next lowest etc.

This method will guarantee that slide levels match side to side and along a run of cabinets.

I didn't understand the first time that I went thru it but after reading it a few times it makes sense.

Personally I prefer to use the Festool LR32 jig to predrill my holes so there is no setting, you just screw the runners into the holes and the drawers fit.

However it does take a bit of planning to decide where to predrill the holes.

Thats where I fall in the poo, Ive got six basic drawers made from 9mm ply with drawer runners screwed underneath. How do I work out my spacings so one drawer dont drag on the ext or have a gap big enough to fall through.

OK here is a "How To". It may not be what others do but it works for me.

I am assuming you have the drawers made and need to fit them with runners.
*The overall (front) of the drawer box should be 25mm narrower than the carcase opening
* Are all the drawers the same height? (hopefully you will say Yes)
*Take the door height measurement and divide that measurement by the number of drawers.
*Mark the front of the carcase with the drawer front measurements including a 3mm gap between them.
*The bottom runner will sit on the bottom of the drawer box. Put a mark 16mm off the floor of the carcase . This is the centre for the runner screws.
*Now...the next runner needs to be say 16mm higher than your drawer front for that drawer.
**Just continue marking the centre lines for the runners. I use a roofing square. These lines have to be accurately square off the carcase front
*Pre drill so as to keep the runners square.

Warning!!! The top drawer MUST be at least 20 lower than the rail of the drawer box. Why? because you have to get the new drawer over the white wheel of the carcase runner.

To fit the drawer fronts, I usually cut a couple of spacer blocks to the height of the kickboard, then clamp the front to the drawer and put a couple of pins/nails/staples through the drawer into the drawer front. Give say a 3mm between the drawer fronts. Any less and you will find that the drawer front will catch on the one above it

I hope this is easy enough for you to understand and carry out the task

Hi Tonto

There is also a very good explanation on both the Blum and Hettich websites.


Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by Tonto

Thats where I fall in the poo, Ive got six basic drawers made from 9mm ply with drawer runners screwed underneath. How do I work out my spacings so one drawer dont drag on the ext or have a gap big enough to fall through.

stack the drawers on top of one another, using shims were required so that the drawer fronts are in a single vertical plane. Measure the height of the stack. Call this measurement "drawer stack". I'm assuming that the drawer fronts and sides are all the same height.

Hopefully it is less than the height of the carcass opening.
Allow 25 mm (or 30 mm) clearance for the top drawer.
allow 5 or 10 mm clearance under the bottom drawer.

then let "total spacing" = carcass opening - "drawer stack" - top clearance (say 30 mm) - bottom clearance (say 10 mm)

then "spacing" = "total spacing" / 5 -- 5 because you have 6 drawers and so there is 5 spaces between drawers.

then use the spacer procedure as outlined in earlier posts, allowing for the height of the case side runner when making your spacers.

Originally Posted by chambezio

OK here is a "How To". It may not be what others do but it works for me.

I am assuming you have the drawers made and need to fit them with runners. Made and drawer runners fitted
*The overall (front) of the drawer box should be 25mm narrower than the carcase opening carcase not made yet, thought Id get the drawers right first
* Are all the drawers the same height? (hopefully you will say Yes) Yes
*Take the door height measurement and divide that measurement by the number of drawers.
*Mark the front of the carcase with the drawer front measurements including a 3mm gap between them.
*The bottom runner will sit on the bottom of the drawer box. Put a mark 16mm off the floor of the carcase . This is the centre for the runner screws.
*Now...the next runner needs to be say 16mm higher than your drawer front for that drawer.
**Just continue marking the centre lines for the runners. I use a roofing square. These lines have to be accurately square off the carcase front
*Pre drill so as to keep the runners square.

Warning!!! The top drawer MUST be at least 20 lower than the rail of the drawer box. Why? because you have to get the new drawer over the white wheel of the carcase runner.

To fit the drawer fronts, I usually cut a couple of spacer blocks to the height of the kickboard, then clamp the front to the drawer and put a couple of pins/nails/staples through the drawer into the drawer front. Give say a 3mm between the drawer fronts. Any less and you will find that the drawer front will catch on the one above it

I hope this is easy enough for you to understand and carry out the task

so do I