Thread: Drawer sliders

So why does modern furniture use them?

My guess is that it is a combination of consumer demand (some folks want to be able to close a drawer with a broken finger, especially in kitchens where they have become the norm) and speed of installation. In a production shop the amount of time the job is in the shop is critical to costs. One of the professionals here should be able to give more/better guidance.


Are there good recessed sliders?

A pro will give a better answer than would I, but one option is nylon runners that fit into a groove in the side of the drawer. Don't know how they go in the long run because I've never used them ... worried about the screws holding the runners to the cabinet carcass working loose.


Do cabinet makers still use the old method?

They do, especially in more traditional furniture, but you will find plenty of examples where modern runners are used. I use the old method (drawers riding on web frames) most of the time.


Whats the best way to make old drawers slide easier?

I use PTFE dry lube spray or Dry Lube, a product that comes as a stick. However, if they are a poor fit, even lubricants might not help a lot.

So why does modern furniture use them?
Time to fit/install
Soft Close
Does not wobble
Stops the drawer from coming out accidentally
No seasonal wood movement affecting sliding action
Surprisingly cost of materials, cheap sliders are cheaper to manufacture than designing /fine tuning a traditional drawer mechanism
Will generally outlast the drawer itself
Do cabinet makers still use the old method?

Depends, if you're after fine furniture yep, if you're after a kitchen cabinet, then no

Whats the best way to make old drawers slide easier?
Replace the runner, probably overkill, but will give the best result. Alternatively refit the runners ensuring that they are running parallel on both sides.

The best way to make old draws slide easier is, providing they are in serviceable condition is to apply some paraffin or similar wax

Originally Posted by Tony ray

I dislike modern drawer sliders. Most of the furniture in our house is stuff that I have restored from the 1930s to say the 60s. The smaller drawers always slide nice enough but 2 handle drawers require a bit more work but still good enough and I never have to fix them.
But the more modern stuff in my kids rooms often needs a repair all to often. Drawer sliders also take up valuable space and often there is a face of the drawer which also cost space.
So why does modern furniture use them?
Ease of fit, Low skilled labor or automation can be used as any miss fit can be allowed for in separate front as fitted to opening.
Are there good recessed sliders?
Not a lot that I am aware of but I have been out of production work and use of commercial suppliers for quite a few years now there used to be some small double extension runners that would fit the recess of rebated vinyl wrap draws that would be 12mm thick fitted into the approx 8mm groove of the draw profile and leave about a 4mm gap,but there quality was not great they just did the job.
Do cabinet makers still use the old method?
General kitchen/Cabinet makers I would think not for above mentioned reasons
Whats the best way to make old drawers slide easier?
Depends on type of existing runner system either bottom fixed timber or grooved draw side with timber runner.
Replace the runners and glue infill in draw side and re cut dado/groove to draw side.
If bottom fit runner.
If the draw bottoms are badly worn plane flat if possible and glue replacement timber to draw side and do same to timber runner if necessary and wax well for future use.
I'm out of questions I think.

Regards Rod.

[Hi Tony,
I've had to repair drawers as well, I find the bottoms come out if a bit too much weight is put in or clothes are pushed down to hard.
Some photos of the runners would be appreciated, as it makes it easier to describe a rectification, as "old drawer slides" designs vary.
Depending on the type of timber used on the sides of the drawers, these can wear, causing problems, same as where the drawer slides on the timber carcass.
Some of the runners used take up very little room, as they rely on a trench cut into the sides of the drawer, and a plastic/nylon type bar is fitted to the carcass, either by pins and or screws. I think that type is called a System 32, all holes are predrilled, so that they just need to be fitted.
Modern furniture use them, because it's a LOT cheaper to manufacture the drawers, as non skilled labour can be used to assemble, whereas using the old time and tested method, skilled craftsmen are required to assemble. As an example, an unskilled person could assemble a dozen 4 drawer units in a day, in comparison a Cabinet Maker would probably put out 3 units of similar size, but of far better quality, read expense.
I used to use this company, Hafele Australia. https://www.hafele.com.au/en/product...4bc817ddf454f/ they have about 370 Drawers, Drawer Systems & Runners in their online catalogue.
A proper Cabinet Maker would use the old method, if he was constructing a new cabinet to match an existing unit, but the expense would be astronomical.
If the bottom sides of an old drawer are worn, the worn section could be replaced or built up with a section glued on the inside. The top edge where the drawer slides can also wear, I've seen where strips of hardwood/laminex/Masonite have been use to build up the worn sections.
To make them slide easier, just use some candle wax on the running edge.
Kryn

Would not use nylon runners , rather could inset ball bearing full extension units -(only requires 12.5 mm of width and can be routed into the sides). Soft close runners (with the sheet metal sides -etc. work well but durability is questionable)
As you mentioned is both customer demand and speed of manufacture that make such things commercially almost universal. (can put one of these together -from CNC base and back in quite littoraly seconds- about 30-45.)
However if you look at the guts -failure is only a matter of time.