Thread: Drawer runner advice needed

Nice work Rob

I'll second drawer slips and melamine.

Drawer slips increases the bearing surface or more aptly named 'wear' surface.
I like thin drawer sides that if left on their own soon wear a rut in the runners.

In 1987 I made our kitchen from Celery Pine and gum.
All drawers had melamine on the sides and runners and there's not any sign of wear. The cutlery drawer is heavy but can be pushed in with a finger.
Same in wife's sewing department and the bathroom.
It's not unsightly if care is taken and really does perform.

I build mostly traditional/reproduction furniture and slides of any kind, metal or wood, were never used... You say the drawers are too narrow to use undermount slides... So why not just allow the drawer to run on a top and bottom track? It can't come out full depth but when does a side table drawer need to come out that much? Will make you life a lot easier and virtually never needs fixing using the KISS method. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

So why not just allow the drawer to run on a top and bottom track? It can't come out full depth but when does a side table drawer need to come out that much? Will make you life a lot easier and virtually never needs fixing using the KISS method. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Have you got an example of what you mean by the 'kiss' method?.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Have you got an example of what you mean by the 'kiss' method?.

https://www.google.com/search?client...&q=Kiss+method

Originally Posted by auscab

https://www.google.com/search?client...&q=Kiss+method

Well blow me down yet another acronym

I mentioned my thin drawer sides in a post above and I did use drawer slips as well but they were not included in the picture due to me editing them out.
Here they are.

Thin sides are nice but a slip does help out with the construction. Its not just the wider bearing for wear on the runner. It gives a better way of holding a bottom in. If I wasn't using slips Id either be making thicker sides for the slot for the bottom.
Or the rebate for the bottom in the sides if I was making a pre 1800 style drawer where the drawer bottom grain runs from front to back as was done back then.

The back has yellow X on left picture . Red is slip in right picture and side is yellow
IMG_4314a.jpg IMG_4315a.jpg

Rob

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Have you got an example of what you mean by the 'kiss' method?.

KISS: Keep it simple stupid. (no I'm not implying anything, it's just a common statement)

The attached pics are what I was thinking. When the drawer is under a few inches this works well. They just run on the top and bottom rails, and easy to fit. There isn't any expectation the drawers will hold much weight and there's not drawer slides to fit and contend with, just a bit of wax every couple years to keep them moving nicely. Like I was saying, they can't be pulled out like a full extension drawer slide but a side table isn't going to hold much, other than a few remotes and stuff... I also like this style/method on solid wood furniture. Every time I see metal slides, to me, they just look out of place and detract from the piece. Kinda gives a nice piece an Amart look. YMMV

PS Ignore the dovetails on the first pic. To this day I have no idea what I was thinking when I laid them out. Or maybe it was the 4 beers that made me not think...

So if I wanted a equal gap say 2mm all around the front of the flush drawer, I could add a 2mm wooden slip to the left and right of where the drawer pulls out?.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

So if I wanted a equal gap say 2mm all around the front of the flush drawer, I could add a 2mm wooden slip to the left and right of where the drawer pulls out?.

As long as you leave enough room for movement - why not. Could shim up the bottom also to balance the gaps. On the drawers I showed there's about 2mm total gap so there's no balancing needed. The eye'll never pick that.

Or as my brother in England always reminds me when I'm being to much of a perfectionist, "A man galloping horse wouldn't see it"

But the horse might. They usually see things before the rider...

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Or as my brother in England always reminds me when I'm being to much of a perfectionist, "A man galloping horse wouldn't see it"

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

But the horse might. They usually see things before the rider...

And a blind person can ride a horse.

A great uncle of mine, he died in 1980, used to take his horse and dray rather than his ute to the RSL on Friday nights. One day he got booked on two charges:

• Not stopping for police, and
• Being drunk while driving a vehicle, a clydesdale and dray.

He duly appeared in court, admitted most of the Police evidence, with one exception. The Police evidence included that he was found unconscious in the dray. He said he was not driving the vehicle; Dobby, his horse, was merely taking him home. The magistrate was flummoxed and adjourned the court; it was never reconvened.