Thread: Slide-out shelf: can I just use drawer slides?

There will be a lot of flex; essentially the shelf will come out in a graceful downwards arc and wobble at the slightest touch. I suppose it depends on how often you need to access the cables as to how complex you want to make this but if this the most easily constructed solution then it can work. I’d be using at least FOUR sliders; as a ball park figure on one slider every 150mm max. Most full extension runners are 12mm thick and the Goliath branded ones at Bunnies are reasonably priced.

One other solution though; these style of runners are also available with a lip sticking out at 90 degrees to support a drawer bottom, if you use those you don’t need your shelf to have sides. You can also make them by riveting on a piece of ally angle. This would allow the runners to be fitted in their correct orientation.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

One other solution though; these style of runners are also available with a lip sticking out at 90 degrees to support a drawer bottom, if you use those you don’t need your shelf to have sides. You can also make them by riveting on a piece of ally angle. This would allow the runners to be fitted in their correct orientation.

Thanks Chief. Yes a lip would be better. The shelf will only be 500mm wide.

I'll have a look at Bunnings website and see what they haven't got up here.

Have you considered under mount drawer runners?

Not to question your design choices, but in my experience an av unit is light enough to slide out easily enough without the need for the additional hardware?

Also depending on the type of av unit you have, enclosing it in a box might have adverse effects on the unit due to poor air circulation.

I did exactly what you propose to fit a sliding shelf to a lingerie cabinet.


The shelf was 450 mm both wide and deep. The shelf held girly nick nacks and a jewellery box. I used two "push to open" Goliath sliders from Bunnings.


It worked like a bought one. I put a lip across the front to hide the gap under the shelf.

Cabinet 4.jpg

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Picture a box, shaped like a drawer and the size of a typical drawer, but with no front or back. So it has top, bottom and 2 sides, and will be suspended underneath my desk top (like a drawer).
I want to add a shelf above the base that will have some small hi-fi components on it, and to access the back of these easily (numerous cables) I need to be able to slide the shelf out.

So, rather than attach the drawer runners to the (non-existent) sides of the shelf, is there any reason why I can't just mount them flat, underneath the shelf and attached to the base?
There would be a gap the thickness of the drawer runners between the shelf and the base, I guess about 10mm.
I understand that by rotating the runners by 90° I am exposing them to a weak point with regard to weight bearing down, but there'll only be 5kg of components plus the shelf weight.

What brand/source of drawer runners would people suggest (soft closing I think)? Extension of 300-350mm would be plenty.

Brett, easy peasy ...

This is my hifi cabinet (before I splurged on new equipment) ...




A slide out drawer ...



The drawer is a single panel, made from Jarrah. The slides are attached to the sides of the panel.




... now currently hides a headphone amplifier ...


Regards from Perth

Derek

p.s. Brett, have you received my recent email?

Originally Posted by tonzeyd

Have you considered under mount drawer runners?

Not to question your design choices, but in my experience an av unit is light enough to slide out easily enough without the need for the additional hardware?

Also depending on the type of av unit you have, enclosing it in a box might have adverse effects on the unit due to poor air circulation.

Not sure what you mean by under mount drawer runners.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Picture a box, shaped like a drawer and the size of a typical drawer, but with no front or back. So it has top, bottom and 2 sides, and will be suspended underneath my desk top (like a drawer).

It's not a typical av unit: as I described in the first post it will hang underneath one side of my desk top, like a drawer without a back or front. When I slide it out it needs to stay there while I fool around with whatever on the back, and then slide it back in.

So it will never be enclosed. The equipment is for head-fi, so it's just a DAC, Eq, and Headphone amp (which also feeds out to Studio Monitors, aka active speakers). These components are small by comparison, e.g. the amp is 213 wide, and 190 deep by 63mm high, and it is the largest component of the three.

Originally Posted by John Samuel

I did exactly what you propose to fit a sliding shelf to a lingerie cabinet.
The shelf was 450 mm both wide and deep. The shelf held my girly nick nacks and a jewellery box. I used two "push to open" Goliath sliders from Bunnings.
It worked like a bought one. I put a lip across the front to hide the gap under the shelf.

Cabinet 4.jpg

Nice work!

So you mounted them flat John? Max weight that goes on it (roughly)? I suppose it depends if your lingerie is wet or dry

Push to open sounds good. Are they soft close as well? I suspect they can't be because they wouldn't catch properly when closing.

Originally Posted by derekcohen

A slide out drawer ...



The drawer is a single panel, made from Jarrah. The slides are attached to the sides of the panel.
Regards from Perth

Derek

p.s. Brett, have you received my recent email?

Yep, that's pretty much it. I hadn't considered that the shelf would be thick enough to mount to the runners (but I can make it that way). So your runners don't have the lip that Chief mentioned, and that must mean have screwed into end grain?

Yes I got your email from Friday night, and replied on Saturday morning. Did you receive mine?

Brett, that Jarrah end grain is not going to be an issue. If you have any concerns with the timber of your choice, then build the panel with breadboard ends. Frankly, I think that most hardwoods would sustain the weight of screws, especially if several were used as distributed evenly along the length.

These boards are about 18 or 19mm thick. The slides were really basic ones from Bunnies.

And, no, I did not receive an email from you on Saturday. I checked my Spam filter as well. Nada.

Derek

Here's a youtube video of someone installing a set.

How to Install Blum Soft-Close Undermount Drawer Slides - YouTube

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Brett, that Jarrah end grain is not going to be an issue. If you have any concerns with the timber of your choice, then build the panel with breadboard ends. Frankly, I think that most hardwoods would sustain the weight of screws, especially if several were used as distributed evenly along the length.

The number of screws is limited by holes in the runners, but then again, I have plenty of long screws, as long as there is room for the heads inside the runners.

400mm soft close Goliath runner which looks to have maybe 4-5 screw holes:
Capture.JPG

Brett, another way to attach the slide to the sides is to add a thicker stretcher along the sides below or above the panel. This introduces the danger of cross-grain movement issues, but can be controlled for with glueing/screwing one half (allowing the other half to float) but adding screws in the second half with slots for movement.

The set up I have held a laptop and was barely aware of its weight. Now it hold a Schiit headphone amp, but this is a mere feather. I think hardwood and long screws would work well.

If you really want to, it is possible to inset the slides into the side of the panel, making the slides invisible from the front.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by John Samuel

I used two "push to open" Goliath sliders from Bunnings.

Just a question on these - what happens when the shelf is slid back in. There would have to be a click or latching happen wouldn't there?

That is pretty much what I did with the "Sysport".
Sysport 1.jpg
And I've got a set of runners left over.
You can come round and have a look when I get home from work tomorrow.
(And pick up the thingy)