Cabinet Drawer Slides
There was a time when the only cabinet
drawer slides were wood on wood using a channel or drawer
guide built into the furniture. This was fine when the
furniture was built from hardwood as it could take the
punishment and only needed a bit of oil or wax applied
regularly to keep working smoothly. This method of fitting
drawers was used almost exclusively until the 1970’s when
mechanical drawer slides started becoming more prevalent in
the retail market.
Business had used them for office
furniture for years until that point, then metal cabinet
drawer slides started appearing more and more in our
kitchens, then in other furniture. Making drawer slides fit
furniture takes a little more working out that if you were
using wooden ones, but isn’t rocket science.
Most metal slides will be in two parts,
the drawer and the cabinet slide, often market DL/R and CL/R
for ease of use. There are also single
drawer slides that will fit in the opening, sliding
under the center of the drawer too, but they are less
common. To fit a mechanical slide, measure the opening and
add about 1/8 inch for the slide. The face of the drawer can
cover the full width of the opening or not as the design
requires. As with any woodworking project, measure twice and
cut once.
Measure the approximate position of the
slides on the cabinet and drawer and ensure they firstly
match, and secondly will work in the confines of the
opening. Once you’re sure of the positions, separate the
slides and screw the D side into the side of the drawer,
ensuring you have them the right way round first. Flip the
drawer over and do the other side then move on to the
cabinet.
If the drawer fronts don’t overhang the
opening and fit flush, it’s a good idea to fit a piece of
wood to act as a jamb. This stops the drawer hitting the
back of the cabinet and pushing it out, and ensures the
drawer sits flush with the cabinet. Then measure the C part
of the slide to make sure it fits with the slide already on
the drawer. You can do this by fitting both parts of the
slide onto the drawer and sliding the drawer into the
opening, lining it all up then marking with a pencil where
the C part of the slide is going. Then secure the slide to
the cabinet and repeat for all the drawers before removing
them again. Once finished you can slide all the drawers into
the cabinet and check fitting. If you have measured
properly, they should slide in and out effortlessly. If they
don’t, adjust the cabinet slide accordingly until they do
work as desired. Most drawer slides come ready greased so
little or no maintenance should be necessary throughout the
working life of the cabinet.
