Simple drawer slides

[ckucia]

Seems unfashionable, but I wonder if anyone is still building with old school wood drawer slides?

I've been thinking about building some tool chests with drawers, but it seems the nice metal slides will end up costing me more than all the rest of the materials combined.

Are they that much better than simple wooden (or other material) slides? Seems they'd have to be pretty awful when I could build two full chests of drawers with them vs one chest with nice metal ones.

If anyone is still building them the old way, I'd appreciate any tips for making them as functional as possible, materials to use, lubrication, etc.

I did some searching, but all I find is various degrees of expensive metal slides being used.

 

[GinOttawa]

I like cheap tool storage as much as you do.

I currently have a lateral filing cabinet (that technically has metal slides) and a salvaged dresser (wood slides).

If you plan to use your tools/drawers often or multiple times a day, then I can definitely see how the wood slides would aggravate me very fast. You can store rarely used tools or things that get used for a project and then put away in them. I wouldn't put sockets, screwdrivers, etc...in them.

Good luck.

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[jimreed2160]

I make traditional furniture and use the old wood slides. In fact, I just repaired worn slides on a 150 yo antique. There are a few things you can do to make them more durable. But as the other poster pointed out, wooden slides wear according to the weight applied and the frequency of the cycles.

To make them last, use hardwood drawer sides and hardwood runners. Make sure you use side runners and stops to keep the drawers running true. Do not overload the drawers. And LUBRICATE. Wood against wood with dust will begin to wear. Get some hard paraffin, warm it up and wax all of the contact surfaces liberally.

Good luck with your project.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I read somewhere that it's makes an better slide if you use two different hardness' of wood. The cabinet with really hard wood and the drawer with less hard wood. It's easier to repair the drawer if necessary.

 

[ckucia]

What's the best method to use?

I've seen slides on the drawer side that are sort of a tongue that fits into a groove. Sometimes it's in the middle, or top, or bottom. Sometimes the whole drawer side is the slide. Sometimes the drawer bottom extends past the sides and becomes the slide.

Looking at the price of metal slides (about $ 15/drawer or more), I'd think I would make drawers wider and deeper to minimize cost.

If I could make reasonably functional slides significantly cheaper, then I'd have many more shallow and narrower drawers which would then carry lighter loads.

 

[lis2323]

This seems like a good resource. He makes good stuff. A little long but feel free to skip around until you find the drawers

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[larry_g]

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I built the above cabinets many years back and they have served me well since. The drawer rides on a 'picture frame' that is dadoed into the sides and back. The drawers are either 1x4 or 1x6 boards. They are cheap and crude but work well even with a 50 lbs of tooling in them. As said above the runners are waxed well and so are the sides to make things slide easily.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[jimreed2160]

What's the best method to use?

Google "antique drawer construction" and look at the images. A casegoods drawer is just an open box. I like to make my drawers like 19th century American furniture. That means a side attached to the front with dovetails, dowels, or just a rabbet joint. The side is attached to a back piece with a dado on the side or just a simple rabbet. The side has a groove about 1/2-3/8" from the bottom. The groove continues on the drawer front but the back is open so a piece of plywood can be fitted from the rear for a moving bottom. It is tacked to the back with nails with heads so they can be easily removed for repair or adjustment.

You can adjust this model for heavier items by using thicker plywood.

 

[ez-duzit]

For extremely heavy loads stick with metal slides. But I often use this system; no lubrication required.
http://breezeapp.co/plastic-drawer-...and-slide-glide-kitchen-drawer-plastic-guide/

 

[James-W]

Wooden slides have been around for a long time and they work quite well. But for myself, I would much rather use metal slides. Metal slides are easy to install, they slide easily, and are easy to replace should they break.

 

[Mr_B]

I done some wooden drawers under a metal workbench I made my father many years ago.
I looked at lot of options including heavy duty kitchen drawer runners as bottom mounting ones and in brown made building easier and cost effective, I bought one over length to aid full depth opening and tested it and while could work and run smooth it was maxing out its weight limit and you could see rough use likely problem and soon decided best option was go with best deal I could find on full extension ball bearing slides.
Price not that high if hunt around and buying enough get a bit of discount.
It makes the design far easier and better capacity plus you don't use as much wood or other materials and end result is durable and problem free.
I had enough wood free cover most of project and wanted specific size but if didn't a small cheap roll cabinet or sidebox soon becomes cheap source either bolted straight in or stripped for drawers and slides .

 

[ckucia]

I found these on Lowes' site.

Seems like they might be less friction if I used, maybe two on each side for light drawers and four on each side for heavier ones.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Prime-Line-Side-Guides/3010823

Anyone try UHMW strips/tape on drawer runners?

 

[bullnerd]

Anyone try UHMW strips/tape on drawer runners?

Yes, I was about to mention this. I bought it from Mcmaster.

I went through a phase where I stuck it to everything that moved.

Works great. I would suggest buying a roll of the tape and experimenting on your own.

 

[rsanter]

How deep are you making the drawers? I have some new leftover 16” full extension slides I can make you a deal on

 

[brothernov]

Anyone try UHMW strips/tape on drawer runners?

Yes, I was about to mention this. I bought it from Mcmaster.

I went through a phase where I stuck it to everything that moved.

Works great. I would suggest buying a roll of the tape and experimenting on your own.

I've used this method with fantastic results. Big drawers loaded heavy even. put some tape on both the cabinet carcass and the drawer bottom and they slide slicker than snot smooth.

 

[lilredex]

This cabinet was put together about 25 years back and is still going strong.
It uses 3/4" hardwood runners inset in the sides, and waxed well, as above.

Plan to make more of that style this summer.

 

[AZ Pete]

Anyone try UHMW strips/tape on drawer runners?

Yes, I was about to mention this. I bought it from Mcmaster.

I went through a phase where I stuck it to everything that moved.

Works great. I would suggest buying a roll of the tape and experimenting on your own.

I just use parafin. The wax slides well and lasts for years.


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[BigEd]

Look at Rockler:

http://www.rockler.com/classic-wood-center-mount-drawer-slide

 

[bullnerd]

I just use parafin. The wax slides well and lasts for years.


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One of the things I used it on was an underwater ultrasonic scanning system. Aluminum on aluminum, wax wasn't an option.

 

[Parrothead]

Get on AliExpress and search drawer slides. They have a variety ranging in price and weight.

My example is 10 pairs of ball bearing slides 18” at 100lbs for $75. Free shipping

 

[Schurkey]

I guess I'm spoiled.

I have drawers that have "wooden" slides. They're hateful. They're just totally, completely, utterly hateful. I don't think I've ever seen "wooden" slides where the drawer could open fully. I suppose they'd be fine, if it's still 1492.

I have had toolboxes with metal slides. They're fine when lightly loaded, or on small drawers that don't hold much. They **** when heavily loaded.

I have had toolboxes with roller (ball-bearing) "slides". It's the only way to go until someone invents an air-bearing drawer slide. I wouldn't walk across the street to pick up a tool box that had big drawers, but didn't have roller-bearing "slides".

 

[tymbo]

I agree. There is no such thing as a full extension wooden drawer slide. The backs of drawers become a black hole of missing stuff.

 

[bullnerd]

I agree. There is no such thing as a full extension wooden drawer slide. The backs of drawers become a black hole of missing stuff.

Google it, probably more wooden styles than metal.

Not saying they are better, just that they do exist.

 

[KenC]

As stated above, opening dimension is far more important to me than material.

One can apply metal runners, slick plastic pieces and lube of many sorts to make them operate and wear well, but I've never seen a shop made full extension drawer.

I think it could be done using a 3 part design, think friction slides but wood parts. Lots of work and fiddling. Not for me.

Full extension ball bearing is the way to go IMO.

 

[ddawg16]

As stated above, opening dimension is far more important to me than material.

One can apply metal runners, slick plastic pieces and lube of many sorts to make them operate and wear well, but I've never seen a shop made full extension drawer.

I think it could be done using a 3 part design, think friction slides but wood parts. Lots of work and fiddling. Not for me.

Full extension ball bearing is the way to go IMO.

You stole my post......

That was exactly what I was going to write.

I have a couple of drawers with wood slides. Using the nylon corner pieces makes a big difference....but you are still stuck with only being able to pull it out about 3/4's of the way.

Do some searching....you can get full extension slides with 100 lb + weight limit for like $10-12/pair.

Blum full extension undermount self closing are around $25/pr. Those make for a real **** drawer.

 

[hogdoc]

Check out Ron Paulks new tool trailer video on YouTube, he always uses wood for drawer slides,what holds up in a trailer will definatly live in a shop.

About the 18:50 mark he shows them

 

[tymbo]

As stated above, opening dimension is far more important to me than material.

One can apply metal runners, slick plastic pieces and lube of many sorts to make them operate and wear well, but I've never seen a shop made full extension drawer.

I think it could be done using a 3 part design, think friction slides but wood parts. Lots of work and fiddling. Not for me.

Full extension ball bearing is the way to go IMO.

I agree. I watched a youtube video of a guy who made a prototype wood full extension slide. No comparison to a ball bearing slide. Very labor intensive to build. Not smooth, takes up twice the space and who knows how much weight it will take.

 

[ckucia]

I like metal slides, but I'm trying to build something along the lines of this in wood.

I have quite a bit of scrap wood I can use, plus ill need a few pieces of plywood.

But if you count up the amount of drawers, it ends up being a small fortune in slides.

 

[CraigStu]

Anyone try UHMW strips/tape on drawer runners?

Yes, I was about to mention this. I bought it from Mcmaster.

I went through a phase where I stuck it to everything that moved.

Works great. I would suggest buying a roll of the tape and experimenting on your own.

I haven't used it for drawers but have used UHMW for a lot of other projects. It's great stuff. I got a roll online and there were two thicknesses. I got the thicker version. Here they have 3 thicknesses.
https://www.tapedepot.com/product/u...MInsCYqOHm2QIVHlgNCh39CQE7EAQYASABEgJG5_D_BwE