Soft close drawers conversion?
- Thread starter 340wedge
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whateg01
Well-known member
Where there's a will, there's a way. Iirc, the friction slides aren't very thick. Most ball bearing slides are going to want 1/2" on each side. Do you have that much room?
I did, I found something like this in a pack of 8. Been awhile since I did it, but it wasn't bad. Just triple checked dimensions. I think it cost me around $80 total. https://www.amazon.com/VITERLYNX-Soft-Close-Extension-Glides（1/dp/B0FD9SKTNK?tag=atomicindus08-20
DGersic
Well-known member
Any pictures?
I vaguely remember someone posting a video on YT showing how they did this.
There are a few websites specializing in drawer slides and/or cabinet parts. They might be cheaper than Amazon.
Also, depending on how many and what depth you need, you might find some cheap top boxes on FB/CL and reuse the slides and possibly the drawers from them.
Waterloo might have them as well, but I don't know if they'd be cheaper.
Let us know how it goes, I just added a couple of 90s era intermediate boxes to my stack, and there are two drawers I'm tempted to convert to ball bearing slides.
There are a few websites specializing in drawer slides and/or cabinet parts. They might be cheaper than Amazon.
Also, depending on how many and what depth you need, you might find some cheap top boxes on FB/CL and reuse the slides and possibly the drawers from them.
Waterloo might have them as well, but I don't know if they'd be cheaper.
Let us know how it goes, I just added a couple of 90s era intermediate boxes to my stack, and there are two drawers I'm tempted to convert to ball bearing slides.
I took some when I did it but don't know where they ended up. Was 3-4 years ago.
DGersic
Well-known member
Got any current ones?
I am always wondering how to do away with soft close (and soft open). I much prefer drawers that open as easy and fast as I want, when I want.
txvwnut
Well-known member
I've got a Craftsman box that has soft close drawers and am not fond of them. They are fine with minimal weight in them but if the start getting any weight in them they won't pull in by themselves.
I elevated the front of the box an extra inch and that took care of that issue.
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whateg01
Well-known member
That was something I was looking for in a new box. Finally gave up and settled for tolerable but with the drawer latches I wanted. I have an old Craftsman with grip latch drawers that don't have the soft close. It's not the soft close part that annoys me though. It's the fact that the drawer requires a little extra umph when opening.
whateg01
Well-known member
Probably looks like a toolbox with drawers and ball bearing slides attached.
What's the clearance on either side of the drawer?
That should be the only limiting factor
Just swap out your slides with non-soft close/open ones.
Not me, but a lot of people *LOVE* those grip latch Craftsman.
If you ever want to sell it, you'll have plenty of buyers.
OK had some free time this evening and went out to my garage and measured a few things.
For Craftsman boxes I have:
S2000 51" stack made in 2022 - ball bearing
26" Craftsman stack made in late 1990s early 2000 - ball bearing
26" Craftsman stack made in 1983 - friction
2-26" Craftsman Intermediate boxes made in early 90s - friction
Both of the ball bearing slide boxes have an opening of 23 9/16 "
All of the friction boxes have an opening of 23 1/2"
The drawers are all the same width.
The friction slides are spot welded to the side of the box and the drawer, the ball bearing slides are pop riveted.
I've drilled out the pop rivets and moved the slides around on the ball bearing boxes so that I could customize the drawer sizes, easy stuff.
I haven't yet taken the time to tackle the spot welds and put in ball bearing slides.
Seems like a good winter project?
For Craftsman boxes I have:
S2000 51" stack made in 2022 - ball bearing
26" Craftsman stack made in late 1990s early 2000 - ball bearing
26" Craftsman stack made in 1983 - friction
2-26" Craftsman Intermediate boxes made in early 90s - friction
Both of the ball bearing slide boxes have an opening of 23 9/16 "
All of the friction boxes have an opening of 23 1/2"
The drawers are all the same width.
The friction slides are spot welded to the side of the box and the drawer, the ball bearing slides are pop riveted.
I've drilled out the pop rivets and moved the slides around on the ball bearing boxes so that I could customize the drawer sizes, easy stuff.
I haven't yet taken the time to tackle the spot welds and put in ball bearing slides.
Seems like a good winter project?
ehcsrop
Active member
I was about to start a thread on this subject but looked at the suggested threads and decided to join the conversation. However, there is very little information here so far.
I have a small lower box that is tired and I want to use it in a perfectly sized position just to the side of my mill. Since it will hold tooling it needs to be fixed up. With heavy clamps in it presently sometimes the drawers come off the old friction slides. I've done about all I can do to keep the thing going.
I have no problem pulling it apart for cleaning and painting. The drawers and cabinet are dent free. But if I can't convert the drawer slides I'm not going forward. So, how is this done exactly? I've built wood cabinets and am familiar with ball bearing slides. I don't want to pioneer this, I'd like to see an example with some tips on how to do this. Oh, and I see the extra benefit to the conversion is the possibility of getting full extension which no friction guides I have seen will do.
I see if you shop around you can get the guides for a budget of $10/pr. Soft close is not important to me, weight capacity, within reason, is. That would be fifty bucks in my situation — totally worth it vs. buying a used box which I have been looking for now about 3 weeks.
The above post says that there is a 1/6th difference making the slides 1/32 too tight on either side. I bet this is insignificant. Spot welds can be drilled or punched out. What are the rest of the steps to do this?
I have a small lower box that is tired and I want to use it in a perfectly sized position just to the side of my mill. Since it will hold tooling it needs to be fixed up. With heavy clamps in it presently sometimes the drawers come off the old friction slides. I've done about all I can do to keep the thing going.
I have no problem pulling it apart for cleaning and painting. The drawers and cabinet are dent free. But if I can't convert the drawer slides I'm not going forward. So, how is this done exactly? I've built wood cabinets and am familiar with ball bearing slides. I don't want to pioneer this, I'd like to see an example with some tips on how to do this. Oh, and I see the extra benefit to the conversion is the possibility of getting full extension which no friction guides I have seen will do.
I see if you shop around you can get the guides for a budget of $10/pr. Soft close is not important to me, weight capacity, within reason, is. That would be fifty bucks in my situation — totally worth it vs. buying a used box which I have been looking for now about 3 weeks.
The above post says that there is a 1/6th difference making the slides 1/32 too tight on either side. I bet this is insignificant. Spot welds can be drilled or punched out. What are the rest of the steps to do this?
ehcsrop
Active member
^^^He makes it look simple. Thanks.