Please help me with drawer glide/slide selection

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Fri May 15, 2009 2:18 pm

Hi everyone,
I recently salvaged a sturdy 30" high "counter cabinet" used in a govt. office. !'m going to use it as a bench and drawered storage along one end of my shop.
It's 109" long and 24" deep. It was divided into 3 equal storage areas under the top. I have further divided it into 7 areas with 3 being approx. 11 1/4 wide and 4 at approx. 16 1/2 wide. All the dividing panels are 3/4 a/c ply, pocket screwed at the bottom and top of each panel.

I want to install 6 1/2 deep drawers across the 109" top and similar depths (what ever it works out to be) in all of the 11/14 wide openings.

In the wider openings, will go 10" deep drawers at the bottom of each remaining 4 openings with The balance of the drawers between the bottom and top at, again whatever it works out to be for depth.

Now, my question: Bearing in mind that these are shop drawers and will carry at most 50 lbs in the larger drawers, Would you use full extension metal side glides, "L" shaped slides and slick tape made from oak/maple or dove tail center glides?
If it makes any difference, the drawers will be dado jointed together and made of 1/2" BB with 1/4" hard board bottoms and 1/2" BB applied fronts.

Thanks you, I really appreciate your helpful suggestions.

Gene

bucksaw · Post by **bucksaw** » Fri May 15, 2009 4:07 pm

I use the economy full extension slides (100#) from Woodworker Hardware and so far have never had a problem.

http://wwhardware.com/catalog.cfm/Group ... 0Extension

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Fri May 15, 2009 4:23 pm

I just use the cheap slides from the big orange or blue box stores on my shop cabinets. As long as you don't over load them you should have no problems with them.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Fri May 15, 2009 11:35 pm

Gene Howe wrote:...Now, my question: Bearing in mind that these are shop drawers and will carry at most 50 lbs in the larger drawers, Would you use full extension metal side glides, "L" shaped slides and slick tape made from oak/maple or dove tail center glides?
If it makes any difference, the drawers will be dado jointed together and made of 1/2" BB with 1/4" hard board bottoms and 1/2" BB applied fronts.

Thanks you, I really appreciate your helpful suggestions.

Gene

If you are going to put 50lbs (or more maybe?) in these drawers, you may want to reconsider. 1/2" ply wood be much sturdier. As for the glides, the cheap ones will work good for 50 lbs., but if you want full extension you will have to use better ones.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sat May 16, 2009 12:16 am

Hi Tim,
I've been considering 1/2" for the larger drawers. Thanks for making up my mind. Overloaded drawers can get ugly.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Sat May 16, 2009 12:36 am

Gene Howe wrote:Hi Tim,
I've been considering 1/2" for the larger drawers. Thanks for making up my mind. Overloaded drawers can get ugly.

Hi Gene,
One more thing to consider; I use glides that support the drawer bottom, that way you never loose the bottom out of the drawer. Doing so eliminates some of those glide choices...