Shopsmith Forums

My HVAC guy wants me to install drawer slides in his kitchen. To measure, make the shims and install - but I don't know how much to charge nor even how long it takes. It seems to me the last time it was about 30-45 minutes for 2 drawers - and that wasn't working in someone else's house and the drawers were at bench height.

So how long does it take you pros to install a drawer?

There is a reason your HVAC guy wants you to do the work. To save money. How much time it takes depends on the type of slide you use. Is he furnishing them or are you?

Call a cabinet shop and ask what they charge or a handyman on Craigslist or get a recommendation from a local builder (just look for new houses for sale to get the name and phone number). Then you can discount it by 20-25% and it becomes a good deal for both of you.

I assume the drawers are already existing in cabinets.

Makes planning/estimating a doubtfully successful task without hands on etc.

Is there room for the added hardware?



This might be a good time to 'barter'.

Typically, you need 1/2" on each side of the drawer to install side mount drawer slides. If there are no drawer slides on the drawers now, I'd doubt that slides will fit, but you'll not know until you take measurements. If there isn't room, you might be able to install bottom mount slides, but you'll then need to check the back of the cabinet to insure an anchor point is possible.

I went over this morning and took a look. I did not take specific measurements. These is an existing kitchen. The drawers all have those el cheapo slides you see at the big box stores. This guy put in a pair of Accuride full extension slides in one drawer and thought it was too much work. It took him just over two hours.

(He'd rather pay me to do that while he sells & installs a furnaces. He said he had 6 estimates to do today.)

Each of the cabinets have divider walls to attach spacers. The 3 drawers I measured all allowed 1/2", or more, on each side of the drawer to the face frames.

He is open to barter.

The divider walls and drawer are all melamine coated stock.

He had a miter saw and table saw in a heated garage attached to the house.

If the drawer box sides and cabinet sides are not 1/2" apart (no +or-) and you need to add shims or blocks, it would take me (I'm slow) a minimum of 90 minutes per drawer.

Unless I am reading this wrong....

Have you considered using the Kreg jigs?

http://www.amazon.com/Kreg-NZ03-Magneti ... words=kreg

http://www.amazon.com/Kreg-NZ03-B-Drawe ... words=kreg

I decided to give them a try on existing drawers and they were fantastic. My drawers were too wide so I actually narrowed them (took apart and rebuilt the drawer) rather than enlarging the drawer opening so there was time involved there, but once they were 1" narrower than the opening (!/2" on each side as stated above), magnet attaches the side slide, clamp in place to the cabinet and screw in the screws and move to the other side repeat. I had the Kreg parallel clamp so it was easy to attach the plastic piece to the face frame, but I presume any strong spring clamp will also work.

http://www.kregtool.com/Magnetic-Drawer ... dview.html
http://www.kregtool.com/Full-Extenstion ... dview.html

Supposedly the same system can be used or the under drawer center mount but have not tried it.

I got the drawer support jig, too. It makes it much easier.

If I am misunderstanding what you are doing, sorry for this, but if it's just attaching side slides, these jigs are simple and make it easy.

Great reference video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI3jgkhxxPE

Ben

+1 on the Kreg jigs. They simplify matters greatly. Not to mention that this is a great excuse for new tools (jigs) and have someone else pay for them.

curiousgeorge wrote:+1 on the Kreg jigs. They simplify matters greatly. Not to mention that this is a great excuse for new tools (jigs) and have someone else pay for them.

I agree totally plus was thrilled with how much time was removed from that process using the Kreg jig. They do make some great tools. Jim

benush26 wrote:Unless I am reading this wrong....

Have you considered using the Kreg jigs?

Thanks for the tip. I own and have used these jigs since I built our kitchen cabinets a few years back. They are Great!!

The key is, as Gene pointed out, measuring and cutting the spacers/shims (whichever is the correct term) building out from the cabinet wall to get the 1/2" needed for the slides. And in my experience it needs to be pretty damn close to 1/2". Each of the drawer banks has a different gap from the drawer to the wall.

I had another thought late yesterday and called "my client" and said I would not do the job unless he had emptied all the draws before I start work.