Drawer Slides

[Amy Leigh Baker]

Hi Everyone,

I have one drawer on the to-do list, but I don't know what kind of slides to buy. Weight will not be an issue. At most the drawer, with contents, will weigh approx. 10lbs. Due to the design of my table, they have to be side-mount, and the finished drawer will only be 12" deep. Since I only have one pair of slides to buy and they will only be 12", I don't see money being an issue.

So where is the question you ask? What's the smoothest operating slide? I assume it would be ball-bearing, but then again I've never built a drawer from scratch, either. My biggest conern is that the drawer be easy to operate.

Thanks,

Amy

P.S. I realize I have been absent for a while. I hope nobody thought I became UNinterested in woodworking! To the contrary, I finished my mirror frame, and am finally getting close to finishing my make-up table. I know... pictures. My living room remodel has diverted my efforts a lot in the past six months. Oh, and work, too. Lots of overtime!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Welcome back Amy,

Lee Valley is an easy place to get Accuride, and they work well. If you where doing a gazzilion drawers, I'd recommend a cheaper brand, but why skimp? I think you can get a side mount Accuride with a soft close feature now, IIRC.

[Larry Edgerton]

KV has a soft close side mount as well, American made, and a little less than the Accurides and just as finely crafted. So there is another option....

[Joe Chritz]

Side mount ball bearing slides are always very smooth. For one drawer if it isn't already constructed a simple wood on wood ledge is fine. The last couple projects I did have a wooden drawer on a wooden ledger and they operate excellent.

Accuride is a top of line ball bearing slide and you should be able to get them at a local woodworking store or any of a number of online retailers.

On an unrelated note if that is you in your avatar you strike a remarkable resemblance to a friend of mine.

Joe

[Amy Leigh Baker]

Thanks for input guys. I think I will go with the Accurides. $10.75 plus S&H at LV. The idea of a soft close sounded nice initally, but actually not for what I will be using it for. And I've personally never liked a wood on wood ledge. If I was going to be making lots of drawers then money would be an issue, but I've never found a wood on wood drawer that operated to my satisfaction.

Joe, yes that is me in my avatar.

Amy

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Wood on wood drawers can be smooth as silk with an application of floor wax. I've built numerous shop drawers and they hold alot more than 10 pounds.

Greg

[Michael Wildt]

The product 'slip it' is super super ood for sliding wood on wood pieces. Or you can try a little candle wax.

Michael

[Peter Quinn]

I like Blum tandems with blumotion, they are undermounts but they attach to the sides of the case. Very smooth, soft close feature is great. Plus you dont see them when you open the drawer.

Accurides are smooth though less quiet with all those ball bearings, and fairly finicky to install, your sides had better be nearly dead square or you have to get into one of those plastic shim kits, and they eat up nearly twice the room on each side of the drawer, plus you have to look at those rather ugly things each time you open the drawer. I use them for pantries and canning closets where their strength shines on big drawers meant to hold a good deal of weight.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Peter, I'm working on a dresser now, and I picked the Blums for the slides on it. On big downside to undermounts is how much drawer space they need. In a 6" opening, you will get a drawer that is around 4 3/4" deep.