Blum slides installation jigs, Do I need them

[Bob Hallowell]

I just bought 12 sets of the 562 undermount tandem's with the blue motion for kitchen I am starting to build. They make 2 different jigs one to drill the drawer box and one for installing in the cabinet plus kreg makes a jig. Are any of these worth the high price or make installing them much eaiser.

I'm using face frame construction, and want to do these right and will pay the money if it will help.

Thanks,
Bob

[Jamie Buxton]

Jigs are not required. You can do the job without them.

That said, I do use a shop-made jig to bore the rear hole and cut the rear notch, in one operation.

[John Morrison60]

Bob

You can do the operation without the jigs.
If you are going to do a lot of drawers, they do make the installation process easier to do accurately.
The other impact of having the jigs, is that from then on, you are more likely to
default to Tandems for other drawer needs. (not a bad thing)
I have tried the others, and the it is tough to fault using the Blums.

Good luck.
John

[Tom Cross]

I am a big fan of the orange jig that allows accurate and simple drilliing of the angled holes and the rear hole. It is well worth the money.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

That orange jig does work well. It'd be pretty easy to whip up a shop built to do the same thing though, as Jamie mentioned.

[frank shic]

anyone know where to get that drill bit extension for the 2.5mm bit?

i just marked the larger bit for the rear holes with a marker to give me an idea how far to drill but the smaller bit is impossible to use with the jig without a drill bit extension and the retail price for the collar and the drill bit extension runs around $35?!?

i'm loving these drawer slides though since the sliding action is superior to anything else i've used in the past including the traditional epoxy coated drawer slides and more recently the solo undermount slides.

[Peter Quinn]

I made a jig for the rear hole placement for $0.59 from the scrap pile that works at least as well as the blum jig. Careful alignment is critical there for smooth installation, so buy or make one, but do use one. I have tried the orange jig for clip instalation, and it works fine, but I am nearly as quick without it using a long thin brad point to pilot the holes. I probably wouldn't buy that one unless i was hanging 200 drawers a month on a regular basis.

The Kreg jig with the magnets for hanging slides on the boxes is great, and useful for pretty much any kind of 1/2" slide you may encounter, but I don't know it to be useful for mounting tandems. Maybe. You don't really need a jig for that if the boxes are designed to handle them.

[Johnny Pearce]

Bob,
I found using the Template to be simple, no guess work or time lost trying to make my own. This was my first time to use Blum Tandem glides, but I have been using them on my projects since then. I think you will be very pleased with them also.
I did not use or purchase a glide mounting jig. I mounted a 2" tall strip planed to thickness needed to the inside of box sides. This gave me solid backing for the guides and was easy to just line up bottom of glide with bottom of strip.
The best price I found on the Tandem boring template and Tandem template tool kit was from Woodworkers Supply in Feb. 2009. The template catalog # 134924 was $49.99 and tool kit catalog #134927 was$30.99, 6mm HSS brad point bit catalog #120344 was $7.99. They also have the #7X5/8" FL-PH screws catalog # 938426 for $5.99 per 100. These were hard to find [#6 will pull through glide and #8 will stand proud and rub on mating glide frame].
I make my drawer backs shorter than sides and front and slide bottom in after box is assembled and screw into back from below. To me that was easier than notching the two outside edges and putting bottoms in while putting boxes together.

[Bob Hallowell]

Thanks for the help Guys, I ordered the template.

Bob

[Ben Davis]

Thanks for the help Guys, I ordered the template.

Bob
Bob,

STOP!!! I have the blum jig that was passed my way from a creeker at no cost other than shipping. I would be more than happy to send it your way. A kind of pay-it-forward. I can take pics tonight to make certain it's the same one you want. Should cost about $2.00 to ship.

PM me!
Ben

[Johnny Pearce]

I don't think you will regret your decision, I know I don't mine. You can use a 3/32" bit in the extension instead of a 2.5mm [which was hard to locate and expensive] it is just a screw pilot hole and a little smaller does not affect the performance. I am in the process of posting pictures of my cabinet project on my profile album. What I have posted is the early stages, I am finished and my wife says it's the best kitchen she has ever had. She really likes the Blumotion on hinges and drawers.

[Bob Hallowell]

Bob,

STOP!!! I have the blum jig that was passed my way from a creeker at no cost other than shipping. I would be more than happy to send it your way. A kind of pay-it-forward. I can take pics tonight to make certain it's the same one you want. Should cost about $2.00 to ship.

PM me!
Ben

Ben,
wow! thanks for the offer. I would of jumped all over that but I ordered it last night and it would be to late to cancel it

Thanks,
Bob

[zach barnhart]

Bob,

STOP!!! I have the blum jig that was passed my way from a creeker at no cost other than shipping. I would be more than happy to send it your way. A kind of pay-it-forward. I can take pics tonight to make certain it's the same one you want. Should cost about $2.00 to ship.

PM me!
Ben

Sorry to jump in here, but if you still have that jig and don't need it I'd LOVE to buy it from you. I came across this thread w/the exact same question at the OP: do I really need one? The answer seems to be a resounding yes, but the 70.00 they want for those at the local Woodcraft is a pretty bitter pill to swallow!