Problems with fuul extension drawer slides

[larry cronkite]

Building some new cabinets for the shop and using 22" full extension ball bearing slides on the drawers.
I was removing the drawers in one of the cabinets to install drawer fronts and could not get the slides of 2 drawers to release. I have built 34 drawers in my shop using these slides and never had this problem before.
I am unable to get to the screws on either the drawers or the inside of the cabinet to take the slides out.
Has anyone have any ideas before I get the hacksaw out?

[glenn bradley]

There are spring-loaded (or molded plastic) "buttons" or press tabs on each small piece of the slide. These are pressed in or up/down to release the smaller part of the glide from the carcass mounted parts.

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[larry cronkite]

There are spring-loaded (or molded plastic) "buttons" or press tabs on each small piece of the slide. These are pressed in or up/down to release the smaller part of the glide from the carcass mounted parts.


As I said I have built and installed 34 of these drawers and I am aware of the tabs.
In full extension on these 2 drawers the tabs will not release the slides.

[glenn bradley]

As I said I have built and installed 34 of these drawers and I am aware of the tabs.
In full extension on these 2 drawers the tabs will not release the slides.

Ah, sorry about that. My response was of no help.

[John Aspinall]

My experience (with about 25-30 drawers), is that the amount of deflection necessary to release the tab does vary a bit. However I have never had one not release at all.
The other thing I always have to re-remind myself is that with identical slides on a drawer, you are guaranteed that one goes up and one goes down to release.

Two flailing-around-in-the-dark questions:
1. Is it both tabs/slides on a single drawer? That would be a bit of a coincidence, and might indicate some other root cause.
2. With the drawer dismounted from the slide, looking from the drawer side of the slide, can you see the notch in the tab through one of the access holes? Is it e.g. deformed?

[Steve Baumgartner]

Hmm...need more info. What brand & model of slide? Does it/did it ever move smoothly, or does it bind up partway in or out? If it moves smoothly, it seems like the releases are somehow stuck (my specialty is the obvious) and all I can think of is to try backing the drawer a bit in from them to relieve pressure, then pushing them firmly while trying again to pull the drawer out. But if the slide is binding part way out, likely causes are either that the case or drawer isn't square, the slides aren't parallel, or that a mounting screw wasn't driven all the way home and is rubbing against the mechanism. It those cases, brute force is all that has ever worked for me.