Bathroom vanity drawer question

[Gary Focht]

I need to build a bathroom vanity. My wife does not like the bottom-mount soft-close metal guides used on almost all production vanities - she doesn’t like the difficulty of opening them. And she thinks they are “loud.” I don’t care for the look metal side-mount glides. If I go with all wood construction and just run the drawers on the web frames, will the moist environment create a problem and prevent the drawers from sliding smoothly?

I am not that experienced in drawer making and am concerned that the tight tolerances required for smooth operation may lead to binding issues in the bathroom environment.

Thanks,
Gary

[Jim Koepke]

An alternative way to hang the drawer is to have runners along the side and slots in the sides of the drawer.

The bottom drawer on this book stand was done that way:

414235

From the front the drawer looks like a decorative kick plate. The drawer hands on wooden rails on either side of the case.

Yes, the two more conventional drawers in the top do tend to get tight on the web frames with a tendency to require extra force to open and close them during some weather cycles.

jtk

[Gary Focht]

Jim,

I have considered that method. What is the minimum recommended thickness of the drawer sides to use that method? Would 1/2” be too thin?

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,

I have considered that method. What is the minimum recommended thickness of the drawer sides to use that method? Would 1/2” be too thin?

It would likely depend on how much weight the drawer will hold. In my case the drawer will not be holding much. The sides are 1/2" and the slots are about a 1/4".

Use a slick hardwood, like ash, for the runners. Plastic strips might be good if you have them.

jtk

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on HDPE runners. They're available in uniform thicknesses from purveyors like Tickler. It's stable enough to last indefinitely (regardless of humidity) but soft enough to shape by hand. I apply these as drawer guides with countersunk screws - no glue required.

[Warren Mickley]

I have a cupboard in my bathroom that I made in 1980, been in the bathroom since 1985. The drawer runs on the framing. As of this morning, there is 1/32 inch of clearance on one side when the drawer is pushed tight to the other side, and 1/32 or a little more clearance in height. The drawer is 4X18X20 and has not been waxed since day one.

I would make the vanity first, then make the drawer to fit the opening.

[Alan Schwabacher]

Warren:

What kind of wood did you use for the drawer sides and framing that has lasted well in a bathroom? Were the sides quartersawn?

Thanks

[Robert Engel]

Gary,

I know I'll poo poo'd but I often use the good old epoxy slides frequently in vanities. They can save me quite a bit of cost. They really aren't that noticeable.

I move the drawer back about 2" toward to account for the 3/4 extension.

Personally I wouldn't do dado'ed drawer slides in a bathroom.

[steven c newman]

414258414259414260414261
Olde school...but works.

[Warren Mickley]

Warren:

What kind of wood did you use for the drawer sides and framing that has lasted well in a bathroom? Were the sides quartersawn?

Thanks

I used soft maple, Acer rubrum, which is a high quality cabinet wood. The drawer sides were not quartersawn. In the winter the humidity in the bathroom is probably not as low as the rest of the house. In the summer there is an open window almost all the time. I never gave it a thought that there might be trouble.

[Jerry Olexa]

Being an "old fashioned" guy, I like all wood drawer mechanisms..I make the runners etc myself to fit the openings.
Later, a block plane and a bar of soap ease the fit and allows for seasonal changes..
I personally do not like the metal intruding on the all hardwood construction...Just my 2 cents worth.
Enjoy your build.

[Jim Koepke]

I personally do not like the metal intruding on the all hardwood construction...Just my 2 cents worth.

+1 on that and here's my 414265.

Even with most of my projects being in softwoods.

jtk

[andy bessette]

One of the easiest to install, cheapest and slickest operating drawer slides is the top-center rail with plastic glide attached at the top of the drawer's back. (shown inverted from the way I install them)

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[Gary Focht]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m probably going to go with all wood construction. If they run into troubles down the road that some hand planing can’t fix, I’ll just make new drawers.

My wife wants an all white bathroom, so it will be painted. Should I build the vanity from poplar or perhaps soft maple?

[Jim Koepke]

[edited]
My wife wants an all white bathroom, so it will be painted. Should I build the vanity from poplar or perhaps soft maple?

If it is going to be painted, my suggestion would be to make it from what you have on hand or which ever is less expensive to acquire.

jtk

[Jerry Olexa]

Agree with Jim..if you're going to paint, use poplar, even pine or fir or whatever you have on hand..its a waste to paint over cherry, walnut, etc.

[andy bessette]

I would avoid pine and other rot-prone woods as it is inevitable that it will one day get wet.

[Gary Focht]

Agree with Jim..if you're going to paint, use poplar, even pine or fir or whatever you have on hand..its a waste to paint over cherry, walnut, etc.

I’ll probably use poplar. Don’t have much of anything on hand. I have made lots of painted trim and some painted built-ins in the house with poplar and they look great. Never worked with soft maple, so I was willing to try it if it is superior - as long as the price differential was not too large. Haven’t priced it locally yet.