Drawer Slide Length

[Bart Sevin]

Hey, I've done some searching on here and found some mixed results in terms of how to determine the correct drawer slide length, so I thought I'd give my specifics and seek some help. I have an antique hutch that has plenty of space for my bourbon collection. The problem is if I stack it full I can't reach the ones in back (I mean can you imagine the trauma of such problems??). So, I was going to build some inner infrastructure and get over travel slides so I can access any bottle any time. The middle opening is wide, can accommodate 2 stacked 27" drawers and the sides about 2 stacked 10" drawers on each side, or 4 total (taking into account the 0.5" needed for side mount slides). That said the depth for all drawers, measuring the inside area is 16 7/16" deep. So, should I get 16" or 14" slides? I want to maximize drawer depth and I plan on getting over travel so I was thinking even if i get 14" slides, I should be able to access all bottles in the back. I also read on an earlier post that the slides can be shorter than the drawer length, is that correct? I was thinking about K&V slides, the 8419 (good for drawers up to 24" wide) and the 8605 (meant for wider drawers). Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[Lisa Starr]

Bart-give us the inside depth of the cabinet, subtracting for any protrusions that many lessen the depth of the area available for the drawer boxes.

[Bart Sevin]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. It's 16 7/16"

[Lee Schierer]

For maximum access to your "treasure" I would go with 16" slides. With over travel slides the longer slide will get the back of the drawer to open further and give you the best access to your bottles. A 14" slide will eat 2" off the over travel and may not give you what you want.

[Bart Sevin]

Appreciate the input, Lee.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I always go for the longest slide that will fit in the spot providing they do not suddenly become to wide (or similar) for the application. Right now, I am using 18" slides in a cabinet that is 18.5" deep with no problem.

Also, sounds like what you really have is a bourbon problem, you can send the ones you cannot reach to.... me :D

Just make sure that your slides can handle the weight.

[Bart Sevin]

Thanks, Andrew, I always appreciate it when someone can get to the heart of a problem. Yes, my name is Bart and I have a bourbon collecting problem (well I drink it too, but believe me, the buying is more problematic than the drinking, just ask my wife). Thanks for the input and mentioning the weight consideration. I actually measured how many bottles would fit per drawer, weighed a few on a kitchen scale to get a typical weight (then rounded up to 2.5 lbs/bottle) and multiplied, and I don't think a pair of slides will need to handle more than about 60-70 lbs, and the ones I'm looking at are 100+ lb capable, so thanks for helping me plan out all the details. Surely I've failed at that before. Sounds like I'm shooting for 16" slides. Any dissenting opinions are welcome! Also, anyone like/dislike or have any experience with the K&V 8419 (good for drawers up to 24" wide) and the 8605 (meant for wider drawers)? Thanks folks!

[johnny means]

Slide length is usually going to refer to the length of the drawer box and not the actual length of the slide. 24 inch slides are for 24 inch boxes.

[Bart Sevin]

Thanks Johnny. Getting some good consensus.

[Steve Jenkins]

If your drawer fronts are inset rather than overlay you need to deduct the thickness of the fronts from the cabinet depth.

[Lee Schierer]

I have used quite a few of the K&V 8419 slides and I like them. The soft close is nice.

[Bart Sevin]

Thanks Lee. Took a while to figure out which ones, so that’s a helpful endorsement.