largest recommended drawer size

[Tom Bain]

Designing a storage cabinet and mapping out drawer sizes. The largest drawer box I've built previously was 30" wide, and currently looking at a drawer that might be 36"-37" wide. Will be using blum tandem undermount slides (21" slide length). Concerned about racking with a drawer that large, but curious if others have had success (or issues) with large drawers.

Thanks.

[Jim Dwight]

I just checked my largest in the kitchen - which I did not make and has bottom mounted slides - and the bigger ones in my Great room, which I made and have side mounted slides. The kitchen is 29 1/2 wide (drawer box). The Great room is 34 5/8. The kitchen drawer is shallow, like 6 inches. The Great room drawers are one 7 inches deep and two 12 inches deep. The kitchen drawer moves smoother than the two really deep great room drawers. Not sure how much of that is the cheap side mounted soft close drawer slides. But they work. The top 7 inch drawer moves fine.

So I don't have any direct experience with bottom mounted drawer slides on something this big but if the drawers will also be deep my experience suggests caution. You might be a little wide, at least for a deep drawer.

It is also completely possible my drawers would work better in the great room if the drawer and/or carcase was built better. I don't know of a problem but it doesn't take a large dimensional issue to make a drawer slide act up in my experience.

[mreza Salav]

Have several 36" drawers (some pots and pans) in our kitchen and using Tandem slides. Zero problems with them.

[George Yetka]

My parents have a 36 12 inches deep filled with pots and pans. Way overloaded I just did a repair because the drawer front screws had ripped out on one side but the drawer is 30 years old and otherwise works great. Just needed a couple screws in new locations.

[Malcolm McLeod]

https://www.accuride.com/en-us/products/3160ec-soft-close-undermount-slide-for-ultra-wide-drawers Watch the video.

I have built furniture grade file storage drawers at 48" wide on extra-HD guides and they rack a bit, but nothing catastrophic. I didn't know about the above (or it wasn't being sold then..?). Had I known, I would have used either this or something similar.

I even built a nominal 6' wide drawer for storing 'shorts' in my lumber rack, This drawer would certainly benefit from the linked guides, but I'm fairly certain that the 'racking' would be transferred to my wallet.

Edit- I spent a few minutes searching, but now can't find a version that uses a rod, run side to side, with a pinion gear arrangement on each side - engaged to a rack in each guide. This keeps the extension of the respective guides sync'd. I have seen such ...once. Discontinued perhaps?

[Jared Sankovich]

https://www.accuride.com/en-us/products/3160ec-soft-close-undermount-slide-for-ultra-wide-drawers Watch the video.

I have built furniture grade file storage drawers at 48" wide on extra-HD guides and they rack a bit, but nothing catastrophic. I didn't know about the above (or it wasn't being sold then..?). Had I known, I would have used either this or something similar.

I even built a nominal 6' wide drawer for storing 'shorts' in my lumber rack, This drawer would certainly benefit from the linked guides, but I'm fairly certain that the 'racking' would be transferred to my wallet.

Edit- I spent a few minutes searching, but now can't find a version that uses a rod, run side to side, with a pinion gear arrangement on each side - engaged to a rack in each guide. This keeps the extension of the respective guides sync'd. I have seen such ...once. Discontinued perhaps?

The lateral stabilizer is still available.

https://www.woodworkerexpress.com/blum-zst686tu01-563-569-lateral-stabilizer-rod-kit-aluminum.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_search&utm_campaign=google_product_ads&source=googlebase&country=US&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkIGKBhCxARIsAINMioIRA0UoipLg2E2vdHix YOoylk9zc4xuIToRuJPtWgq5OUrrnYTzcFUaAgs1EALw_wcB

[Ron Selzer]

Have a cherry dresser in my bedroom for my clothes three drawers are 59" wide by 18" wide, depths vary. 3/4" cherry with thru dovetails and 3/8" BB bottoms, side mount slides
no noticeable racking
Ron