Blum Tandem slides

[Steven Bolton]

These are expensive drawer slides, but I can see that they would be useful at times.

Anyone used them? Hard to install? Any installation tips?

Any place that sells the cheap?

Thanks

Steve Bolton

[Jamie Buxton]

Yup, they're expensive. Yup, they're worth it in my opinion. They have a very nice "feel", and they don't flash metal at you when you open the drawer.

They're not difficult to install, but they are different from side-mount slides. Read the instructions, and build the drawer boxes to Blum's specs.

You can buy them from wwhardware.com, and read the Blum installation instructions there before you buy.

The base model Tandem pulls the drawer in the last couple of inches. The Blumotion model does the same, but has a hydraulic damper so that the movement is slower. In my opinion, Blumotion is not worth the added cost. However, we've had discussions about this issue on this board, and there are folks here who do think it is worthwhile.

SMC's Search function will find you many threads about Tandems.

[Ed Peters]

the price tag steers me away. My standard use slide for drawers is purchased at www.outwatercatalogs.com (http://www.outwatercatalogs.com)
The 22" (standard kitchen drawer depth) full extension with 1" overtravel is just over $6 a set in quantities over 15 sets.

Ed

[Jeff Wright]

I just ripped out our old kitchen today in preparation for tile to be laid tomorrow (and the next three weeks) in our entire house. I will then begin our new kitchen. So your questioin is timely.

Are either of the Blum slides mentioned above the ones that mount UNDER the drawers?

[Steven Bolton]

the price tag steers me away. My standard use slide for drawers is purchased at www.outwatercatalogs.com (http://www.outwatercatalogs.com)
The 22" (standard kitchen drawer depth) full extension with 1" overtravel is just over $6 a set in quantities over 15 sets.

Ed

Ed: Can you steer me to the ones you get. It looks like I would have to search the entire catalog.

Thanks

sb

[Jason Stein]

I was just about to purchase the Blum soft close slides for the cabinets I'm currently building, then I received the Custom Service Hardware catalog. They have the Hettich QUADRO IW 21 21" FULL EXTENSION SOFT CLOSE SLIDE for $22. Here's the link:
http://www.cshardware.com/iwwidb.pvx?;multi_item_submit
I've been trying to find reviews of this slide, but can't find any. Does anyone have any experience with them? These could save me about $140 over the Blum. Thanks.

[Steve Leverich]

Steven, try this page

http://www.outwatercatalogs.com/2007_Master/lg_display.cfm?page_number=272&catalog=070148

HTH... Steve

[Mark Singer]

I have used them and I think they are great! A little pricey... I bought them in bulk and saved about 10 to 15%. They are easy to install. The drawers are a bit more shallow since the tandems go underneath. It is quit a neat invention .

[Lee Hingle]

Jason,
Seems that link is dead? Or is it just me?
Lee

[Steven Bolton]

I was able to open the link. The slides are very inexpensive.

What I like about the Blum is that it appears to be built like a tank and you can't see them.

sb




Jason,
Seems that link is dead? Or is it just me?
Lee

[Lee Hingle]

http://www.thehardwarehouse.com/product_info.php?cPath=70_76&products_id=389

$22/pair, $18.50/pr for 12 pair+

[Steven Bolton]

I just ripped out our old kitchen today in preparation for tile to be laid tomorrow (and the next three weeks) in our entire house. I will then begin our new kitchen. So your questioin is timely.

Are either of the Blum slides mentioned above the ones that mount UNDER the drawers?

The ones I attached and the ones I would want to buy attached under the drawer. You can't see them.

Steve Bolton

[Jamie Buxton]

I was just about to purchase the Blum soft close slides for the cabinets I'm currently building, then I received the Custom Service Hardware catalog. They have the Hettich QUADRO IW 21 21" FULL EXTENSION SOFT CLOSE SLIDE for $22. Here's the link:
http://www.cshardware.com/iwwidb.pvx?;multi_item_submit
I've been trying to find reviews of this slide, but can't find any. Does anyone have any experience with them? These could save me about $140 over the Blum. Thanks.

I've used the Hettich Quadro. It is quite similar to the Tandem, but closes with a little more force. The Tandem's front fastening clips are a little easier to install.

When I ran the numbers, using a true apples-to-apples comparison, they were only a buck or two less expensive than the Tandem. When I say apples-to-apples, you must compare the Blumotion version to the Hettich version with the hydraulic damper, or the non-Blumotion version to the Hettich without the damper. You also must add in the front fastening clips, which some retailers sell separately. And you should also consider the freight costs; a kitchen's worth of slides may cost you more than a hundred bucks in freight.

[Todd Burch]

I use the Tandems for high end work. You don't see them, but you sure feel them. Don't forget to factor in the one time purchase of the install tools.

Todd

[Steven Bolton]

Does Marc Sommerfelds video on cabinetmaking cover this Blum slide in particular?

Worthwhile DVD?

thanks

sb

[Alan Schaffter]

http://www.thehardwarehouse.com/product_info.php?cPath=70_76&products_id=389

$22/pair, $18.50/pr for 12 pair+

I couldn't tell from the info at the link, but are these full extension slides? Any over travel?

[Steven Bolton]

I couldn't tell from the info at the link, but are these full extension slides? Any over travel?


I think they are full extension, but not over extension.

sb

[Lee Hingle]

Stephen's right - full extension but not overtravel. I have not used these so I'm not sure of the quality but I have used the ball bearing slides and the quality is fantastic.
Lee

[Ed Peters]

Ed: Can you steer me to the ones you get. It looks like I would have to search the entire catalog.

Thanks

sb

Page #272

Ed

[Phil Hudak]

I used them in this vanity:

http://users.adelphia.net/~hudak/vanity%20crash2.jpg

You can see them on the two drawers with broken fronts.

I like that they are "invisible".

I don't like their cost; they are heavy, and be sure keep your fingers out of the way when they self-close as they pull the drawer shut very fast and hard.

HTH,

Phil Hudak

[Sam Shank]

thy the prices here

http://www.ahturf.com/catalog/catalogue.phtml?f_action=search&f_category=274

[Jeffrey Bergstrom]

My customers really love the soft closing feature...even on the door hinges. I remember the first time I saw a pair being demonstrated, we just couldn't keep from pulling the drawer box out one more time... :D

If you dado the bottoms on your drawers already the slide is easy to adapt to as it requires a 1/2" recessed bottom.

I agree that the two part install kit is a must. One part is a block for locating the hardware attachment points and the other part consists of depth stop collars.

One thing to keep in mind is that there (at least with the Blum line) are not a huge selection of depths to choose from. 21",18",15" and 12"

Hey my first post.....I hope it made sense

[frank shic]

phil, what happened to those drawers? lovely finish BTW.

[Phil Hudak]

phil, what happened to those drawers?

I was making the platform/toekick for the vanity (which was completely finished and ready for installation).

It was July 4th, so I was in a hurry to join festivities. The vanity was sitting on the assembly table as you see in the pic. I needed just a little more room on the table to assemble the toe kick...and I pushed the vanity right off of the table onto the floor.

Sigh. Thankfully, it was completely covered with the padded moving blanket, so the damage was fixable.


lovely finish BTW.

Thanks for the kind words; my first foray into water-based dyes. The drawers on the right look darker because of the light, btw.

Phil Hudak

[Steven Bolton]

That is an attractive vanity. I assume the Blum slides had nothing to do with the broken doors.

Are the Blums difficult to install? In a perfect world would you have them in your kitchen?

Thanks

sb

[Phil Hudak]

That is an attractive vanity. I assume the Blum slides had nothing to do with the broken doors.

Are the Blums difficult to install? In a perfect world would you have them in your kitchen?

Thanks

sb

No, the particular make and style of slides weren't a factor; the vanity actually was stopped from making it to the floor by my planar stand. The drawers then shot-out, and hit the floor.

The slides were very easy to install - easier than side-mount. Definitely would put them in my kitchen.

HTH,

Phil Hudak

[frank shic]

phil, what a heartbreaker about your lovely vanity! what water based dye did you use, BTW? i've been wanting to learn how to apply dyes/stains just to try something different.

[Mike Spanbauer]

use them and love them. They come in 75% extension and full extension (plus a few other odd ones I believe. In addition they have funky corner drawers, which rock... I installed one in my kitchen, rather it's in the cabinet that will go in the corner in my kitchen :) (EXPENSIVE bugger though, be prepared for serious sticker shock on the blumotion corner unit).

Tools are a requirement and speed things up nicely.

mike

[Phil Hudak]

phil, what a heartbreaker about your lovely vanity! what water based dye did you use, BTW? i've been wanting to learn how to apply dyes/stains just to try something different.

Yeah, I just stood there in disbelief and almost cried. But, I realized that I was actually very lucky, as the damage could be fixed. If the face frame or exposed panel on the right end would have taken the hit, the whole thing would have been firewood.

Anyways, as far as the finish, my wife wanted it to have a Tuscan-antique look. I had always used shellac on maple before and never had tried coloring. Knowing that maple was prone to blotching, it was time to experiment.

I tried *everything* in all combos - spit coat of shellac, gel stains, wiping dyes, etc. - it was a veritable chemistry lab in my shop for a while.

After a couple of weeks of nightly scrap testing, I found that spraying water-based Transtint dyes worked best by far.

Here is the complete finish schedule:

1) Raise the grain and sand with 320.

2) Mixture of Transtint Golden Brown and Honey Amber in water, sprayed.

3) Very light coat of BLO. Let cure for a couple of days.

4) Two coats of dewaxed Extra Pale Shellac, sprayed.

5) Lightly sand with 320.

6) Three coats Target USL, semi-gloss, sprayed.

Give it a shot.

Phil Hudak

[Steven Bolton]

I watched the DVD "Cabinetmaking Made Easy" by Marc Sommerfeld this evening. After watching that, it becomes evident that the Blumotion slides are very high quality.

I noticed Marc uses a "Katie" dovetail jig which looks very much like the Gifkins dovetail jig from down under.

I wonder if anyone cares to indicate which is better, the "katie" or the Gifkins. They look almost identical from what I can see.

Looks like the Blum undermounts are the best or next to the best. Doesn't look like installation is real difficult either.

sb