Help choosing/building cabs for Blum slides

[Ben Grunow]

I want to make a cabinet with the self closing drawer slides and I am leaning towards the Blum units mostly because they are so popular.

Question is, for a 24" kitchen cabinet, which slide do I want and how does it get installed. This is my first time with undermount slides but not my first drawer or cabinet and I have lots of drawers to do so I want to start out on the right foot.

I have see slides mounted to cab sides and to the back and the back appeals to me because it seems like a lot less fuss than shims and I pretty much use 3/4 ply for all sides of my cabinets.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ben

[Brian Jarnell]

When you go to Blum agent to buy slides,ask for an instruction sheet,provided by Blum.
I know this works having done it a few times with different fittings.

[frank shic]

you'll want to use either the 21" tandem drawer slides with 3/4 extension, full extension, or integrated full extension/soft close or the blum solo epoxy undermount slides (cheaper). if you go with the tandem drawer slides, get the boring template as well as the accesory kit and don't forget that you'll need a pair of locking mechanisms for EACH pair of drawer slides.

[Russell Tribby]

How you install them and what type of slide you get will depend on whether you're doing frameless or using a face frame. I'm using undermount slides by Grass and really like them. They are cheaper and the rear bracket that they offer is self-registering. It makes installation a lot easier.

[Ben Grunow]

I plan on face frame/inset drawer faces and I dont know how to combine the cabinet depth with the drawer slide length.

I plan to make my cabinet 24" deep with about 1" thick face and a 3/4 back leaving about 22 1/4 inside. What lenght slide do I need or do I need a larger/smaller cabinet to accomodate the length of sldies manufactured?

Is there a web site where I could see how this is done. I dont have a local supplier for slides so I cant just go buy one and play with it.

[Greg Funk]

Blum makes slides from 12 to 30" in 3" increments. You can download a brochure with all the details from: http://www.blum.com/us/en/02/30/40/index.php

[terry johnson]

Ben,

If you are using Face frame construction w / inset drawer fronts the easiest
way to mount the slides is by shimming out the cabinet sides until flush w/
the inside of the faceframe opening extending to the back wall of the
cabinet. 21" slides will work just fine w/ a 24" base cabinet.FYI be sure
to get the proper slide for the drawer thickness you are using. ( "H" designation for 5/8" or 1/2" drawers) I usually use solid Maple shims
since most cabinets I build contain 5/8" dovetailed Maple drawers and my cabinet interiors are usually left natural. I use Blum Tandem slides almost exclusively in my cabinet business and highly recommend them.

Good luck,

Terry Johnson
Fleming Island Finish Carpentry

[Steve Jenkins]

one thing you need to know about the blum undermount slides is that a 21" slide is actually 21-1/2" long. In all sizes the slide is 1/2" longer than the drawer.

[Dave Bureau]

Use the 21" sildes. If the sides are flush with the frames, you mount them to the sides. If not, use the rear mount bracket that usually comes with the slide. Either way works great.
Dave

[Bill White]

I plan on face frame/inset drawer faces and I dont know how to combine the cabinet depth with the drawer slide length.

I plan to make my cabinet 24" deep with about 1" thick face and a 3/4 back leaving about 22 1/4 inside. What lenght slide do I need or do I need a larger/smaller cabinet to accomodate the length of sldies manufactured?

Is there a web site where I could see how this is done. I dont have a local supplier for slides so I cant just go buy one and play with it.

The "soft close" guides are a real plus. I have them in all cabs in my home. They use a socket on the back end that will give you the adjustment you need.
BTW....Don't ya think the 3/4" backs are a little overkill? We use 1/4" with screw sticks for mounting. Have for years WO any problems. Now if it will be an finished back, that's a different issue.
Bill

[frank shic]

3/4" backs do seem like an overkill but it sure does simplify the cut list when you just use 3/4" plywood or melamine for all the cabinet parts which is what some of the professionals use. i personally prefer using 5/8" melamine with a 1/4" dadoed back.

[Brian Jarnell]

I plan on face frame/inset drawer faces and I dont know how to combine the cabinet depth with the drawer slide length.

I plan to make my cabinet 24" deep with about 1" thick face and a 3/4 back leaving about 22 1/4 inside. What lenght slide do I need or do I need a larger/smaller cabinet to accomodate the length of sldies manufactured?

Is there a web site where I could see how this is done. I dont have a local supplier for slides so I cant just go buy one and play with it.

Found this,may be of some help?


http://www2.woodcraft.com/pdf/77A53.pdf

[Ben Grunow]

Now that is the info I needed. THanks very much.

Yes 3/4 backs are overkill but I make so few cabinets that it means I can buy 1 thickness and eases installation and the cost is really not all that bad (average kitchen uses maybe 8 sheets for backs and what is the upcharge from 1/4 to 3/4? Plus the increase in labor for screw cleats etc)

Thanks very much.

[fRED mCnEILL]

When I built my kitchen cabinets I spent a lot of time on the "kitchen discussion group" at the Garden Web.This is a very active discussion group inhabited by a lot of women. The overwhelming concensu on drawers was that the slides be FULL EXTENSION. These women knew what they wanted and why. I put full extension slides in my kitchen.

Fred Mc.

[Ben Grunow]

THat is the plan Fred. sEEMS LIKE YOUR caps lock IS ON? Could be wrong.