Double up drawer slides

[Dan Stuewe]

Hi all,

It's been awhile since I've come in for dip (new job where I actually have to work 8 hours a day.)

I'm building a work table for my wife and I'm planning on having a 28" wide drawer in the middle. The table is 36" deep. The table and drawer won't hold super heavy items (the work table will be moved around a lot), so I don't need heavy duty drawer slides, but I'd like her to be able to pull the drawer all the way out. Lee Valley has 32" and 36" 200lb slides for around $40, but all the "normal" full extension slides seem to only be made up to 28". So what if I picked up a pair of 100lb 20" slides for about $11 and a pair of 3/4 slides to make up the difference. The full extension slides would be attached to the work table and a spacer strip of material, then the 3/4 slides would be attached to the spacer strip and the drawer.

Will this work in practice? Or should I just pony up the $40?

Thanks,

[Peter Quinn]

I'd pay the $40. You might get it to work smoothly, but at what cost to your sanity i wonder?

[Jason Beam]

The weight ratings on most of those probably don't expect the drawer side to be able to twist very much. Using two slides you'd at least double that wiggle for them and that could significantly impact your weight capacity. All this is theory, of course, but I'd probably just pay the $40 - by the time you buy two pairs and find a way to construct it, you'd probably find the time spent was worth more than the savings you saw. I'd call that false economy :)

[Bill Spievak]

I have used the Lee Valley slides for a number of applications, including drawers in my miter saw bench, 36 inches wide, holding lots of heavy stuff. They are worth the price and are really solid. They do, however, have on thing that is a bit of a pain, they don't separate.

[William OConnell]

Ive been there and done that and it worked fine.
Have you ever seen the seinfeld episode where Kramer lets Japanese tourists sleep in the dresser that he got from Elaines boyfriend? Got me to thinking soooo
I just had to build two dressers with huge drawers 46" wide by 30 "deep by 16" high Used ther same technique your thinking about and they've been completely full ever since( build it and my wife will fill it). No problems and I'm glad I did it

[Dan Stuewe]

Thanks for the replys.

Um, William, how long have the Japanese tourists been in your dressers?