cleaning blumum drawer glides....oops!

[jim mills]

OK, freak accident here, but a broken vac sent a cloud of saw dust into a newly finished cabinet full of blum glides, and now they operate like a freight train on a gravel road! Any way to clean these out, or are they toast?

[Matt Day]

Oh man, thank stinks. Did you get it on video? ;-)

Sorry I can't be of help on the slides.

[Wayne Jolly]

I have had some glides get so much dust in them that they wouldn't operate at all (accidentally left them where my router literally buried them in debris). All slides that I have seen come apart so cleaning them isn't difficult. I just clean them out with mineral spirits and a brush, blow dry them, and use a little light lubricant on them. Good as new.

Wayne

[Mike Goetzke]

I have had some glides get so much dust in them that they wouldn't operate at all (accidentally left them where my router literally buried them in debris). All slides that I have seen come apart so cleaning them isn't difficult. I just clean them out with mineral spirits and a brush, blow dry them, and use a little light lubricant on them. Good as new.

Wayne

When I had my granite installed I didn't realize that they cut out the cooktop hole on site. Two sets of slides full of granite dust. I too took them outside and cleaned them by flushing with mineral spirits. I called Blum to find the lube they use and never had any luck. Think I used a little lithium grease. Even 5-years later these are the smoothest drawers I have.

Mike

[Ray Selinger]

My tool cabinets have roller glides. I once did some grinding with a drawer open. They come apart, just don't lose the ball bearing. They run away and hide.

[Ellen Benkin]

Dumb response. If the glides were dry and the dust was dry, why didn't you first vacuum them to get the dust off and then wipe down with a damp cloth?

[Mike Goetzke]

Dumb response. If the glides were dry and the dust was dry, why didn't you first vacuum them to get the dust off and then wipe down with a damp cloth?

Lubricant on the slides.

[jim mills]

Glides are not dry. The bearings are greased. I dont think 533's ste meant to come apart

[Ellen Benkin]

Thanks Mike. I forgot about lubricant.

[John J Wilson]

Hi Jim,

I've had this happen as well a few times. If possible to get a good downward angle on the glides, hit them with compressed air. After you blast them, cycle the glides back and forth ten or so times and hit them again with the compressed air. The glides are probably self-cleaning and cycling them alone would do the trick. The compressed air helps knock anything loose that's in the travel path and will speed up the process.