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Thread: Blum Slide Experts: Questions Before Completing Installation

  1. #1

    Blum Slide Experts: Questions Before Completing Installation

    I'm completing two kitchen flatware/utensil drawers for a built-in cabinet using Blumotion Tandem slides (#563H, 21”). Drawers are 5/8” maple with 3/8” Baltic Birch bottoms and hand cut dovetails used for all joints.

    They have a couple coats of Zinsser Sealcoat ready for General Finishes High Performance Top Coat, Flat, prior to installation.

    Being a rookie with Blum slides I'm not sure what the real world allowances for tolerances are, where they can be fudged, and how. Everything came out to a Blum pleasing 64th of an inch. The only measurement that's a little off is the bottom clearance which Blum specifies as 1/2". My drawers measure at approx. 35/64" - 9/16" (i.e. approx. 3/64" - 1/16" too deep) and I was intending to trim it back later if need be (likely a poor call).

    a.) Should I plane the side bottoms to exactly 1/2" - or alternatively add shims to the drawer bottoms - before I shoot the top coats? Will the increased dimension interfere with the slide functioning? Trimming the bottoms will alter the DT half pin proportions slightly. If this dimension needs correcting I prefer to do it now before top coating and drilling the holes for Blums locking devices (shims for ex. would alter the position of the screws).

    b.) Worth mentioning are the half pins at the bottom rear of the drawers, bordered by the notched cutouts. When laying out the drawers I realized those half pins would end up orphaned ... and read online concerns of others using DTs on Blum drawers. Is it good idea to drill and insert a 1/4" (or narrower) diameter dowel up through the orphaned half pins to secure them?

    c.) The cabinets are built-in and the wall functions as the back. I've attached a plywood cleat to the wall (old plaster and lathe) and was intending to utilize the Blum metal rear mount brackets screwed to the cleat and screw the front of the slide to the cabinet's face frame as this seem an easier solution than side mounting. Are the metal rear mounting brackets inferior to a side mount? [Case sides are stepped on their interior surface necessarily complicating the use of side blocking and everything in this kitchen is old, crooked, skewed including cabinets. Stepped and tapered side blocks - plus a notch for the right side - anyone?].

    Any thoughts?
    Thanks!
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    The side/front dimension should be ok unless you are using the side-to-side adjustable clips, in which case shim under the drawer bottom..

    The pins will stay in place once installed. If it makes you fell better drive a micro pin in there.

    The back brackets should work if placed accurately- I haven't used them. You can screw to the face frame if using overlay fronts, otherwise blocking.

    It's always a good idea to have unfamiliar hardware in hand to mock up prior to construction.

    https://www.woodworkerexpress.com/sk...structions.pdf

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Jenness View Post
    The side/front dimension should be ok unless you are using the side-to-side adjustable clips, in which case shim under the drawer bottom..
    Thanks Kevin.
    What do you mean by 'side/front dimension'? Are you responding to my question 'a.'?
    I'm a little confused ... my concern is drawer bottom clearance.
    I want to complete spraying these today as my access to spray equipment is extremely limited. Any trimming that's needed I'd better get done now rather than topcoat, trim, break edges, and topcoat yet again.


    -Also, I'm reading that there's two types and sizes of screws included or installation.
    My slides didn't come with the pan head screws (to mount the locking mechanism?), only a bag of small flathead screws. Are they required and is there an imperial size screw/type that's specified for this?

    PS: My drawers are full overlay. Blum locking mechanism is T51-190xx (I believe these are what Blum considers their side-to-side adjustable locking mechanisms)
    Last edited by Ned Mcbee; 09-14-2020 at 5:20 PM.

  4. #4
    Anyone with familiarity regarding my question (a.)?
    Thanks a bunch.

    Orphaned pin question (b.) and mounting hardware questions (c.) are resolved, thanks Kevin.
    Last edited by Ned Mcbee; 09-14-2020 at 5:27 PM.

  5. #5
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    Assuming you have the slides, why don't you just try them and see? You don't have to screw the locking mounts to the drawer, just use a little double side tape. And clamp the slides to whatever. I use Grass undermounts not blum, so I can't answer your question directly. There are really only two places where interference can occur. The extra depth of the side of the drawer could hit something on the slide, or the back of the drawer could hit something when the drawer is almost all the way out. I looked at my grass slides and I don't think 9/16 recess on the bottom would work with those as there are little tabs on the side of the slide that would hit the bottom of the drawer.

    Regarding using the rear mount brackets, just make sure the weight rating of the slide isn't lower when the rear mounts are used (if you even care). I don't think it is, but that would be the thing to check. Also, the rear mounts will only accommodate a certain range of distance between the back of the cabinet and the end of the slide; make sure you are within that range.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  6. #6
    Ned, if you look at the top-left drawing on page 2 of the install instructions, you can kind of see how the slide interacts with the drawer box:
    https://www.hghhardware.com/ASSETS/D...structions.pdf

    I went and looked at some drawers built using those slides in my house, and as far as I can tell, there's no real reason that bottom clearance needs to be 1/2". There's 9/16" of additional clearance, below, before it hits the slide. The only thing that might be a little off is the hole on the back of the drawer does go into a peg on the back of the slide, but that's not a tight fit, so I can't imagine 1/16" being an issue. If it is, you can drill the hole a bit bigger.

    Ultimately, I think you'll be surprised with how forgiving these slides are.

  7. #7
    By 'side/front dimension' I meant the height of each. The clips with side adjustment, as I recall, lip under the drawer fronts and would have to be shimmed to allow for that. As long as you have some clearance above the drawer boxes you shouldn't have to trim anything.

    Since you seem to have the hardware in hand why don't you mock up one drawer and make sure everything works as it should?

    You can use flathead screws for the clips although panheads are preferred. #7 or 8 flatheads are used for mounting the side rails.

  8. #8
    Thanks for all the input and clarification!

    I screwed on the attachment devices (flat head screws) and did a dry fitting (w/o screwing the slides into place) with all working well. Now on to topcoat, cure, false fronts, and final installation. If there's any issue downstream I'll plane and touch up the finish.

    Thanks again.

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