Hardware Availability

[Joe Hendershott]

Blum tandem slides specifically. Have been using the 21" tandem blumotion slides for years but now, and for the past many months, cannot find them. I know a lot of you all use them so what have you done to source them or what have you gone to as a substitute. Disheartening to not be able to produce a quality product for people. Yes, I know there are more pressing issue in the world today, believe me, they concern me as well. But dang, I need to get orders out.

Suggestions?

[Jeff Roltgen]

I've been using Hettich for years. Cannot buy locally without a 3-4 month wait now, as the Blum crisis caused everyone to clean out Hettich. Sorry- no help, just saying, everyone else seems to have gotten the jump on Hettich already - my supplier has been fielding calls/web orders from all over the country. They've got some hinges, but slides are cleaned out.
When covid started in March, 2020, I had this bizarre idea to load up. Not so crazy now - still have enough sets of 21" on hand for a few months work.

I'd suggest trying Hafele if you have an account - between Accuride, Grass and Salice, maybe they've still got some options to offer?

I feel for you, and thousands of other small shops around the country in the same pinch. No, a shortage of drawer slides does not seem like a crisis, but thousands of shops all over the country unable to complete work and keep money flowing is no laughing matter.

Good luck,


jeff

[Mark Bolton]

Hafele is out of pretty much everything with anticipated dates of oct/nov/dec depending on the item. Baer is the same, WWxpress same... if you run 3/4" drawer material there are more options but I dont know many that do.

[Paul F Franklin]

Grass Dynapro would be another option; haven't tried to buy any lately, so can't speak to current availability.

[Mark Bolton]

Grass Dynapro would be another option; haven't tried to buy any lately, so can't speak to current availability.

Hafele, Baer, WWxpress... = Grass as well.. zip nada nil none

[Phillip Mitchell]

I have been ordering Blumotion slides from A&H Turf recently. They don’t have all Blum slides (some are backordered for 20+ weeks...) but they do still have some. I have not ordered any 21” slides recently though...just 15” and 18”.

[Mark Bolton]

I have been ordering Blumotion slides from A&H Turf recently. They don’t have all Blum slides (some are backordered for 20+ weeks...) but they do still have some. I have not ordered any 21” slides recently though...just 15” and 18”.

21's and 22's pretty much across the board are sunk due to cabinet production. I think I read somewhere or was told by someone that they have an order on backorder and were informed they were in the range of #3500 on the backorder list. Im sure a bunch of those backorders will be canceled but none the less.. this will run way out into Q1 2022 I would say.

[Jamie Buxton]

What happened to Blum? A factory fire or something?

And the odd thing is that Blum hinges are easy to buy.

[Jeff Roltgen]

It's called Covid, and it's affected all of the above brands.
Shutdowns of "non-essential" businesses, sick workers = slower production.
Just took a while for the cabinet industry to get spanked with this shortage issue, evidently.

BTW, if you haven't purchased cabinet grade sheet goods or hardwood lumber lately, get ready for incredible price increases in addition to shortages. Hardwoods up 30-50%, plywood up $40 to $60 per sheet in my region, compared to 12 months ago. Seems to have hit around June/July.

[George Bokros]

I got some from Rocker about three weeks ago. They the best price and availability I could find.

[Christian Hawkshaw]

Man... I am building a desk and was planning to use Blum undermount slides. I might just have to use wood slides like I do on other furniture. I am a hobbyist, so it is not such a big deal for me as it is for you in the commercial arena.

[Mark Bolton]

What happened to Blum? A factory fire or something?

And the odd thing is that Blum hinges are easy to buy.

I have been told by a couple reps that bring some material in from EU, some partially, some made here with components brought in, etc.. that its a compounding effect. Labor from shut downs, same issue is effecting steel shortages, sub component shortages, here in the US they are still blaming resin and plastics shortages on the Texas storms that took out all the chemical plants/resin plants,.. then they are saying trucking and shipping out of EU, cargo ships slow to move, then when they reach port here in US they are parked off shore for long periods waiting to unload, then same trucking/driver shortages here, as well as on-shore assembly/packaging/etc.. all compounding into a nightmare.

We recently had to bid about 2000 brackets that use a simple 4 spoke, 1/4-20, thru hole plastic knob (steel threaded insert).. One of the larges plastics suppliers in the US that would normally have tens of thousands on hand to ship said they had 1400pcs and werent projecting more to ship until 2/22' at the earlies. 6 month lead time.

[Ron Citerone]

During the last 2 years I have been renovating my summer cottage. Luckily I have been able to get everything I needed. Not always without a long search effort though. Also internet orders are riddled with mistakes and frustration. Presently the window blinds are sitting on the sofa waiting for the brackets that were not in the box with the blinds. I feel bad for people making a living at this and being on a backorder list.