Undermount drawer slides for 24" face frame cabinet

[Roger Marty]

I'm replacing drawers in my mother's run down kitchen. Cabinets are 24" deep with face frames. 22 7/8" from the back to the rear of the face.

I did three with 22" side slides that are a bit stiff to open the first couple inches because of the soft close mechanism. I attached the rear brackets to a piece of plywood that I then screwed to the rear of the cabinet. The extra plywood increased the amount of the slide supported by the rear bracket. Then only the front of the slide attached to the face frame with a single screw. Seems a bit sketchy, but I see no other way unless I add a wood runner to support the slide.

For the rest I want to try undermount slides. They seem more robust, don't reduce the width of the drawer, and have a better attachment to the face frame with multiple screws and supported at a corner.

Undermount slides seem to standardize on 21" and 24" lengths which I find a bit perplexing. The 24" will be too long for the interior dimensions. The 21" will either require the rear bracket to support even less of the slide or require even more plywood spacers.

If 24" cabinets are pretty standard, why are they not making a 23" slide length?

But seems I must get the 21"? And I executing correctly?

[Jamie Buxton]

22" undermounts are available. Accuride, I think. Be aware that the slides are longer than the drawer box, so a 21" slide needs 21 3/4" cabinet depth or so.

[Dave Sabo]

If 24" cabinets are pretty standard, why are they not making a 23" slide length?

The answer is because they are European in origin and they just don't have your mounting problem because they don't make framed cabinets. The other reason is their standard depth is 60cm , not 24".

A 23" deep slide in a 24" deep cabinet (frameless) with a 3/4 in. back or stretcher(s) presents too many chances for problems.