# Can't seem to get Euro-style drawer slides to work right...?



## tbessie (Nov 29, 2011)

Hello all...

I'm new to this forum, and haven't done much woodworking (though have done many small projects over the years).

Recently, I decided to take the "printer compartment" of my Ikea desk and put drawers into it, since I wasn't using it for anything.

I did a lot of measuring, decided to use the "Euro/Roller" style of drawer slide (as was used on the other side of the desk), and build some drawers to fit.

Well, after installing the slides (and making sure they are level, as are the drawers themselves), when I inserted a drawer, the drawer front hit the overhang of the desk (which sticks out about 2 inches from the pedestal).

I lowered the slides a bit, and found that the drawer front connected to the drawer compartment at an angle and not flush.

I lower the back of the slide so that it was no longer level, and found that now the drawer front was flush with the drawer compartment, but left a 1/4" gap above the top of the drawer front.

Now... I had *thought* that these slides would allow the drawer to slide straight in, no angles involved. I am wondering if the downward bend at the back of the drawer slide (which makes the drawer slide closed when it is almost shut) is making the drawer enter at the angle I saw.

Reading up on drawer slides, I haven't seen anyone talk about this effect. If I didn't know any better, I'd think the drawer box and front were out of alignment, but everything was level and square.

Can anyone suggest what might be going wrong here? I'll do some more experimentation (or switch to side-mounted slides, perhaps, instead of these bottom-mounted ones), but at the moment I'm at a loss to figure out why I'm seeing what I'm seeing.

- Tim


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

the slides are designed so that if they are installed level then the drawer side will be level when in the fully closed position. Sounds like it is the relationship of the drawer side to the drawer front that is causing you difficulty. That is why many cabinetmakers install the drawer fronts after the drawer boxes are installed.

Bret


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## tbessie (Nov 29, 2011)

Lola Ranch said:


> the slides are designed so that if they are installed level then the drawer side will be level when in the fully closed position. Sounds like it is the relationship of the drawer side to the drawer front that is causing you difficulty. That is why many cabinetmakers install the drawer fronts after the drawer boxes are installed.
> 
> Bret


Thanks for the suggestion, Bret! I'll take a look at it when I reassemble the drawer box (currently drying after clear coating) I'll leave off the drawer front and see how the front ends of the sides and bottom are oriented. I may need to do some modifications of the drawer fronts if they meet at an unexpected angle. 

The thing I'm doing that's slightly different is using the drawer front AS the front of the drawer box - I made it slightly wider and taller than the rest of the box so as to stop the drawer when it hit the desk edges. I probably should have made a drawer box that was meant to close flush with the edges (or near to it) and then added a separate front - I was just trying to save time and extra steps that weren't necessary. Well, it's a learning experience!

- Tim


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Exactly which slides are you using. Do you have a brand and #. What would help is to post a picture of the cabinet and the problem "overhang".













 







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## tbessie (Nov 29, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> Exactly which slides are you using. Do you have a brand and #. What would help is to post a picture of the cabinet and the problem "overhang".


Thanks for the welcome!

I'll take some photos tonight and post them. 

The brand of slides are the El Cheapo ones they had at a local builder's supply place, Amerock C17002NB-16-WS 3/4 Extension 55lb rated 16" slides:

http://www.amerock.com/products/item-2497/drawer-slide

- Tim


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## bandman (Jan 15, 2009)

*euro-slides*

Your slides are fine, just make the drawer box and front as two items.
There are drive-in hardware drawer front adjusters available from a couple of different manufactures (Blum is one) that allow you to drill holes (20mm) into the back of the drawer front and adjust the front after the drawer is installed, then all you do is secure it with a few additional screws through the drawer box and partially into the now adjusted front and it works great.

Bandman.


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## tbessie (Nov 29, 2011)

bandman said:


> Your slides are fine, just make the drawer box and front as two items.
> There are drive-in hardware drawer front adjusters available from a couple of different manufactures (Blum is one) that allow you to drill holes (20mm) into the back of the drawer front and adjust the front after the drawer is installed, then all you do is secure it with a few additional screws through the drawer box and partially into the now adjusted front and it works great.
> 
> Bandman.


Thanks, I'll take a look at that! The difficult (or annoying) thing is, again, that I already cut and coated and routed all of my pieces, and they're all designed for use with a single piece for the front, not a box plus a separate front... 's'gonna take longer than I anticipated (and my small apartment looks like a shop floor now :-/ ).

- Tim


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

tbessie said:


> Well, after installing the slides (and making sure they are level, as are the drawers themselves), when I inserted a drawer, the drawer front hit the overhang of the desk (which sticks out about 2 inches from the pedestal).


This is why pictures help to clarify what you're describing. Trying to guess what you mean by the words you use may lead to a suggestion that may not apply. IOW, is the overhang the desk top, or the frame around the opening, etc.



tbessie said:


> The thing I'm doing that's slightly different is using the drawer front AS the front of the drawer box - I made it slightly wider and taller than the rest of the box so as to stop the drawer when it hit the desk edges. I probably should have made a drawer box that was meant to close flush with the edges (or near to it) and then added a separate front - I was just trying to save time and extra steps that weren't necessary. Well, it's a learning experience!
> - Tim


It sounds like you have a four sided box, and the front of the drawer is larger in width and length to seat on the cabinet edges. Looking at the slides, it's hard to determine how they mount...to the bottom, to the bottom/side edge, or the sides of the drawer box.

If the slides are installed to the cabinet so that they are perpendicular to the front edges (like with using a framing square), the drawer box should enter and slide straight in and straight out. If that front is straight on the box, it should seat flat to the face edges of the cabinet.












 







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## tbessie (Nov 29, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> This is why pictures help to clarify what you're describing. Trying to guess what you mean by the words you use may lead to a suggestion that may not apply. IOW, is the overhang the desk top, or the frame around the opening, etc.


Surely - I understand that completely. I was going to post some photos tonight, but I think that the advice I've gotten so far will lead me to try a few other things before try anything else. If I'm still stuck, I'll take photos (right now, everything's out of the cabinet - no hardware or wood inside - so there's not really anything to take a photo of).



> It sounds like you have a four sided box, and the front of the drawer is larger in width and length to seat on the cabinet edges. Looking at the slides, it's hard to determine how they mount...to the bottom, to the bottom/side edge, or the sides of the drawer box.


The slides mount on the bottom edge of the drawer box sides, and on the sides of the cabinet. But you are right about the geometry of the drawers... like this:

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> If the slides are installed to the cabinet so that they are perpendicular to the front edges (like with using a framing square), the drawer box should enter and slide straight in and straight out. If that front is straight on the box, it should seat flat to the face edges of the cabinet.


Ideally, yes, but it wasn't, which was what was strange (and which is why I shall try experimenting some more without the drawer box front attached, to see how the left and right sides exit the cabinet).

I'll post more once I've done my experiments - and thanks!

- Tim


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

tbessie said:


> Surely - I understand that completely. I was going to post some photos tonight, but I think that the advice I've gotten so far will lead me to try a few other things before try anything else. If I'm still stuck, I'll take photos (right now, everything's out of the cabinet - no hardware or wood inside - so there's not really anything to take a photo of).


A picture of the cabinet front would tell whether there is a face frame, or if it's frameless. It would show the "overhang" you mentioned. Post a picture, and maybe this process can be simplified for you. It may not seem important to you, but it will to those that can help.












 







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## tbessie (Nov 29, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> A picture of the cabinet front would tell whether there is a face frame, or if it's frameless. It would show the "overhang" you mentioned. Post a picture, and maybe this process can be simplified for you. It may not seem important to you, but it will to those that can help.


Surely... here 'tis:



















- Tim


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