# Help with Blumotion drawer slides?



## theguitarman (Nov 4, 2013)

Preface: I am familiar with woodworking but have never done drawer slides before.

I ordered some drawers along with Blumotion slides. I've noticed that they aren't really smooth, at all. It doesn't look like anything is dragging anywhere, and everything is square and level.

If I unclip the drawer from the slides, and just set it in place on top of them, it will smoothly and softly close with just a gentle nudge. Then I clip it into place, and it's no longer smooth like that. It has a noticeable resistance when you move it back and forth. Unclip the drawer again, and it's smooth... Take the drawer completely off, and the slides are both real smooth individually. 

Any ideas what could possibly be going on?

I tried to google it and only found like one other discussion about it. Most of the answers were suggesting to check and make sure they are actual Blum slides. Mine are, from a reputable source, along with drawers built for them, so I know that's not the issue. They also suggest maybe they'll get better with time, but a lot have said theirs were smooth from day one.

The drawers are from the same source, and I'm 99.99% sure they are the right size.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, before I start pulling hairs out!:laughing:


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

I doubt there is anything wrong with the slides since they work fine when not clipped/dismounted and if the measurements are in fact correct the problem has to be something out of square or not running parallel (there are drawer height adjusters on the bottom that can compensate for slight variations but best bet is to be positive everything is square/parallel))


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## cambriahouse (Feb 10, 2013)

The two slides have to be closely parallel to each other. The only thing I can think of that would cause the symptoms you are describing is misalignment of the two slides relative to each other. Ironically, the better the slides are made (less slop in the mechanism), the more precisely they need to be aligned.

It sounds like when you clip the slide to the drawer something is pulling the slides apart or together slightly, but just enough to affect the smooth operation.

Try slightly loosening the screws holding the slides to the cabinet (this will allow the slides to move sideways a little to try and align themselves) and then clip the drawer onto the slides. If it works OK now then you need to adjust the position of one of the slides.

Steve


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Are these under mount or side mount? If side mount, how much space did you allow? On side mounted slides, your overall drawer width should be 1 1/16" less than the opening from faceframe to faceframe. Both the drawer and the cabinet mounted slides need to be square and the slides should be parallel to each other, the same distance apart. Blumotions are the best and should not give you any trouble if the above conditions are correct. You don't need specific side spacing with under mounted slides but they still need to be parallel and in line with the corresponding slide.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

No full extension drawer slides work well anyway. They have to have tight tolerances or they would come apart. Could it be you are comparing them with the old style drawer slides like KV 1300? With that type slide you could open and close it with your little finger, even without pulls on the fronts. 

The blumotion slides are very sensitive to dust and dirt. Are they still clean?

The size of the drawer box can play a major part in how they work. I have better luck keeping the drawer box from 1" to 1 1/32" smaller than the opening. If you are in excess of 1 1/16" you might try putting some shems behind the slides and see if that helps. If you are less than an inch and you have faceframe construction you might chisel out the frame a little to widen the opening. If you have box construction you could remove the drawer front and the draw part of the slide from the box and run a very shallow dado for the draw part of the slide to insert.


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## ecr (Jan 4, 2011)

Are you using rear mounting brackets or are they fastened solid in the rear. The rear brackets allow the slides to be able to move a little to keep them from binding. If they are solid mounted than they have to be parallel to each other. If you can post a picture of how they are mounted.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I. Just went through the same thing. Cabinet and drawer can appear to be square but when together the very small differences can cause problems. Mine were mounted front and back to the cabinet and I had to shim a little here or there on some. Loosening the screws a little will help find this as will rubbing wax. 

We found that a screw not properly set (counter sunk) will cause that problem also because it rubs on the drawer sides.

The back knot he's may also need a little trimming.

They are a PITA yo build and install at first but they are very good slides.

Despite what Steve said they are extremely smooth when properly setup.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> No full extension drawer slides work well anyway. They have to have tight tolerances or they would come apart. Could it be you are comparing them with the old style drawer slides like KV 1300? With that type slide you could open and close it with your little finger, even without pulls on the fronts.
> 
> The blumotion slides are very sensitive to dust and dirt. Are they still clean?
> 
> The size of the drawer box can play a major part in how they work. I have better luck keeping the drawer box from 1" to 1 1/32" smaller than the opening. If you are in excess of 1 1/16" you might try putting some shems behind the slides and see if that helps. If you are less than an inch and you have faceframe construction you might chisel out the frame a little to widen the opening. If you have box construction you could remove the drawer front and the draw part of the slide from the box and run a very shallow dado for the draw part of the slide to insert.


Good post with the exception of this sentence "]No full extension drawer slides work well anyway. "

I use only full extension slides and have never had a problem.

George


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

rrbrown said:


> I. Just went through the same thing. Cabinet and drawer can appear to be square but when together the very small differences can cause problems. Mine were mounted front and back to the cabinet and I had to shim a little here or there on some. Loosening the screws a little will help find this as will rubbing wax.
> 
> We found that a screw not properly set (counter sunk) will cause that problem also because it rubs on the drawer sides.
> 
> ...


+1. :yes: To make a blanket statement..."*No full extension drawer slides work well anyway"*, makes you wonder if some comments about a product or procedure comes from inexperience. Could be that there was a continuing problem with getting slides installed correctly.

For any pair of slides, they need to be parallel to each other, and parallel to the movement of the drawer. For side mounts, leaving 1 1/16" overall isn't large enough to allow the slides to come apart. It will though allow for fine tuning adjustment if necessary to get them to work perfectly. There are many reasons for slide action to get affected. The actual opening or the mounting areas aren't parallel, or the opening may be out of square. 

A cabinet can be racked fairly easy if mounting slides before the cabinet is installed. Just lifting one corner of the cabinet can throw off drawer action, or door alignment. If slides are installed where they are measured off to be, and doors are hung where they are supposed to be, leveling the cabinet can set it all in their proper position. This procedure can be used for a final adjustment if necessary.

I find no real difference in the quality or sliding action of the economy full extension slides compared to the high priced brands like Accuride. As an example in my own kitchen, our trash drawer gets opened and closed I'm guessing at least 10 times a day or more. Since installation, that figures out to be* 47,450 times*. It has operated flawlessly.

























.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> No full extension drawer slides work well anyway. They have to have tight tolerances or they would come apart. Could it be you are comparing them with the old style drawer slides like KV 1300? With that type slide you could open and close it with your little finger, even without pulls on the fronts.
> 
> The blumotion slides are very sensitive to dust and dirt. Are they still clean?
> 
> The size of the drawer box can play a major part in how they work. I have better luck keeping the drawer box from 1" to 1 1/32" smaller than the opening. If you are in excess of 1 1/16" you might try putting some shems behind the slides and see if that helps. If you are less than an inch and you have faceframe construction you might chisel out the frame a little to widen the opening. If you have box construction you could remove the drawer front and the draw part of the slide from the box and run a very shallow dado for the draw part of the slide to insert.


I use ball bearing full extension slides on an almost daily basis - Blum, Hettitch and Accuride, side and bottom mounted - and they work perfectly and last a LONG time, even in commercial applications. So I'm not sure where you're getting your info. 

It's important that both slides are square to the face of the cabinet and are as close to parallel as possible. You've also got to have a good square drawer box. Any deviation that you have from these standards is going to translate into an improper fit of your drawer box, or the drawer front not laying flat or in plane with the face of the cabinet. Just like RRBrown mentioned though, you can compensate for these inconsistencies by shimming.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Sorry for the redundancies guys. George C and Cabinetman both posted as I was writing lol. Now that this dead horse has been thoroughly beaten, back to your regularly scheduled programming...


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

I don't mean to sound like a know it all however I gotta post again as there is some very interesting information posted here that does not relate to the OP's situation...

If you read the original post carefully you will see this gentleman is using _*Blumotion*_ slides.


theguitarman said:


> Preface: I am familiar with woodworking but have never done drawer slides before.
> 
> I ordered some drawers along with Blumotion slides.


These are not your typical side or bottom mount slides rather they are a soft/self closing slide that requires very different than "typical" procedures to install/adjust. I haven't used these in a while however if I remember correctly the drawer only needs to be 3/8" narrower than the opening (3/16" clearance on each side) which is quite a bit different than side mounts. The entire sliding mechanism attaches to the side wall of the cabinet (there are also rear mount brackets available for face frame cabinets) and the drawer box uses a recessed bottom with a notch cut into the rear/hole drilled for the pin so that it sits on top of the runner totally concealing it. There is a mounting bracket screwed under the drawer box at the front which clips on the top of the runner and the fact that he mentions un clipping the drawer allows the slides to work properly leads me to believe that something is out of square/parallel or racked. As I mentioned in my first post you can make slight adjustments at the bracket mounted under the front of the drawer box (using the rear brackets allows side to side movement which self aligns the drawer) however the best bet for a properly operating slide assuming all measurements are correct is to make sure that everything is square/parallel/not racked etc.


theguitarman said:


> I've noticed that they aren't really smooth, at all. It doesn't look like anything is dragging anywhere, and everything is square and level.
> 
> If I unclip the drawer from the slides, and just set it in place on top of them, it will smoothly and softly close with just a gentle nudge. Then I clip it into place, and it's no longer smooth like that. It has a noticeable resistance when you move it back and forth. Unclip the drawer again, and it's smooth... Take the drawer completely off, and the slides are both real smooth individually.
> 
> ...


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## Bastien (Apr 3, 2013)

Cut a stick just long enough to fit between the slides at the front, and move it toward the rear. Cut another just long enough to fit between the bottom of one slide and the bottom of the cabinet. Check each side front to rear with that stick. You'll likely convince yourself they aren't as square as you thought they were.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

GeorgeC said:


> Good post with the exception of this sentence "]No full extension drawer slides work well anyway. "
> 
> I use only full extension slides and have never had a problem.
> 
> George


I never said they didn't work. I said none of them work as smooth and easy as other type of slides. Because of the full extension the mechanics are just too tight.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> +1. :yes: To make a blanket statement..."*No full extension drawer slides work well anyway"*, makes you wonder if some comments about a product or procedure comes from inexperience. Could be that there was a continuing problem with getting slides installed correctly.
> 
> For any pair of slides, they need to be parallel to each other, and parallel to the movement of the drawer. For side mounts, leaving 1 1/16" overall isn't large enough to allow the slides to come apart. It will though allow for fine tuning adjustment if necessary to get them to work perfectly. There are many reasons for slide action to get affected. The actual opening or the mounting areas aren't parallel, or the opening may be out of square.
> 
> ...


As usual you missed the point. In 40 years I have more than enough experience with full extension drawer slides and not from google either.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Steve Neul said:


> As usual you missed the point. In 40 years I have more than enough experience with full extension drawer slides and not from google either.


The under mount full extension slides are extremely smooth. I will say several times better then the side mounts, however they are a pain at first.


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## theguitarman (Nov 4, 2013)

Thanks for the replies!

Mary is right, they are blumotion slides. I don't have them confused with any other slides...

The clearance is 3/8" on each side of the drawers. Face frame cabinets, with rear mounting brackets. 

Another poster mentioned that maybe the extended slide is angled in or outward causing it to bind. I'm gonna go ahead and say he's right. It looks like the parts that extend are angled toward the outside of the drawer.

I tried adjusting the backs of them but had no luck.
Since the extending part seems to be angled outward, could I just scoot the clips over a bit?

Like I said, if you unclip the drawer, everything is straight and it slides back with the slightest touch. Then I clip it in, the pieces that attach to the clip angle out ever so slightly, then the slides are hard to move. Like old wooden slides! Haha.

Really though thanks a lot for the help so far. This site is awesome.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

If the slide angles out when extended, move the rear mounting bracket towards the side of the cabinet. This will correct your issue if adjusted properly. Measure the distance between the cabinet side & slide member right behind the face frame, and again at the back of the cabinet. These should be identical for the slide to ride straight & square to the face of the cabinet


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> I never said they didn't work. I said none of them work as smooth and easy as other type of slides. Because of the full extension the mechanics are just too tight.


i did not read you wrong. I understood what you said, I still disagree. I do not think the full extension slide is ay less smooth. In fact I am in the work of replacing most of the slides in all cabinets in my house with full extension.

George


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I just had those same slides and problem. Mine were on frame less cabinets and the plywood had a slight bow making me have to shim the middle with a piece of banding veneer, That fixed it. It just goes to show how tricky it can be with small tolerances.

Also had a few or the notches that need to be chiseled out slightly wider.

a screw not counter sunk all the way was another problem.

It takes very little.

Good luck:thumbsup:


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