Drawer Slide Ideas?

I am in the design phase for age-in-place renovations in the second floor bathroom and a bedroom in my 1912 Shingle Style home. There is an original linen press in the upper hallway that I intend to keep. There is a similar smaller built-in cabinet in the bedroom that needs new drawers that I will either build myself or have the contractor provide.

Original linen press in upper hall.

I would like to add drawer slides to the existing 22"W x 23"L x 6.5"D drawers that now slide wood-on-wood and are difficult to move when fully loaded. There is not enough clearance on the sides to install standard slides and probably not enough dimension at the side and bottom for undermount slides. ( I am not as familiar with them so I'm not sure.) There is space behind the sides of the frame where slide mechanisms could be mounted but that would require a channel routed into the drawer side. Something I could do but need specific slide info.

Drawer opening and support detail.
The frame is full 3/4 inch thick so maybe some sort of roller mounted in or on that the drawer bottom would ride?


Drawer bottom.

Since I need to make 3 new drawers for the bedroom I can make them with the needed clearances for either side or undermount slides. If I had to I could make new boxes for the hall or disassemble and reconstruct the existing. I would like to minimize the time and effort required.

Your thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated.

 

Google drawer center slides!

 

Blum undermount are the Cadillac of drawer glides, but they take up some room. If you are building new drawers anyway I'd go that route.

Side mounts could work but they can be very finniky, especially on old existing stuff where the sides may not be parallel or things are out of square.

if you want to save time, there are online businesses that build custom drawers, I've used them often. They can ship assembled or knock down (you assemble). Reasonably priced usually.

 

I have not yet found an appropriate mechanism that will work with the existing drawers. Here is an idea for them:

3D printer wheel, 24 mm dia. with 5 mm hole.


Mount 3D printer wheels on side of support rail.

Provide smooth surface at appropriate location to ride on wheels.

@Norm201 or anyone else who has a 3D printer or is familiar with these wheels, please comment. Do you think this will work?

In the area that needs new drawers, I will have them built to dimensions that will accommodate an Everbilt bottom mount slide set or similar. The 24 inch version fits the support structure perfectly.

 

I made some roller supports with 3D printer wheels and aluminum flat stock.



Roller supports for drawers.

Mounted on drawer side supports.

They work great. The drawers slide smoothly.

 

The drawer project has proceeded to construction of the bedroom drawers.

Google "quarter by quarter by quarter drawer" for video reference.

I set up blades to cut 1/4 inch dados and tenons on my table saw. The material is reused 1/2 inch plywood. (This is the third reuse of that material in 40 years.)

Drawers without fronts. Made to size with 1/2 inch clearance on sides to accommodate slides.

Drawers are 26 inches long on 24 inch slides and 22 inches wide in a 23 inch opening.

I used a table saw sled with an extension stop to cut the drawer fronts.





Then I made a jig to cut the bevels on the drawer fronts with the blade set at 15 degrees.



Cutting bevel on end. The jig extension (visible at left) extends beyond the cutting area to allow sufficient length to align and start side cuts (next photo).

Cutting bevel on side.

View of side bevel at end of cut.

I made this jig before I cut the parts for the drawer boxes and it was used there to cut the tenon end (rabbet) of the drawer sides rather than freehand against the fence.