[CarpenterSFO]

I'm putting together some storage that's going into a customer's existing closet. The drawer slides will be Blum Tandem or equivalent. The existing space will allow only 21" slides (if they're Blum). The customer wants every every bit of available storage in the drawers, which makes the drawers let's say 23 1/2", about 1/2" too short for the 24" slides. Yes, I understand the geometry of the Tandem slides, and there is no way to make the 24" slides work.

In the past, I've dealt with this by putting a spacer underneath, behind the drawer front. In this case, the drawers will be very heavily loaded, and I'd rather have the slides all the way to the front, and do something at the back of the drawer. The problem is that the cutout for the slide will weaken any sort of spacer at the back. Has anyone found an elegant way to deal with this issue, other than just beefing up the drawer bottoms?

Side-mounted slides are not an option for aesthetic reasons.

- Bob

 

[Gus Dering]

Are you ordering or making the drawer boxes?

 

[CarpenterSFO]

Are you ordering or making the drawer boxes?

Making.

 

[Gus Dering]

Then I would place the bottom of the box up from the front and sides 1 1/4".

Place a 3/4" x 20" false bottom in the front so the locking device will have the normal 1/2" reveal to mount to and the slides have something to bear on. (Figuring you are using 1/2" material for the drawers)

Then make a 1/2" x 1 1/4" "false back" that creates the needed 21" "box" underneath for the rear retention tabs that staples to the back of that false bottom.

Basically move the bottom out of the way so you can create the needed parts under the bottom for the locking devise and the retention tabs. Your 23 1/2" box will sit above it all.

Never have done it but it seems easy enough to do.

 

[bdavis466]

Then I would place the bottom of the box up from the front and sides 1 1/4".

Place a 3/4" x 20" false bottom in the front so the locking device will have the normal 1/2" reveal to mount to and the slides have something to bear on. (Figuring you are using 1/2" material for the drawers)

Then make a 1/2" x 1 1/4" "false back" that creates the needed 21" "box" underneath for the rear retention tabs that staples to the back of that false bottom.

Basically move the bottom out of the way so you can create the needed parts under the bottom for the locking devise and the retention tabs. Your 23 1/2" box will sit above it all.

Never have done it but it seems easy enough to do.

I did this for a printer shelf that the customer wanted to pull out of the cabinet to be able to use the scanner. Of course the printer didn't fit into blums 3" increments and I had to improvise.

I wish Blum made slides in 1" increments from 14"-24":thumb up: I've ended up with a lot of wasted drawer box space because of atypical cabinet depths.

 

[CarpenterSFO]

I did this for a printer shelf that the customer wanted to pull out of the cabinet to be able to use the scanner. Of course the printer didn't fit into blums 3" increments and I had to improvise.

I wish Blum made slides in 1" increments from 14"-24":thumb up: I've ended up with a lot of wasted drawer box space because of atypical cabinet depths.

As it happens, one of the drawers is a printer shelf.

 

[bdavis466]

As it happens, one of the drawers is a printer shelf.

It worked well. I did the same thing for my desk in my office when I made it. I liked not seeing the printer but still being able to get to it.

 

[CarpenterSFO]

Then I would place the bottom of the box up from the front and sides 1 1/4".

Place a 3/4" x 20" false bottom in the front so the locking device will have the normal 1/2" reveal to mount to and the slides have something to bear on. (Figuring you are using 1/2" material for the drawers)

Then make a 1/2" x 1 1/4" "false back" that creates the needed 21" "box" underneath for the rear retention tabs that staples to the back of that false bottom.

Basically move the bottom out of the way so you can create the needed parts under the bottom for the locking devise and the retention tabs. Your 23 1/2" box will sit above it all.

Never have done it but it seems easy enough to do.

Thanks, Gus.

 

[Gus Dering]

Thanks, Gus.

No Problem. Good luck

 

[KAP]

Making.

I don't think a 2 - 2 1/2" spacer in the front will affect it weight wise... they are pretty beefy glides... as long as you have it screwed into the backs and sides it should not be an issue...

If you really want or still feel the need to keep it more to the front, your only option I can see is extending a runner down from the bottom for the back hook to insert into so the drawer can extend back the 2 - 2 1/2" you are looking for beyond the hook...

Glue the runner to the bottom and side along with some fasteners...

Best of luck... 8^)

 

[bdavis466]

I don't think a 2 - 2 1/2" spacer in the front will affect it weight wise... they are pretty beefy glides... as long as you have it screwed into the backs and sides it should not be an issue...

If you really want or still feel the need to keep it more to the front, your only option I can see is extending a runner down from the bottom for the back hook to insert into so the drawer can extend back the 2 - 2 1/2" you are looking for beyond the hook...

Glue the runner to the bottom and side along with some fasteners...

Best of luck... 8^)

He's right. All the weight gets handled by the hooks on the back of the slides and the runners themselves. I don't see an issue with the spacer at the front of the box to mount the clips. Don't the standard runners hold 75 pounds?

 

[Gus Dering]

I don't think a 2 - 2 1/2" spacer in the front will affect it weight wise... they are pretty beefy glides... as long as you have it screwed into the backs and sides it should not be an issue...

If you really want or still feel the need to keep it more to the front, your only option I can see is extending a runner down from the bottom for the back hook to insert into so the drawer can extend back the 2 - 2 1/2" you are looking for beyond the hook...

Glue the runner to the bottom and side along with some fasteners...

Best of luck... 8^)

I like it.
A solid block in the front to screw the locking devise to is all you need.
No loss of height this way either. :thumbsup:

 

[CarpenterSFO]

Thanks, gentlemen. I'll start out with KAP's idea and see what happens.

- Bob

 

[CarpenterSFO]

Just to follow up: Done, with a solid block across the front. It's way more than solid enough.

Thanks for the ideas.