MDF and other composite materials will not hold screws as well. This will also determinate the total length and fully retracted length of your drawer slide. Slides come in lengths from 10" to 28". The clamp lever 15 works in an engaged position, according to FIG. In order to completely prevent this transverse movement between the angle rail 6 and the cabinet-side slide rail 5there are clamping devices 1516 between both parts 56 and which define the slde catch 9 and which work together with the friction-increasing devices 12 cabinet drawer slide rails example 14 in this example. Naturally it is also possible to have one or more wedge surface sliders 22 per drawer slide element 3 a and 3 cabinet drawer slide rails example.

This blog will help you understand what drawer slides are as well as some of the terminology and considerations you should be conscious of when selecting a drawer slide to incorporate into your next project. Once you have an understanding of the basics, you should have a much easier time identifying what drawer slide is best for your application.

A drawer slide, or sometimes called a drawer roller, is a mechanism that allows for telescopic motion in one axis. They are commonly found in a wide range of household or office applications like desk drawers, kitchen cabinets, and pull out cutting boards but can be used in a wide range of applications that require linear extension and retraction.

Drawer slides generally work by allowing one grove component to slide over a rolling component, which allows the entire mechanism to extend or retract. Drawer slides are not motorized but can be coupled with a linear actuator to provide greater stability.

Generally, you will use a pair of drawer slides in any application and will most likely encounter two main types: Roller Slides and Ball-Bearing Slides. Roller slides consists of two components, the cabinet member and the drawer member, each having their own roller, usually made of plastic. As their names suggest, cabinet member mounts to a stable or grounded component, i. When fully extended, the two rollers will meet. This two-roller design gives the mechanism horizontal stability and allows for level extension.

Ball-bearing slides make use of ball bearings instead of rollers to allow for the telescopic motion. They also make use of a third component, the intermediate member, which interfaces with two sets of ball bearings. The first set interfaces with the groves of the cabinet member and the intermediate member, while the second set interfaces with the groves of the intermediate member and drawer member.

As the mechanism extends, the first component to move is the drawer member, which slides over the ball bearings between itself and the intermediate member. Once the drawer member reaches the end of the ball bearings, the intermediate member will begin to slide along the ball bearings between itself and the cabinet member until fully extended.

Like the two-roller design, the ball bearings within each grove of the mechanism gives it horizontal stability and allows for level extension. Example of a Ball-Bearing Drawer Slides. To Note: Some ball-bearing slides will allow for the drawer member to be disconnected, by pressing a release lever, from the rest of the mechanism for installation, but this is not always the case.

Generally speaking, ball-bearing slides provide greater durability and have larger load rating compared to roller slides. Heavy duty versions of ball-bearing slides are also available for harsher and heavier applications. Slide rails , or also called linear guides, is another non-motorized mechanism that allow for linear motion. They consist of two basic components, the carriage and the rail. While there are different styles of slide rails, they generally work by having bearings, found within the carriage, that fit into the groves of the rail, which allows the carriage to slide back and forth along the rail.

Slide rails are typically used in industrial and robotic applications, like CNC machines, where precise linear motion is need. Example of a Slide Rail. While both slide rails and drawer slides allow for linear motion, the main difference between them functionally is that drawer slides are telescopic and slide rails are not. Practically, this means your drawer slide will collapse inwards, while slide rails will have a fixed length. Here are a few considerations and factors that you should consider when selecting or designing around a drawer slide.

For this selection, I refer to the Cabinet Drawer Slide Rails Code moving component as the drawer component and the stable component as the cabinet component for examples. Sophisticated construction and heavy-duty materials make them more expensive than roller slides, bottom. One of the first considerations when choosing a slide is whether you want it visible when the drawer opens. Some visible slides come in various colors white, ivory, brown, or black to help them blend better with light or dark drawer boxes.

To conceal slides otherwise visible from the front, add a false front to the drawer box, or build a drawer front with a lip wider than the box.

Drawer slides further differ by how far they allow a drawer to open. Overtravel slides utilize a telescoping design that lets the drawer extend beyond the cabinet. Use them when overhanging countertops get in the way of drawer access. Make sure the cabinet location provides room for opening the drawer fully.

Full-extension slides also telescope, allowing the full length Cabinet Drawer Slide Rails Limited of the drawer to clear the cabinet. Choose these when you need easy access to the rear of the drawer, as in a file drawer. Choose this type of slide when unblocked access to the entire drawer matters little, or where space limits how far a drawer can extend. Typical light-duty slides have weight ratings up to 75 lbs, medium-duty up to lbs, and heavy-duty for more than lbs, below.

Longer slides have more robust construction than shorter ones of the same rating. For example, an 18" slide rated for lbs will be stouter than a 16" slide with the same rating. A shorter slide has leverage to its advantage. With decisions made on type, extension, and weight rating, determine the right size slide for the project. MDF and other composite materials will not hold screws as well.

Taking accurate measurements ensures you buy slides that work in your cabinet. Follow these tips to make sure everything goes smoothly:. Slides come in lengths from 10" to 28". To determine the proper length, measure the interior depth of the cabinet behind the face frame, if there is one and choose a slide the next size shorter than that measurement. Because the thickness of drawer slides and the width of the drawer opening are fixed, best practice is to build the drawer box to fit the difference between the two after assembling the cabinet.

To use these in a 12"-wide drawer opening, build the drawer 11" wide. For frameless cabinets, just screw the cabinet profile to the cabinet side, parallel to the cabinet bottom.

On face-frame cabinets, the front of the slide attaches to the face-frame stile, photo below. To align and secure the rear of the slide, manufacturers provide brackets and standoffs that fasten to either the side or back of the cabinet. You can also create your own standoffs from wood scraps.

Secure the front of the slide to the face frame. The bracket at the rear slides to reach the back of the cabinet. Use the exact type of screw called for or provided by the manufacturer, as screwheads that stand too proud can prevent slides from moving smoothly. Many slides come with multiple holes and slots to allow fine-tuning drawer position and accommodate a variety of mounting options, photo below.

Screw slots allow for adjusting drawer position in, out, up, and down.

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