Installing drawer gluides

[jussi]

Thinking about making my own kitchen cabinets and I'm trying to get as much info as possible. What type of glides would be easiest to install and is there a good technique you use to make sure everything lines up properly. The cabinets will have face frames.

Any good sites (preferably videos) you guys recommend that covers the entire building process?

[steve_ma]

I am not an expert, but I have made alot of cabinets; so FWIW... I have used Blum epoxy coated that mount on the drawer bottom corner. With a face frame you just need some spacers in side the cabinet or a rear mount/socket.
The real headache is the doors however. Installing hinges and getting all the doors to line up takes some experience. If I had alot to make, I would get the doors and drawers made to order. I still have workshop cabinets with doors and drawers....

[Mr__Bill]

I know your looking for the trick to making it work without too much grief. Here is the starting point.

1. Make everything square. 90 deg is not an approximation.

2. Standardize. All the like parts are the same size.

3. Line things up. Around the room the top of doors line up, the top drawer on the base cabinets are the same size and the bottom of doors and the bottom of the bottom drawer on drawer stacks line up.

3. Installing the drawer slides use spacer blocks to space the slides, using a tape measure just introduces another place to make an error. I prefer full extension slides for the drawers. If cost is a factor then at least the bottom drawer should have the full extension. It is often easier to install the slides in the cabinet while you are building it and you can reach things. If you finish the insides you can remove the hardware and the screw holes will insure the reinstall in perfect.

If you nail the bottom on the drawer make sure the nails do not interfere with attaching the slides. If you dado the sides of the drawers for the bottom make sure the dado is not where the screws go for the slides.

Did I mention, make sure the drawers are square?

4. Make sure the cabinets and doors are square, and place the hinges in exactly the same place on each door, make a template for the bottom and top hinge for both the door and cabinet. Pre-drill all the screw holes.

Any door that did not come out flat should be used on your shop cabinets, make a new one for the kitchen. AND When making the parts make at least one extra full set of rails and styles for the largest door, then when you have to remake a door you have the parts that will fit any door. This should help insure that you don't have to make another.

When choosing the wood for the rails and styles choose straight grained wood as close to quarter sawed as possible, this should reduce warping and twisting.

Don't forget, the door under the drawer has to be the same width as the drawer.

In summary; Square, standardize, templates.

good luck,

Bill