# Alternatives to drawer slides



## MAS520 (Jan 18, 2017)

I was am very fortunate to have a kitchen cabinet business near me that sell their mistakes (hardly noticeable0 for $5 a drawer. I'm going to install some in my shop and was wondering if anyone had done the same without using metal drawer slides. I figured if anyone had, I would find them here.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I made some drawers to fit in the drawer holes
in a rolling table I have. There are 4 holes with
a web frame underneath the table and aluminum
angles in there for the drawer sides to slide on.
The action is kind of rough but they take a lot of
weight. I have heavy stuff like metal lathe chucks
in them.

I got the table with a metal lathe on it. Somebody
had looted the drawers.


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

Wood-on-wood drawers have been around forever-since way before the invention of metal slides.

You'll want a "kicker" above the drawer to keep it from tipping, and a way to guide the travel (can be the sides of the opening or center guides, or…)

You can make them slide easier with UHMW tape and/or paste wax.

You won't get "full extension" without everything falling on the floor 

I have done wood-on-wood for shop drawers in the past, but I really prefer full-extension metal slides.


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## bilyo (May 20, 2015)

I have built numerous wooden full extension drawers slides found in Fine Woodworking issue #143. Go to this website: http://www.finewoodworking.com/2000/08/01/full-extension-wooden-slides. You will need to get a free temp membership to see the whole article.
These are a bit complex to make, but I have enjoyed doing it. They are rather utilitarian looking (IMO), but strong and effective. All the drawers I have made in my shop are these. Doing a google search for "wooden drawer slides" will turn up different designs.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I have made drawers for my shop using wood on wood slides. They work fine and I have a lot of weight in them. But! Take my advise and make the slides a "sloppy" fit. When I made mine, I didn't allow enough room for wood expansion due to humidity changes. Side-to-side seems to have the most problem with sticking. I would allow a lot of side-to-side room of at least 1/8", maybe even more. The wood slides I made were made from 2×4 lumber with a 3/4" dado, 3/4" deep. Runners on the drawer sides were 5/8" x 5/8". I should have provided more side-to-side room. I think I only have 1/16" clearance; I need more.


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

Lee valley sells some special thin drawer slides which consists of an aluminum extrusion you can cut to length to use as the side of the drawer, which then slides in a 1/8" groove in your casework. You provide the wooden drawer front, back and bottom. Not too expensive, as I recall, but I've not used them. They've been in my cart over there for a while.

Here they are.

-Paul


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## bilyo (May 20, 2015)

> I have built numerous wooden full extension drawers slides found in Fine Woodworking issue #143. Go to this website: http://www.finewoodworking.com/2000/08/01/full-extension-wooden-slides. You will need to get a free temp membership to see the whole article.
> These are a bit complex to make, but I have enjoyed doing it. They are rather utilitarian looking (IMO), but strong and effective. All the drawers I have made in my shop are these. Doing a google search for "wooden drawer slides" will turn up different designs.
> 
> - bilyo


A follow-up: Some wood slides I see on the net require quite a bit of space on each side of the drawer. The FWW slides can be made any thickness you like. Most of the ones I've made are 1/2". However, I have also made some 1/4" for small drawers.


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

THIS WORKS PRETTY NICE WITH WAX :<))


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