# Using two center mount drawer slides



## kinger (Jan 27, 2014)

I am in the process of building a chest of drawers for my wife and am about to build the drawers. But before I do I have been trying to figure out the most cost effective solution for drawer slides. I'd like to have undermount slides but am having a hard time justifying paying ~20 a pair.

So looking around I found the accuride 1029 center mount drawer slide and thought why not put one on either side of the bottom of the drawer. They are about 35lb capacity each so I'd think two will easily get enough weight capacity.

I believe it'd work just fine but before I buy a bunch of these has anybody done this before? The largest drawer is 26" wide.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

How's free?

I don't use metal slides on fine furniture. The waxed bottoms of the drawer sides ride on runners or blades that are part of the inner web. It's worked well for centuries…

I'm not an "anti-hardwareite"... ;^) I love Blum soft close undermounts for cabinetry, but I think nothing beats a properly made and fitted drawer in fine furniture.

In furniture, metal slides are often installed to save factory time, and make a wider variation of parts fit more quickly. Kind of like cup hinges are pushed as a "feature", when in reality they're just there to make a door fit during the original build, with less fuss and no time spent mortising for hinges. If only they stayed in in alignment after the installer's taillights have left the street…


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## kinger (Jan 27, 2014)

Free is always great but I'm afraid I won't be able to get that near perfect fit for a butter smooth no racking motion. Especially with 20lbs of clothes in a fairly wide drawer.

How close to the opening width would you cut the drawer width to avoid racking?


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Use kickers guides, or runners… The bearing surfaces can be smaller, so they can be tighter and far easier to tune, while not adding lots of drag. When the drawer is fully extended, there may be a little side to side play, but it tightens as it slides home. You can also use a center guide that doesn't carry weight, it exists only to keep the action straight. The weight is carried by the sides.

FWIW, I have a sideboard in my kitchen I built in 2005 that has 28" wide drawers. One of the drawers stores a large cast iron griddle, yet operates just fine. Wide drawers typically have two handles, so the human naturally helps with the racking, too…

I store my own clothes in a 125 year old chest I restored that's about the same width as what you're planning, same deal…

My favorite go-to for construction details is Bill Hylton's* Illustrated Cabinetmaking*. There's a whole chapter on drawers. The various construction details in the book are suitable for most furniture from Period to modern, just choose what fits the project at hand and add your own aesthetics.

If you've got any antique stores near you, they can also be gold mines of information.


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