Appreciation post: The guy who showed me how to set drawer slides right

Honestly, I keep seeing people install drawer slides with the screws all loose or not level. I had a job last month for a kitchen remodel in Spokane where the client's old cabinets had slides that sagged after 3 years. A older cabinetmaker told me to always use a spacer block and check the gap at the back before tightening. I do it on every job now and my drawers glide smooth. Why do so many folks skip the level check at the back end? Anyone else notice this?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix_black12d ago

Spacer block is the move for sure. I learned that the hard way after fighting a set of slides for an hour only to realize the back was a quarter inch off. Now I always clamp a scrap piece of plywood at the front edge to keep things parallel while I screw in. The level check at the back is the one step everyone skips because they're rushing and it makes all the difference. Smooth drawers are worth the extra 30 seconds.

smith.anna11d ago

@felix_black man I feel your pain that level check makes all the difference for sure.