That one comment about my drawer slides changed how I install them now

Had a client in Des Moines tell me last month that the soft close on her new drawers felt 'mushy' compared to the old ones I put in 5 years ago. I thought I was doing it right by centering the slide screws, but she pointed out the drawer face had a tiny wobble when open halfway. Turns out I was over tightening the rear bracket, which put tension on the track and killed the dampening. Now I leave a 1/16 inch gap on the back screws and test the close action before adding the face. Has anyone else had a customer catch something like that, or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

king.robin3d ago

Did your client happen to mention what brand of slides she had before, or was it more about the feel? My buddy ran into something similar last year, he was so proud of this built-in he did in Cedar Rapids and the homeowner came back saying the drawers were "breathing" when closed. @oscarhart is right about that face hiding issues, but my buddy found out his problem was the opposite, he left everything too loose and the track was rattling around. The 1/16 gap thing sounds like the sweet spot, I'll have to pass that along to him since he's still swearing by his old method.

oscarhart4d ago

...and honestly that's the kind of thing you only catch if someone actually lives with the drawers every day. I read a forum post a while back where a guy swore by testing the drawer action without the face on, like you're doing now. He said the face can hide all sorts of binding and tension issues, so you think it's fine but the dampener is fighting the whole time. Sounds like your client did you a solid, even if it came with a side of "mushy." I've also heard that some guys leave the rear screws a touch loose on purpose, but I never saw it spelled out with an actual measurement. That 1/16 gap is the kind of specific fix that makes sense once you hear it.