Drawer Problem?

[phil p]

Hi,

Could I ask your opinions please.

Ive made, well more or less made, a 3 drawer unit just for a bit of storage in the garage, nothing fancy but think I may have a problem.

I have for them some drawer runners and them which are about 12.5 mm thick so I made the carcase 25mm wider to take these runners.

Cut a long story short Ive cut the rebates around 1 mm too deep each side, not sure how as I tried a piece of scrap to test the thickness, anyway the gap will be slightly wider(2 to 3 mm) now taking this into account.

Would this still be O.K.?

Is there any flexibility with these runners or would I need to pack or shim the drawer slides to the carcase to take up this gap or is there anything else I could do?

Thanks
Phil

 

[GLFaria]

If your runners are the kind that has plastic rollers, I would shim them. I already have had plastic rollers being badly dammaged by running against the sides of the track.

Me being the rookie here, I am sure you know this method already, but anyway. When I need really thin shims, say 2mm or under, I build them by glueing together a number of veneer strips until I get de desidered thickness or slightly over; if need be, I reduce the height of the shim by a slight pass with a handplane, and size them to final dimentions by any means I see fit (I'd rather cut than sand)

 

[Baldhead]

If the drawers don't open and close smoothly I agree with GLFaria, but an easy method to shim them is, when you screw the runners to the carcass put a small washer between the runner and the carcass, I too messed some drawers I made for the garage, and that's how I rectified the fault.

HTH

Baldhead

 

[dzj]

Iron on some edge banding on both sides of the carcass (and drawers if necessary) where the runners go.

 

[Mar_mite]

If they are the ball race type, they have tabs that will bend slightly to take up the difference. Look for a larger hole next to a smaller hole. Put the screw in the bigger one and prize the runner out slightly. It will help if the drawer is slightly small, but probably won't be able to take up 3mm though.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

I would run with Baldheads suggestion, just be sure to place a washer, front, middle and rear of the runner to prevent it from flexing

 

[phil p]

Thanks for the replies lads, never thought about using a washer as a spacer, great idea, I'll give it a go over the weekend when I try and install the drawers.

BTW the runners are the ball race soft close type which I got from fleabay, and look quite decent quality for what I paid for them.

Thanks again.

Phil