Some help please - drawer runner issue

[Mjward]

Building my very first set of drawers (well, first from scratch ie not IKEA) and all is going surprisingly well despite many occasions of confusion with the Blum instructions and exact measurements required for the runners.

However I've got one odd issue. One of the runners isn't fully engaging/closing. When the drawers are shut, I can push the corners of each and there is no movement but on this one it allows me to push it back (around 5mm or so).

I've check behind and the little Blum pin thing is engaging correctly in the hole. I've checked underneath and all is as expected. The runner alignment itself was done with a piece of wood for the height part and exact measurements for the depth from the face part.

So I'm stumped. Thinking to drill the base of the runner slightly closer to the front... Or to just leave it and let my OCD keep me awake for the rest of my life

A picture isn't much help here but for reference

 

[eribaMotters]

I had a similar situation with the Blum Metabox drawer sides a few months ago. With these you buy the sides and fit your own base and back. I had fitted the bottom drawer perfectly and moved up, using a sheet of ply as a spacer for the drawer runners on the carcase, so I knew they should have been correctly spaced/fitted.
I could not work out what was wrong until I realised the plywood base was twisted. I adjusted one of the runners to compensate and managed to get it to work correctly.

Colin

 

[Mjward]

I had a similar situation with the Blum Metabox drawer sides a few months ago. With these you buy the sides and fit your own base and back. I had fitted the bottom drawer perfectly and moved up, using a sheet of ply as a spacer for the drawer runners on the carcase, so I knew they should have been correctly spaced/fitted.
I could not work out what was wrong until I realised the plywood base was twisted. I adjusted one of the runners to compensate and managed to get it to work correctly.

Colin

Now that you mention it, at the beginning I was out with the spirit level and noted the left side of the carcass was not 100% perfect so I used a tiny 1mm shim at the rear to fit the runner level but maybe in doing so I've made it slightly out of whack with the right side and enough to cause this issue. Good thing there are enough holes in the runners to make adjustments.

 

[Mjward]

Hmm, it continues to bug me.
The fact the runner has more room to travel means the only way it's going to lock in is if I brought the face closer to the front.

But if I did that, it will push the front proud of the face frame.

 

[Simon89]

Have you tried:
- Moving the problem drawer to a different aperture?
- swapping the runners around to narrow down the problem to drawer, runner or cabinet

 

[Mjward]

Have you tried:
- Moving the problem drawer to a different aperture?
- swapping the runners around to narrow down the problem to drawer, runner or cabinet

Not yet but that's a very sound suggestion and will do next to narrow it down.
I tried to ignore it and put the fronts on but it sits enough mm proud of the other drawers to bug me but would be unnoticeable to most

 

[Mjward]

So it's something to do with the positioning of the runner.

Tried the drawer in one of the other slots and fits like a glove.

Swapped the runner out with another and same issue.

Moved the position of the runner and same issue but not as pronounced.

For now I've decided to live with it and will make it a (well into the) future project.

Got both wardrobes drawer fronts dry fitted and first coat of primer on. Another coat of primer then undercoat then 2x top coats and by Friday should be done

 

[J-G]

Another coat of primer then undercoat then 2x top coats

Hmmm... Not the way I was taught ! - 2 UNDERCOATS - one Topcoat - the Topcoat is purely cosmetic.

 

[Mjward]

Hmmm... Not the way I was taught ! - 2 UNDERCOATS - one Topcoat - the Topcoat is purely cosmetic.

Oh no sacrilege! Whatever works for you but given the undercoat is not the top coat colour I would be mightily surprised if you're achieving top coat perfection with one top coat. But each to their own

 

[J-G]

Oh no sacrilege! Whatever works for you but given the undercoat is not the top coat colour I would be mightily surprised if you're achieving top coat perfection with one top coat. But each to their own

In that case it seems that you are using the incorrect undercoat !

 

[Mjward]

The undercoat is a shade in proximity to the top coat, not the colour of the top coat.

Anyway, this thread isn't about your painting preference. I trust my method.

 

[johnnyb]

if you've got one check your runners with a laser level. check the drawer for square. is the carcase square? has it been twisted on install?( loosen the fixings) forget the drawer fronts they are cosmetic. I'm guessing it's a carcass issue if you've swapped stuff around and it's still doing it. easily done btw. get them to operate properly when set level in the workshop. then that can be shifted to site but if you tightly fixed a shonky corner against a wall it will twist the box making it out( check the plumb)

 

[johnnyb]

put your drawers on a flat surface( ooo err) do they rock(double ooo err)

 

[Mjward]

if you've got one check your runners with a laser level. check the drawer for square. is the carcase square? has it been twisted on install?( loosen the fixings) forget the drawer fronts they are cosmetic. I'm guessing it's a carcass issue if you've swapped stuff around and it's still doing it. easily done btw. get them to operate properly when set level in the workshop. then that can be shifted to site but if you tightly fixed a shonky corner against a wall it will twist the box making it out( check the plumb)

Think I was ambiguous with my earlier post on this. Yday i did a full swap around i.e. the full combo looks like below:

1) Drawer A in runner position A (problem as described)
2) Drawer A in runner position B (no problem)
3) Drawer B in runner position B (no problem)
4) Drawer B in runner position A (problem as described)
5) Different set of runners fitted into runner position A (problem as described)

Have and fitted the runners with a laser level but for sanity have re-checked all measurements. The drawer is definitely square but can only imagine as you say that there is probably the slightest twist in the carcass that is enough to throw it out a few mm. The problem is the carcass is now fully fitted and painted so I either need to figure out a bodge/hack for the individual runner or live with it

 

[MikeJhn]

Even though Blum drawer runners will take on a bit of miss alignment I have found they do not like being out of true to each other especially width, check the dims between runners at the back of the carcass.

 

[Henniep]

Even though Blum drawer runners will take on a bit of miss alignment I have found they do not like being out of true to each other especially width, check the dims between runners at the back of the carcass.

Also, test the level between left and right runners, back and front.

 

[Mjward]

I will need to go back to it as it's going to bug me but for now it's not a major issue so will move forward and add it to snag list

Lots of lessons learnt on first drawer attempt, gaps aren't all equal for a start but overall I'm happy with how it's turned out