My next project is to build drawers in the kitchen cabinets for the pots, pans, bowls etc that are now stored on shelves in the lower cabinets. The concept is very simple: a shallow drawer mounted to file cabinet drawer slides. I am dead sure I am not the first to do this but can't find any pitfalls and precautions in the group. If you have done this I would appreciate the benefit of your experience - especially call to my attention those things I must not do. Thanks, Leo
I did it. I was bugged especially by the undersink area. I bought the drawer slides first to get the proper offset and then built drawers with sides only 2 in. high. Be sure to check to see that your cabinet doors open far enough not to interfere with the drawers. My drawer slides had to be shimmed out 1/4 inch on the cabinet door side.
Works great. Had no problems. What problems are you anticipating?
I have done this to many cabinets - kitchen island, regular cabinets and even my shop cabinets.
Besides the obvious of measuring the widths carefully - allowing 1/2 inch for each slide (total 1 inch), get 100 lb full extension slides (I use wwhardware.com). I like the KV brand with "overtravel".
If you have to mount the slides on the face frames, check out the location of your door hinges - I had to move the hinges in our kitchen island to accomodate. I also had to add a 3/4 inch strip to the back of the FF because the cabinet door would not close if the slide was mounted on the frame (our doors are rabbeted around the inside). I mounted the slide to the strip.
Also, you may have to reinforce the back of the cabinet with plywood or something in order to attach the rear of the slide to it. Be sure to order the rear brackets when you order the slides.
It is a VERY worthwhile project tho. No more getting down on you knees to find that pot or bowl.
I made our "trays" out of 1x3 poplar for the sides and 3/8 plywood for the bottom. For the shop cabinets which were wider, I used 3/4. Wiped on a coat or two of poly and that was it.
I have those drawers made by, I believe, Rubbermaid. Came from Lowes. Install in a couple of minutes and work a treat. They come in at least two widths.
I have done this many times. I like to use 1/2" Baltic Birch for the sides and fronts and 1/4" cheap smooth plywood for the bottoms. You do NOT need file cabinet drawer slides. The common 100# full extension slides are plenty. My drawers are approximately 36" ax 22".
Don't build drawers, build trays...very shallow drawers. Much easier to place/remove stuff. I make mine 2" deep. Hide the trays behind cabinet drawers.
You don't really need full extension slides...pots and pans are big enough so that you can easily see/reach stuff with 3/4 extension. Which doesn't mean you can't use full extension if you want to, just trying to save you a bit of $$ :)
BTW, the same sort of trays in lower cabinets are quite nice for dishes too.
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When I redid our cabinets I converted all of the lower cabinets to full pull out drawers. Took out the middle stiles and shelves in the double door cabinets to make 36" W x 24" D X 9" H boxes with overlay maple fronts and full extension slides. We've got pots and pans, but also a lot of piddly little stuff in these drawers--the high sides keep everything in place. The full extension slides mean that even with the high sides,everything is easy to get at. My wife loves them.
The higher sides also add strength to the drawers so that they do not distort when you have 80# of pots and pans in there. I agree with the full extensions slides. Eventually the drawer will be full and you do not want to move things out of the way so that you can get that pot or pan out of the back.
Sometimes you see such kitchen drawers with full height front and back, but low sides and where the upper edge of a full-height side would be just a connecting metal rod between front and back. That way you have full stability and acces from the side.
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