Attaching drawer guide rails

[Eric Anderson]

I am trying to get ideas of how to support the drawer guide rails in a carcass of a stickley chest. I have photos of a rail that looks like it is screwed to the side panel of the carcass. My side panel is about 5/16 inches thick and I am concerned about screwing into it as the support. The front and rear posts could support the rails, but I don't think that is quite enough since there would be no support in the middle of a 20 inch rail. Possibly the answer is a piece of 1/4 inch plywood glued to the side panel that will increase the thickness of the panel in the plywood area to over 1/2 inch and then accept a screw?

[bs]

If you go to

and take the 11 min video tour you will get a glimpse of how Stickley assembles the rails. You didn't mention how thick the posts were but you could make a 2" wide rail that installs between the posts and then rabbet that to accept the drawer rail. That's overkill but I don't know how wide or deep your drawers are. I would not glue and/or fasten anything to the panel.

The drawer rail (hardwood) about 3/4" square should be more than strong enough to support the drawer though. Even if the drawer is heavily loaded, I don't see how the rail could sag since it rides in the rabbet on the drawer side.

I'm fortunate to live near Manlius where Stickley has their plant and their main store - I get to see the real thing, up-close and personal...

Bob S.

[Swingman]

Depending upon the grain orientation, wood, and expected movement in the side panels, I would hesitate to glue plywood across their width.

You might try incorporating the guide rails and runners into one "L" shaped piece per side. That will strengthen them for your 20" (although I don't see that span as a problem with a drawer runner) and allow you to make them along enough to notch them and attach them to your posts.

BTW, don't glue them in. Using screws will allow you future adjustments should it become necessary due to wood movement.

Take a look at the wooden drawer assemblies I routinely use on tables for some ideas - Page 3 of my Projects Journal on the website below (Wooden Drawer Slide Details).

[Larry Jaques]

On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 13:05:27 GMT, "Swingman" brought forth from the murky depths:

-snip of good points-

That's a kickass stove you put in your kitchen, Swingy. The dishwasher/hutch is a unique idea. I like the a/c coffee table but your ammonia was too old. ;)

Izzat a set of Snap-On screwingdrivers on the wall to the right here http://65.201.81.222/images/RclnrTbl3.jpg ?

Did you pad the drawer-stop adjusting screws in the end table? If so, how so?

Do you wax the drawer, kickers, and runners?

I remember the time I went into an Etherized Allen store to look at the way their "quality" furniture was made and found a period dresser with 1/4" side slop, 3/16" vertical slop, and no wax. The noise one drawer made had the whole store looking my way when I opened and closed it a few times. For want of a cent's worth of wax (and anything resembling quality work), a $3,400 piece looked and acted just like a K-mart Special. You appear to have taken a whole lot more time on this simple piece than they did.

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[Swingman]

Speaking of drawer slides. Tha sove was "Scratch and Dent" ... $1000 off because they couldn't figure out how to fixe the utility drawer underneath the oven (one of the drawer slides was broken and all the ball bearings had fallen out) ... it wasn't like I hadn't ever seen, or fixed, a drawer slide before. ;>)

I was brought to that idea kicking and screaming. SWMBO won.

LOL ... we lived in a heavily shaded house with dark paneling and dark furniture for 18 years ... gimme _light_!

Yep ...

Just like me ... Hell, I can see woodworking anytime, let's check out what's hanging on the walls.

With a plastic, stick on, cabinet door door pad, about the diameter of a pencil eraser. Works good, you never see it, stops the drawer with a nice feel, and cheap.

Yessir.

I've done it so many times I do it without thinking ... got tired of trying to describe it, so "a pictures is worth ...."

Thanks for the kind words.