Can't adjust drawer rails

[Toller]

I bought some drawer rails at Home Depot for three drawers. The ones that rest on the side and bottom of the drawer and open about 3/4 of the way. One went in real nice, but the other two... argh.

Everything is square and level. They weren't level when I first started having problems because, as it turns out, my basement floor isn't level and I had them level to the slanted floor! But, I shimmed the cabinet legs so it is level, then remounted the rails. It didn't help at all.

I have moved the hardware, both sides, back and forth repeatedly. No matter how I mount it I can not get two of them to close square. I can get either side to be right, but then the other side is off by a sixteenth.

Am I doing something wrong? If so, I would appreciate suggestions, as I am at my wit's end.

Or, are they just crappy rails, and off by a sixteenth is about as good as it gets; and I just got lucky on the one drawer that is right?.

[bridger]

is your drawer box square?

[Swingman]

Are the left and right side of the cabinets square and in the same plane?

I've installed a ton of those on face frame cabinets, but I am not sure from your description what/where your problem is.

Face Frame cabinets? What are you attaching the 'cabinet side' part of the drawer slides to?

On FF cabinets, I use a single wooden spacer to place each 'cabinet side' part from a common reference point, usually the top or bottom of the cabinet, or another drawer.

I generally pre-mount these cabinet side parts using a homemade jig, on wooden strips cut in thickness to fit the gap between a face frame and the cabinet side. The bottom of the slides are then mounted flush with the bottom of the drawer opening, and intrude into the drawer opening far enough to leave about a 1/16" gap between the front edge of the slide and the front edge of the FF.

If your cabinets are square, and you have that same 1/16" gap above on both sides, your drawer should then close flush.

You may need to be a bit more specific if your cabinet differs.

[Toller]

Yes, perfectly square. What do you mean, "in the same plane"? Nothing is crooked.

They are "flush fit". However, from your description, I think flush fit is the same as face frame. The drawers do are even with the front of the cabinet, with a small margin on all four sides; right?

I mounted blocks in the same way as you mounted the strips, and attached the rails to the blocks. I actually went about 1/8th onto the frame instead of leaving a 1/16" gap. Why would that matter? It would only affect how the other part mounts on the drawer. Or am I misunderstanding something? All three drawes are mounted the same way, and one is okay.

I made drawers out of 1/2" poplar, and installed them into the chest. I then positioned 1/2" cherry drawer fronts on the drawers and screwed them in from the back. I made the cherry about 1/2" larger than the drawers on all four sides to allow for proper positioning. Frankly, I didn't think I could position the rails with a precision necessary to get the drawers to fit otherwise. It may be a little less than professional, but I don't see why any of this should affect proper functioning.

I can try remounting everything with the 1/16" gap if you think it is important; but I can't see why it would matter. Please explain. Thanks.

>

[Swingman]

Take a look at the following, it is not a familiar sight, we are talking about different things:

http://65.201.81.222/files/slide.jpgThere are two things important about the gap ... if it is the same on both sides, then our square drawer should close flush to the square sides and/or face frame; and it allows the drawer to close using the last bit of slope for the "self closing" feature of these type of drawer slides.

If these are not the kind of drawer slides you are using, then the point is moot and I apologize for taking your time.

[Toller]

Yes, they are different types of drawers.

have removed the top drawer, the bottom of the photo is the lower drawer. You can see that proper adjustment is critical because the drawer fits even with the surrounding frame.

But on mine, the sef closing feature can take it past flush!

[Swingman]

If that is the problem you are having, and everything else works fine, and you have sufficient room, then you may want to consider putting a "screw stop" at the back of the drawer to limit the backward travel on one or both sides.