Hi, just wondered if anyone could help me out. I'm making a desk for my computer. I want to make a slide-out shelf for the keyboard that locks in place at it's maximum extension. Does anyone know what sort of drawer sliders id need and where I could get some?
Cheers
Cheapest approach would be to purchase a ready-made unit at Office Max or similar. Several of the Woodworking suppliers have them as a specialty item - accordingly-priced.
You could combine a common or garden drawer slide with a ball catch, mounted at the rear of the shelf. Or, if not quite THAT much locking is required, a magnetic catch.
-P.
I'm sure you can find smaller locking slides available, but for a start, these ones have a locking feature.
Rockler
These standard kitchen slides have a detent at their full extension - even though the catalog description doesn't mention that tidbit. Drop an email to your favorite supplier and ask...
If you are interested in optimum keyboard ergnometics, I highly recommend the humanscale keyboard arm. Its got a combined height and tilt mechanism that is adjusted by simply grabbing the keyboard and moving it. The whole thing slides up under the desk to completely disappear. My wife and I share a desk. She is 5'1" and I am 5'11". This arm allows us to set the keyboard for our own fit without having to mess with a bunch of screw type locking mechnisms.
The ergonmetics is far superior to any kind of sliding drawer mechanism and helps with preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. It bolts under any desktop with six screws.
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