Wide drawer

[ericbro]

I kinda think I know the answer to this, but...

I built a queen size bed with a bookcase style headboard similar to a picture that my wife picked up off the internet. Designed it in Sketchup and it all turned out pretty well, except what looked good in the drawing doesn't seem to be working out in real life. I put in a drawer that's 45" wide. The drawer box doesn't rack, but it won't pull straight in or out on the K&V side mount ball bearing drawer slides. The slides seem to want to separate. I tried putting a center mount guide rail in, hoping that would stabilize it, but that wasn't sufficient. I was about the mount two more guides, but I'm getting skeptical that that will work either. I guess my final option will be to turn it into two 22" drawers.

But before I go that route, my question for you experts is whether there's another alternative I haven't thought of. Your thoughts?

[Skipper61]

Hi ericbro,
Will you please post some Pictures? It will be easyer to see what Problem you´ve got with the sliders.

Thanks

[KC]

Measure and make sure the sides (not the drawer) where you  have the slides mounted are a consistent width apart, and that your drawer is square.  If the 'fit' is right at the insertion point and they still want to pull apart in operation, It sure sounds like the opening is too wide going toward the rear.

[museumguy]

Are there handles/pulls on the drawer? How do you pull it open, from the center or sides ? When we have a drawer that is in a cabinet over 30" wide, we put 2 pulls on it, spaced evenly (measurement wise or aesthetically ), it helps opening the drawer straight.

[fredhargis]

Measure and make sure the sides (not the drawer) where you  have the slides mounted are a consistent width apart, and that your drawer is square.  If the 'fit' is right at the insertion point and they still want to pull apart in operation, It sure sounds like the opening is too wide going toward the rear.

That's my suspicion as well. The tolerance on those slides is really tight. I've built 48" wide drawers using those slides and they worked, but it took some tuning. That said, it might be a little handier to have smaller drawers anyway.

[Steve N]

Measure and make sure the sides (not the drawer) where you  have the slides mounted are a consistent width apart, and that your drawer is square.  If the 'fit' is right at the insertion point and they still want to pull apart in operation, It sure sounds like the opening is too wide going toward the rear.

Also make sure that left slide is exactly the same height up as the right, and that both sides attach to the drawer sides at the exact same point. Of course this seems logical, but in application it is sometimes not so easy to accomplish. If the slides are not set consistent side to side, essentially you rack an otherwise square drawer box.

[mr_skittle]

If you look on the half of the slide that screws inside the cabinet you should see that, of all the different mounting holes, there are 2 or 3 that are on tabs. If you only mount it through these holes you can pry it away from the cabinetop just a pinch to give more play. You may want to try it just on the back of the slides if that's where it seems to be sticky. If this doesn't make sense I can post a picture that might help clarify.

[MsNomer]

So that's what those tabs are for! I had wondered.

[Roly]

You can also place shims behind the slides so the are parallel.   Ball bearing slides normally require an opening + 1/16", -0.     Roly

[ericbro]

Thank y'all for the suggestions. I'm pretty certain that the slides are at the same height, but I'll double-check. Never thought about the sides being a consistent distance. Given the level of my woodworking skills, that seems a reasonable possibility.

Unfortunately, while I came out to CA for my son's graduation, he fell roller skating and broke his femur, so I'll be out here for a few weeks helping him get around. I'll check out those dimensions when I get back home.