woops.. plywood drawers a tad to wide. how to fix?

[mound]

I'm making a dresser/shelf unit as a built in for a closet. Simple plywood carcass and plywood drawers on full extension slides. Measured everything out, made the drawer boxes.. Unfortunately, apparently I made the drawers about 1/16" too wide (if even that). I can get the drawer box and both slides to fit inside the opening, but squeezing the slides like that compresses them to the point the drawers become very hard to open.

how to fix? If these were hardwood drawers I'd just plane the sides down a bit to thin it out, but with the plywood, that would look terrible after removing the face veneer. 

I'm thinking a very shallow dado (~1/16") either on the inside of the carcass, or on the side of the drawer in which the corresponding half of the drawer slide would sit. It would be easier to cut such a dado on the side of the drawer, but my gut says it has to be on the inside of the case.  Thoughts?

[jteneyck]

Your idea of routing shallow dados in the cabinet sides should work.  Alternatively, you could switch to undermount slides, if your drawers are the correct length to fit one and the distance under the drawer bottom is correct.  Another option would be to switch to a center or dual bottom mount slide.  Still another option would be to go with wood drawer slides screwed to the side of the cabinet riding in dados in the drawer sides.  Quite a few options.

John

[mound]

Your idea of routing shallow dados in the cabinet sides should work.  Alternatively, you could switch to undermount slides, if your drawers are the correct length to fit one and the distance under the drawer bottom is correct.  Another option would be to switch to a center or dual bottom mount slide.  Still another option would be to go with wood drawer slides screwed to the side of the cabinet riding in dados in the drawer sides.  Quite a few options.

John

Thanks John, good ideas!

[Stwood_]

I set them on the tablesaw and raise the blade the height of the slide.
Set your fence width and run the drawer through and take off a 1/32 on each side. That sets the slide into the drawer side.

[Splinter Puller]

I set them on the tablesaw and raise the blade the height of the slide.
Set your fence width and run the drawer through and take off a 1/32 on each side. That sets the slide into the drawer side.

This is how I fix this problem.  Tablesaw the drawer thinner up to the top of the slide.   It will also help square up a drawer with bowed sides caused by a glue mishap while installing the bottom.

[mound]

This is how I fix this problem.  Tablesaw the drawer thinner up to the top of the slide.   It will also help square up a drawer with bowed sides caused by a glue mishap while installing the bottom.

Ooh I like this idea too, seems very simple compared to trying to get a dado cut inside a case that's already assembled.

wooden runners are OK too but we liked the full-extension aspect of the metal slides. name of the game here is storing tons of kids clothes.

[Willyou]

If you decide to go with wood slides, I can vouch for these. I have made several sets and they work well.

[fredhargis]

Yep, the shallow dado trick works well.

[R Clark]

This is how I fix this problem.  Tablesaw the drawer thinner up to the top of the slide.   It will also help square up a drawer with bowed sides caused by a glue mishap while installing the bottom.

This is what I would do, too.  In fact, I have done this.  It's quick and easy.  Make sure, though, if you use metal fasteners as I often do on plywood drawer boxes, that one of those fasteners isn't in the way when you run the blade down the side.

[Arlin Eastman]

Oops

Cut it 3 times and it is still to big.