I have a POS computer desk with a drawer/keyboard tray that needs new slide hardware. The problem is that the old slide was so light duty that it used less than the typical 1/2″ spacing between drawer and the side of the opening.
Details: the total drawer sides are 2 1/2″ high, and 16″ from front-to-back. Included in the heighth is a 1/2″ thick bottom which is screwed underneath the bottoms of the sides and back. (Yes, it runs cross grain to the sides–told you is is a POS.) The width of the opening is 29 3/16″ shy, and the drawer is 28 5/16″ full, which leaves a skant 7/16 space between drawer and the case side. There is no divider below the drawer.
Is there thinner hardware that I could just screw in place, or should I think about removing the tray front, and cutting a dado to mount standard, thicker drawer hardware. Can’t make dado very deep or I remove too much “meat” surrounding the screws that hold on the bottom.
Edited 12/10/2005 9:35 am ET by SteveSchoene
Replies
Hi Steve,
Firstly, you probably want a slide that is designed for keyboards such as the Rockler http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=6174&filter=36274 so it doesn't wiggle in-and-out as you type in the open position.
How about removing the screws and gluing the bottom to the sides? If you are concerned about loss of stock and strength in the sides, maybe you would want to sister more stock to the inside of the sides.
How about some undermount slides. It wouldn't take much to make a new drawer box, just use the existing drawer front, then you could use the slides of your choice. Here is a light weight undermount that doesn't require notches or alterations to the drawer, you could use two on a wide drawer. Rockler carries many other options.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
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