HOW TO INSTALL DRAWER SLIDES / RUNNERS ?
STEP .1
Install the drawer-side slides on the bottom of the drawer.
STEP .2
Measure to where you want the bottom of the drawer to sit and clamp a support board in place.
Make sure the support is level from the front to the back.
On this particular project, I had to block the drawer slides out 1/4″ on each side. If necessary, add blocks to the slide location. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
STEP .3
The location of the slide inside the frame depends on where you mounted the slide to the bottom of the drawer.
Finding the correct location is critical with inset drawers since they have to stop in line with the face frame. It’s not as important with drawers that stop on the surface of the frame since the drawer front will stop it, but you still want it pretty close.
Inset Drawers: Attach the slide on the drawer at the very front of the drawer box, butted up against the back of the drawer face. For inset drawers with a 3/4″ face, position the slide 3/4″ back from the front of the frame.
The Project in the Photos: You may notice that the slides are set back further than 3/4″ in these photos. The drawers are 15″ long so I used 14″ slides. To get max use out of the drawer, I positioned the slides 1/2″ back from the front of the drawer box. In order for the drawer to be inset, I attached the slides to the frame at 1 1/4″ (which is 1/2″ + 3/4″) back from the front of the face frame.
Easiest Method: If you don’t want to do all the math, you can put the slides together on the drawer and insert it into the frame. Close the drawer to where you want it to sit and mark the location of the slide. Pull the drawer out and line the slide up where you marked it.
Once you figure out the front-to-back location, set the slide on your support board and attach it to the frame.
It’s very important that the opposing slides on either side of the frame are at the exact same position so the drawer doesn’t wiggle.
Repeat for as many drawers as necessary.
