It’s often the little things that annoy us the most. Imagine a scenario where you’re on a project with your toolbox by your side. At some point, you need a tool from a particular drawer.
You try to pull it out, but it gets stuck. It should come out smoothly, no? Unfortunately, situations like these often agitate us and interrupt our workflow.
The culprits behind these impediments are mainly faulty drawer slides. They get stuck in place, and to pull them out, you’ll have to rage war against them most of the time. And if you have bad luck, they will sometimes make the most annoying sounds, driving every mechanic crazy.
So, how can you prevent or solve this? Well, for starters, you can change the drawer slides, which will take care of that problem. The trick, however, is to measure the drawer slides accurately. This is where many of us have struggled.
Suppose you’re thinking of setting up new drawers or replacing the slider on faulty drawers of your toolbox. In that case, you have to get the measuring absolutely right. And this article is precisely about how to measure the toolbox drawer slides.
What are Drawer Slides?
Let’s learn the basics first. It’ll only help us later on. Okay, so what are these drawer slides? Perhaps you can’t see them on old furniture, but the modern tables and cabinets have them.
They have two parts. One is the profile that sticks to the drawer, and the other resides on the cabinet. Each of them is called a “member.”
Their function is quite simple. Drawer slides work simply by minimizing friction so you can easily pull in and out of a drawer. Now, there are three types of slides. They are side-mount, under-mount, and center-mount.
The first one is the most common type of drawer slides. You can find them everywhere, from regular tables, cabinets, and tool chests to kitchen tables. And as the name suggests, they are attached to the side of the drawers.
Undermount drawer slides give users more space than the side mount slides. However, they stay underneath the drawers and are hidden from sight.
The center-mounted drawer slides are also hidden, just like the under-mount ones. The only difference is that they are positioned exactly in the middle of the box as one single slide.
So, now that we have a basic knowledge about drawer slides and their most common categories, let’s get to the main point: measuring the drawers.
Measuring Drawer Slides Like a Pro
You’ll only need three things to do this job correctly…a tape measure, a screwdriver, and a notepad. Yep, that’s all you’ll need. Don’t worry. We’ll discuss everything step by step. So, once you grab those three things, let’s get busy.
Step 1: Current Drawer Sliders Have to Go
First, find where the current sliders are. Then, pull out the drawer and locate the screws on the sliders. If it’s a side mount slider, you’ll find the screws on each end. Now, there could be some exceptions, but that won’t matter that much.
So, once you’ve located the screws that keep the slider attached to the drawers, simply unscrew them using a screwdriver.
Step 2: Remove the Drawer
After getting rid of the screws, pull out the drawer slowly. It might get stuck in the due process and you may have to wiggle it sideways a bit to separate it completely from your toolbox or any other furniture. Next, flip the drawer and place it on your workstation. If there’s dust, use this opportunity to clean it.
Step 3: Take Measurements of the ToolBox
This will give you a proper idea of the dimensions of your toolbox. It’s simple. All you have to do is just grab the tape measure and use this to figure out the distance between the front and the back wall of your toolbox.
You may want to take the same measurements two or three times so that you’re absolutely sure of the data. Then, write them down on the notepad, and there you’ll have the exact dimension of your toolbox/furniture.
Now, time to do quick maths. Simply subtract 1 inch from your measurement, and you’ll have the length of your slide.
Step 4: Take Measurement of the Drawer
Go back to the drawer you removed from the toolbox. Make sure the drawer’s bottom panel is facing toward you. Now, calculate the length of the drawer using the tape measure. As usual, write the numbers down.
Step 5: Choose a Slide
This is rather easy. Based on the previous two measurements, you can pinpoint the length of slides you need. And trust me, that’s it. There are no hidden tricks or anything.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, this is a simple task that can prevent a lot of annoyance in your future endeavors. However, if you still find yourself in the dark regarding what kind of slider you should choose, then take the drawers to the store and let the professional handle the rest.
But if you follow the steps stated above, I’m pretty sure you can pull this off yourself. So, what are you waiting for? First, grab your measuring tapes and screwdrivers, and take the measurements carefully. Then, determine the sliders’ length and install them according to those data.
Pat yourself on the back if everything goes well. And if not, keep trying until your toolbox has some smooth drawers.
