Saw a shop in Nashville that didn't use drawer slides at all

I was in Nashville last weekend visiting family and stopped by a custom cabinet shop a buddy recommended. The owner showed me their whole operation, and I noticed every single drawer they built rode on wooden runners. No soft close slides, no undermount hardware, just solid hardwood runners with a little wax. He said it's how they've always done it and clients pay extra for the traditional feel. I had to admit the drawers moved smooth, but I can't imagine doing that for a standard kitchen job. It would take forever and most people expect that smooth hydraulic close now. Has anyone else tried ditching slides for wooden guides on a full project?

3 comments

3 Comments

piperr5829d ago

I read about a guy in the UK who did his whole house kitchen with wooden runners. He said it took him like triple the time but they still worked perfectly years later. The thing with modern slides is they break or get stiff over time, especially if the kitchen gets humid. Wooden runners just need a little wax every now and then and they keep working. But yeah for a regular job where clients want that quiet soft close sound, it's hard to sell them on something that feels old timey. Most people don't care about traditional craftsmanship, they just want the drawer to shut by itself.

olivia_carr729d ago

Honestly, have you ever tried waxing wooden runners to see how much of a difference it actually makes? I've messed around with it on a couple smaller builds, and the trick is really in the wood selection and how much you wax. Maple or hard cherry with a good paste wax feels almost like a soft close if you get the fit right. But yeah, for production work it's just not realistic unless your clients are really into that old school vibe and willing to pay for the extra labor.

jordanl8229d ago

Yeah @olivia_carr7 you're making me realize my first drawer project was basically a comedy of errors. Spent all day sanding and waxing just for it to stick halfway every time I opened it.