drawer slides

[Troy Scott]

Has anyone found a better way to support the drawers and allow them to move freely? I'm thinking of replacing the little aluminum/plastic guides with something better. I've found some stainless steel drawer slides, but they seem very expensive when I consider how many would be needed for my CD36....

[David L]

Troy:

Home Depot has a pretty good selection of roller-type drawer slides in several lengths.

David

[Ron M.]

Here's an application where Starboard or hmdp may provide a viable alternative. Do you have enough space to fabricate track and runners for your drawer slides ? Angle them slightly higher at the front. A catch will be needed so they don't come open in a seaway.
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[Troy Scott]

David,

I wonder if HD has SS drawer slides. I'll look. I've founf several on the net that would probably work, but I think I would need some independent system to lock them closed.

Ron,

I've build drawer slides from UHMW polyethylene in the past. I suppose I could do it again, but I was hoping for something really slick. Maybe SS ball-bearing drawer slides is TOO slick for my CD36....

The teak drawer fronts are nice, but I don't like the lightweight plastic drawers and I especially don't like the slides. The reinforcement part of the extrusion is cut away to allow the drawer to be removable, but this puts the weakest part of the slide exactly where it needs to be strongest. When the drawer is loaded and left almost fully open, it bends the slide every time. Dumb. It would probably be fairly easy to add a different reinforcement for that section. I would still be stuck with the plastic drawers.....

[David L]

Troy:

Your refit has been so planned and thorough I hesitate to mention this. I have toyed with the idea of using the drawer fronts as hinged drop-down covers with magnetic latches. Behind each drawer front would be an oval access hole and a shelf. This maintains the original "look" while eliminating the wasted space behind and at the sides of the drawers.

Every drawer and locker on Raven has a positive locking latch. I'll post a picture in the next day or so.

David

[bottomscraper]

Troy:

Your refit has been so planned and thorough I hesitate to mention this. I have toyed with the idea of using the drawer fronts as hinged drop-down covers with magnetic latches. Behind each drawer front would be an oval access hole and a shelf. This maintains the original "look" while eliminating the wasted space behind and at the sides of the drawers.

Every drawer and locker on Raven has a positive locking latch. I'll post a picture in the next day or so.

David

On Mahalo we replaced the drawers under the V-berth with fold down doors. Our "shelves" are made of net material. We now have more than double the storage capacity. I kept the drawers and slides in case some future owner might want to convert back. We still have the original drawers and slides in the galley.

The latches I used look like these, picked them up new on eBay for about $12 each, should have bought more
[img]http://images.westmarine.com/large/5176151.jpg[/img]

[Cathy Monaghan]

I got rid of the drawers in the galley on our CD32. When I took those drawers out and looked at all the wasted space I decided they had to go. Now I have a nice cabinet where the drawers once where. I purchased a teak door from Defender. The items that were once in the drawers are now in the cabinet iside long shallow rectangular plastic containers that are stacked on top of each other and easily removed. The cabinet also now holds plastic storage bowls and the like.

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 302980.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="600" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 0.jpg"></a>
The old galley drawers on our CD32.

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 302987.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="600" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 7.jpg"></a>
The space with the drawers removed.

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 143033.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="600" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 3.jpg"></a>
That's me cutting the new opening for the door.

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 283094.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="600" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 4.jpg"></a>
The inside of the cabinet all painted.

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 023132.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="600" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 2.jpg"></a>
The new teak door from Defender.

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 023134.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="600" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 4.jpg"></a>
Another view of the new door.

I know the CD36 has a different cabinet and drawer setup, but anyone with something similar to what was on the 32 might want to consider a cabinet rather than drawers.


Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritian Bay

[Troy Scott]

Interesting. I really hadn't considered eliminating drawers. In fact I was thinking of adding some additional ones under the port settee. But I do like to make use of wasted space. I'm planning to open up some previously inaccessible areas. For example, under the "electronics" cabinet (to starboard of the chart table) in my 36 is a large cavity that I plan to open up with a door, and/or a couple of cylindrical chart holders.

OTOH I suppose that if I were to replace the drawers with shelves I could quit worrying about better drawer slides!

[bobc]

I was able to buy wood track from Rocker.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=201

I used wood track because I wasn't sure how well metal slides would hold up in a salt-water environment. The track guide seems to be made out of nylon.

I don't know what was originally there, but the drawer front under the sink on my CD27 was only covering a hole, as it was duct-taped to the fiberglass from behind. I'm guessing that originally, it just hinged forward for a small sponge tray.

Using the drawer-front as a start, I built a silverware drawer that just fits under the sink and avoids the drain hose. I had to support the whole thing from the front, so there's a diagonal support that runs from the back of the drawer slide forward. I've also made sure the slide has some lateral support.

This is one of the best features I've added to the boat so far. Silverware is now readily accessible. Much easier than trying to remove a lid from behind the stove and peer into a dark hole with your head stuck under the bridge deck.

The drawer actually has two levels, with the silverware on top, and a removable false bottom that allows access to less frequently used items after removing the silverware tray.

[Ron M.]

One project I haven't got to is to replace the drawers in the v berth with shelving/doors. There is some wasted space there , the drawers don't hold much and are a pain. I have some open weave cane left from a previous job,one of these days I'll make some teak door frames and use the cane as a panel. I guess I'll need to do some surgery first......good project for this winter.
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[Troy Scott]

I'm thinking bigger drawers with better slides. The thing I'm not sure about is how to make the "stop" that makes it necessary to raise the drawer to open it. If the slides are only firmly mounted at the far end and otherwise move with the drawer, maybe it's not a problem. If the slides are fixed in space so that the drawer can't move vertically, the stop will be more complicated.

[Andy Denmark]

Hey Troy,

Should you decide to upgrade I'll be happy to take two sets of the CD slide hardware off your hands. I picked up two small CD drawers but the hardware is missing. I've designed a small cabinet for Rhiannon using these and the slide hardware would greatly simplify the project.

Thanks,

Andy
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[Troy Scott]

Andy,

I'll certainly donate the old hardware if you like.

[Andy Denmark]

Let me know when the time comes.
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