Blum Drawer Runner Jig - Useless?

[boardgamer]

I'm fitting a load of Blum drawer runners (766H50B). I picked up a Blum Universal Individual Template (65.1051.02) fairly cheaply a while back, and this is my first chance to use it. But I'm having trouble understanding how it actually makes my life easier. Looking the Blum planning info for the runners, it appears to show 5 drawer runner screws along the length. The jig correctly locates the 3 nearest the edge, but the remaining 2 are beyond the end of the jig (max length ~230mm), so how am I supposed to locate these? Fix the runner using the first 3, mark the 2 remaining holes, then remove the runner and drill??? That's a complete pain. I might as well stick with the home-made jigs I've used in the past. Other than for the shortest drawer runners (or hinges), I can't see the point of this jig. Am I missing something obvious?

 

[custard]

Can't answer your question, but I sympathise with the problem. I'll use Blum drawer runners maybe once or twice a year, in other words not often enough for the details of layout and use to really sink in. So when I do use them I'd really appreciate a simple refresher in the form of a well illustrated how-to guide. But Blum reduce their customer information to the bare minimum, and what is there gets buried beneath dozens of confusingly named and overlapping on-line documents.

There's another jig they sell to help position the drawer retaining clips that fasten behind a drawer front. It requires a special extension for a 2 or 2.5mm drill in order to operate efficiently. If they had their customer service head on they'd have included one with the jig, instead it's virtually impossible to buy and consequently used examples sell for crazy money.

Rant over!

 

[boardgamer]

Looks like no-one has any advice

My solution will be to drill the 3 holes that the jig can manage (for all the runners), then using a new indent I have filed in the jig's aluminium rail, I can extend the rail to a known point, and drill the 2 missing holes. I'll use dowel (or metal rod) to locate in a couple of the existing holes to make sure I'm lined up. Bit of extra hassle, but fairly simple & repeatable with decent accuracy.

 

[Distinterior]

There are quite a large number of holes for optional position fixing of Blum drawer runners. You would normally just pick the 2 or 3 holes that are most suitable for your carcass & layout.
Perhaps, if the width of your drawer cabinet was 1000 or 1200mm wide, you could fit a few more screws if you felt the need, but normally 2 or 3 is more than adequate.

Unless you are planning on loading up your drawers with Gold Bars, there would be no need for 5 fixings in each runner. I assume you are using the correct Euro Screws for the fixings and not just normal screws..????

What is the weight capacity of those 766H50B runners...?? 40 or 60KG..??

 

[boardgamer]

Thanks for the response!

Yes, I normally use ~3 screws myself (proper drawer runner screws, normally 13.5mm). I was never sure whether the screw layout was "a subset of" or "all" of the recommended fixings shown in the Blum guide. I guess they put in extra to cover themselves. These are the 766 (60kg) version, although I'm unlikely to reach that loading unless I stand in the drawer....

The only reason I thought of putting more in was to provide some support at the back - all the jig holes are necessarily towards the front of the cabinet. The runners are 500mm long, and the last screw is about 270mm in. I know that equates to only 230mm or so, but it's still nearly half of the runner unsupported (and they're heavy beasts, even without the drawer). So I'd happily concede I don't *need* 5 screws, but do you think I wouldn't be better off with at least one near the back of the runner?

 

[Distinterior]

Thanks for the response!

Yes, I normally use ~3 screws myself (proper drawer runner screws, normally 13.5mm). I was never sure whether the screw layout was "a subset of" or "all" of the recommended fixings shown in the Blum guide. I guess they put in extra to cover themselves. These are the 766 (60kg) version, although I'm unlikely to reach that loading unless I stand in the drawer....

The only reason I thought of putting more in was to provide some support at the back - all the jig holes are necessarily towards the front of the cabinet. The runners are 500mm long, and the last screw is about 270mm in. I know that equates to only 230mm or so, but it's still nearly half of the runner unsupported (and they're heavy beasts, even without the drawer). So I'd happily concede I don't *need* 5 screws, but do you think I wouldn't be better off with at least one near the back of the runner?

I hear what you are saying Boardgamer and obviously, it would be better to have a fixing as close to the rear of the drawer runner as possible. My German cabinet manufacturer use Blum runners & drawer boxes, but they already come pre-fitted in the rigid cabinets. They normally fit a maximum of 3 Euro Screws per runner, even on the heaviest drawer runners that they offer.

My suggestion would be to drill the front 2 or 3 holes with your Blum template/Jig against the front of the carcass and then move the jig to the face of the rear of the carcass and re set it to drill the rear mounting holes. This is only applicable if you are drilling your drawer runner holes before the carcass is assembled or before the back of the carcass is fitted.

Tim.

 

[boardgamer]

Thanks for the info on number of screws - that's useful to know and will save a lot of drilling!

Carcass (including back) was glued up yesterday! But to be honest, I'd prefer to register off the front for all the holes anyway, just to keep alignment as close as possible. I'll probably drill one front hole, another near the middle (both using the jig), and then a third at the back using the jig in "extended" mode.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Or just get a couple of screws in using the jig and once the runners in place you can whack as many ordinary 16mm screws in as you like to back up the machine screws. Two is plenty anyway unless as ^ he said you are filling it up with gold bars