Push me pull you drawer

[ScaredyCat]

I'm building a mobile island for the kitchen and I want the drawers to be accessible from both sides but I'm struggling to work out how I can hide the hardwood runners/slots for them. Normally they'd be hidden by the drawer front but obviously if they have to be able to slide all the way through that can't be the case.

For one of them, directly under the topn, I was thinking that I'd build 2 boxes, the outer one to hold the drawer and the inner one which is the drawer itself but only 0.5mm smaller? The drawer would be able to open 99% of the way from either side using the side to prevent it tipping.

I'm stuck for the lower drawers because they're reallty sliding shelves with sides and a front but allow taller things to be stored in them.

Anyone got any ideas on this?

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[AndyT]

You could use trad carcase construction for a solid sided cabinet, even if the sides are actually MFC. Make the hardwood runners as complete rectangular frames. Join the corners with M&T, dominoes, screws or whatever you prefer. Paint or lip the visible front edges to match the carcase edges or the drawer fronts. Fix the frames inside the cabinets. Then make your long drawers to slide in or out as you want, resting flat on the framed up runners.

 

[Brandlin]

I have done this (in a very small lightweight way) using full extension drawer slides mounted on the under side of the drawer and to a rectangular frame under the each drawer.

I believe there are drawer runners designed to take the load in this way but a quick google showed me nothing...

Whether this is robust enough or even sensible for a kitchen i'll leave to others with more experience, or your own estimations.

 

[sunnybob]

Why not separate drawers on each side?

 

[Jacob]

You could use trad carcase construction for a solid sided cabinet, even if the sides are actually MFC. Make the hardwood runners as complete rectangular frames. Join the corners with M&T, dominoes, screws or whatever you prefer. Paint or lip the visible front edges to match the carcase edges or the drawer fronts. Fix the frames inside the cabinets. Then make your long drawers to slide in or out as you want, resting flat on the framed up runners.

Yes, cheap, easy, tried and tested (they last 100s of years).
I don't know why they aren't always the first choice instead of expensive runners and other alternatives.
You might need kickers too (the top-of-the -drawer runner if there isn't already one above) and spacers/guides if the drawer doesn't run flush between the sides of the carcase.
PS hardwood runners in slots in the drawer sides is about the worst possible drawer detail as there is so little bearing surface, leading to accelerated wear. OK for very light weight/use drawers but best avoided if possible.

 

[Mike Jordan]

I would agree that traditional carcassing methods would be best for the construction. I made some of these drawers many years ago for use in built in units in a social housing project.
The units fitted in a full height space between the kitchen and dining area and the drawers were accessed from both rooms. It was a short lived idea because residents complained of injuries caused by simultaneous attempted use from both sides at the same time, the drawers were subsequently altered to be usable from one side only.

 

[ScaredyCat]

Thanks all, I'll have a look into this.

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[ScaredyCat]

Why not separate drawers on each side?

I want them accessible from both sides.


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[sunnybob]

What about overhead runners? so that the drawer hangs from the runner. That will only be visible to people under 4 ft tall.

 

[Jacob]

What about overhead runners? so that the drawer hangs from the runner. That will only be visible to people under 4 ft tall.

Brilliant - but what about people of diminished stature, they might be offended!
Repeating the obvious; but why not just do it the simple, cheap, easy, neat, traditional way?

 

[sunnybob]

Jacob, get back under that bridge.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[ScaredyCat]

I found this Ernie Conover video covering this. Is the panel ( at 5:07 ) strictly necessary? Is it just to keep everything square?

[youtube]xRQLMcRALi4[/youtube]

 

[AndyT]

Not a bad video but his premise is wrong when he says that drawer supports are not described enough.

A quick dip into a decent introductory text book will give you more info in a single page of diagrams - Joyce, figure 243 covers chests with solid sides or frame and panel sides.

Or as Jacob sometimes says, look inside some old furniture.

His supporting frame has a panel in it but that's not necessary. In English usage it would be called a dust board, which gives a clue as to its purpose.

 

[Jacob]

Not a bad video but his premise is wrong when he says that drawer supports are not described enough.

A quick dip into a decent introductory text book will give you more info in a single page of diagrams - Joyce, figure 243 covers chests with solid sides or frame and panel sides.

Or as Jacob sometimes says, look inside some old furniture.

His supporting frame has a panel in it but that's not necessary. In English usage it would be called a dust board, which gives a clue as to its purpose.

(Haven't watched the vid)
- In a chest with solid sides the runners have to be loosely fitted in their slots, to avoid differential movement splitting the sides. So they tend to fixed at just one point (one screw/nail or glued M&T at one end) and the dustboards (also loose fitted) help keep them in place.

 

[AndyT]

ScaredyCat, I think a lot of detail about drawers will be irrelevant if you are making a conventional kitchen cabinet with stable sides from manufactured boards. If you still need any help, perhaps you could put up some sketches or photos of what you have in mind / made so far?

 

[ColeyS1]

I have done this (in a very small lightweight way) using full extension drawer slides mounted on the under side of the drawer and to a rectangular frame under the each drawer.

I believe there are drawer runners designed to take the load in this way but a quick google showed me nothing...

Whether this is robust enough or even sensible for a kitchen i'll leave to others with more experience, or your own estimations.

Is this what you were thinking Brandlin?

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