Drawer slides for dusty environment

If your worried about dust just use….

If your worried about dust just use….

- JackDuren

I agree. I’ve had these on the drawers in my router table 10+ years. No issues

Not that those slides wouldn’t work, but most of the router tables with an enclosure and drawers seem to have full walls surrounding the area where the drawers are located. Not real sure the slides themselves would see any more dust than a kitchen. Now inside that little open area where the router hangs, yeah a lot of dust, especially if you have a weak dust collection design.

-- Think safe, be safe

Yeah, I guess Euro slides are the way to go. I wasn’t looking at them because they seem so light-duty, but I guess they’ll be plenty strong for this.

Not that those slides wouldn t work, but most of the router tables with an enclosure and drawers seem to have full walls surrounding the area where the drawers are located. Not real sure the slides themselves would see any more dust than a kitchen. Now inside that little open area where the router hangs, yeah a lot of dust, especially if you have a weak dust collection design.

That’s true, assuming I remember to close the drawer all the time. But when the drawer is open, the slides will be exposed. And my dust collection is not great (just a shop vac), and plenty of tasks get no dust collection at all (e.g. breaking down plywood with a circular saw).

Building it from scratch? Build the outer box, put in a support frame for the drawer and make it tight-ish on the sides.

That’s the way I’ve been adding drawers all over my shop recently. I’ve been using MDF for the drawers, and poplar or halfway decent pine for the frames (And, I’m running a total brain fart for the term for this particular part of a cabinet!! Web frame? Is that right?)

I use wax on the bottom of the drawers and the tops of the frames. I find sanding to about 220 and paste wax and the drawers will slide smoothly for years. When the get sticky, hit ‘em with wax again.

-- John F. SoCal transplant, chewer uppper of good wood

I think the slides that jackduren cited would work well. Even if they get dirty, they might work a bit rough but not stop them. However, I have made several pair of these for my shop drawers and they work quite well even in my router table.

Not that those slides wouldn t work, but most of the router tables with an enclosure and drawers seem to have full walls surrounding the area where the drawers are located. Not real sure the slides themselves would see any more dust than a kitchen. Now inside that little open area where the router hangs, yeah a lot of dust, especially if you have a weak dust collection design.

- therealSteveN

i agree,the section of my router table with drawers is enclosed separate from the chamber that holds the router so very little dust gets in.ive been using this cabinet for several years with no problems.

-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

I agree with SteveN and pottz. The drawer front, whether overlay or inset, will seal out dust just fine from the front, but be sure to put a back on the cabinet so it’s closed in all around. Stick with good side mount slides with a 75 or 100 lb rating. Those flimsy ones JackDuren posted won’t stand up to much of a load.

I use standard full extension side mounts everywhere in my shop with no problems.

I agree with SteveN and pottz. The drawer front, whether overlay or inset, will seal out dust just fine from the front, but be sure to put a back on the cabinet so it s closed in all around. Stick with good side mount slides with a 75 or 100 lb rating. Those flimsy ones JackDuren posted won t stand up to much of a load.

- JerryMaldonato

Hummmmmm. They wI’ll take what there designed too…

Most of these drawer guides fail because there put in too loose…

Sloppy work creates sloppy function…

Hummmmmm. They wI ll take what there designed too…

Most of these drawer guides fail because there put in too loose…

Sloppy work creates sloppy function…

- JackDuren

Most? I would like to see the data you got that from. My guess is most fail because the load rating is exceeded. Those are also an inferior design with synthetic rollers instead of ball bearings.

I just answered the question with an option othere than full extension slides..

Data….you need to read to believe. There on my router table, how’s that for data…

We used this drawer guides in the cabinet business for years I know why they fail. I don’t be need to read data?.you learn from experience , not from data….

Read the specs on the drawer guides… not hard

ive used those glides for years and never had a fail yet.maybe in a commercial situation where their opened and close a hundred times a day? ive even used them on my potting bench where they get hit with potting soil and they keep on truckin.id say dont worry about it.maybe your using cheap quality glides?

-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

50 lb drawer guides?
How much stuff is 50 lbs? Actually quite a bit,
(although I didn’t allow 10lbs or so for the drawer itself.)