Hey - I'm not sure how to describe what I'm looking for very well.
I'm building a desk with a 60" drawer that will house an electric piano. I have 24" of depth and only need 14" for the drawer.
However, I would love for the 14" drawer to be able to slide all the way to the back of the desk and pull out when needed. This will give me leg room instead of having to cramp my knees under the keyboard when it is pushed in.
In theory, I would buy a 24" slide and a 14" slide, mount the 24" on the desk and the 14" on the drawer, but I don't think (don't know) if I can mix lengths like that.
Any ideas on other hardware that could work? I'd prefer to buy something than build wooden slides laid possible.
I think "Over Extension Drawer Slides" is what your looking for. However, I think you'll still have a hard time finding something that goes out that far and supports the weight you need.
I think you need to design it in a way that is telescoping, using two sets of drawer slides. Like a drawer within a drawer, if that makes sense.
There are commercially made desks for accommodating keyboard workstations. I'd look up some of those and see how they do it.
The other thought I had was to make the keyboard drawer 24" depth and use 24" slides, but cut out a U-shape. Like a giant mortise, with the piano pushed all the way back. When extended it would sort of wrap around you.
The only thing I can think of would leave the guides hanging out when you pull the drawer out.
I don't think that's acceptable, but if it works for you it's an idea.
I don't know if you can alter the guides and still make them work.
Looks like an experiment is in order. (Wish I had the time)
I initially was on the path of LRM and when I saw his SU diagrams quickly realise that those protruding slides could be just a tad too obtrusive… Like he suggested, maybe some dexterous manouvering with a hacksaw and countouring with a file and pliers could give some better results… Unfortunately, for you, I'm a tad hesitatnt to sacrifice a set of my slides to experiment.
I have no idea where I got if from or what it's called (and to my horror where I put leftovers), years ago I bought some type of tape with a slippery surface like those non stick fry-pans, designed for runners and such. Only mentioning cause I know they exist.
Alternatively, the old fashioned traditional wooden slides with some highly polished melamine tape along facing sides of the runners may provide a smooth movement. Just brainstorming… have not tried it.
[Late EDIT.]
OK, hate leaving loose ends… did a Google on slippery tape and came up with a bucket full of double sided tape,... however, this hit is something like I was looking for…
Thanks for the great feedback guys - some great ideas! I didn't think about building my own telescoping drawers, that's a great idea! My only idea was the one that left the slides protruding and I wasn't up for that!
I'm liking the telescoping idea and will give it a shot in the coming days when I get the frame assembled!
Thanks for drawing that up LeeRoyMan. I don't have the patience or sketch up skills to do it. My concern with the telescoping idea though, is weight. A midi controller would probably be okay, but if your keyboard is one of those 88 weighted key workstations, you'll need some seriously heavy duty slides.
MDF does not work well with wood glue. It sucks it up like a sponge, leaving no glue at the actual joint. I'm sure there is some type of glue that is better for mdf. In my experience, 2Ă—4s are gonna move more than any other material, and could be in all 3 dimensions. Maybe figure 8 fasteners or Z-clips would be a good choice for mdf on a 2Ă—4 frame.
Walker, fun to find another woodworker who speaks piano! I have an 88 key midi controller - and currently have it in a 14 inch drawer with no signs of stress at all, but am tired of having to cram my knees under it when typing/working on something else. I could probably calculate the added load due to the telescoping and get slides that could handle the additional weight, but it might cost me a lot.
I wonder if I could use like aluminum T-track as the first "drawer" and use slides for the second part.
I have figure 8s on order, but only have 1/2" veneered MDF and wasn't loving the idea of screwing into it. I suppose it will never bear weight, the frame is how the top would be moved, should it need to be.
DerekJ, I'm an audio engineer and backline tech. I used to work for a company that had probably 80 different keyboards, plus all the real vintage stuff. B3, wurlitzer, rhodes, clavinets, etc. I've even gutted a few pianos to use as shells. Not exactly woodworking, but fun projects!
I see what your getting at, with the T-track. Instead of the weight distributed over the length of the slide, it would be on the shear strength of whatever bolts you used. I'm no structural engineer though, I don't know if there would be a significant difference. Then again, is a drawer slide only as strong as the screws used to install it? I also wonder how well bolts in t-track would slide with the downforce on it. You'd also need to make sure it's moving parallel, or it will jam up. It's an interesting idea to experiment with.
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