Accurate calculation of drawer guides, the key to the correct installation of drawers. Right installed drawers  - interchangeable, i.e. the box can easily take the correct position in the place of another without additional adjustment.

!    Interchangeability is possible only among drawers with facades having same size  in height.

In this article, I will describe a methodology for calculating the mounting dimensions of roller box guides. At the end of the article, as its logical result, I will try to derive a universal formula for such a calculation. Using this formula, it will be possible to calculate the mounting sizes of roller guides on all types and sizes of stands, tables, chests of drawers.

A bit of material. Scheme of the roller guides themselves and their mounting holes (Fig. 1):

  Fig. one.

For clarity, we will carry out the calculation using the example of a pedestal - the base of a computer table, with four drawers of equal height.

  Fig. 2

And so, here is the classic marking of the guides for the table pedestal, classic height 734 mm. (Fig. 5).

  Fig. five

The diagram below (Fig. 6) shows the initial data for such a calculation.

  Fig. 6

Explanations for the drawings.

Calculation of guides, universal size.

Sidewall height of a curbstone \u003d 734 mm. Base \u003d 70 mm. 4 box facades. The sum of the gaps between the facades is 4 x 3 mm. \u003d 12 mm. We get: 734 - 70 -12 \u003d 652 mm. And divide by 4, then the height of the facades (highlighted in yellow in Fig. 6) \u003d 163 mm.

In order to calculate the mounting height of the rails so that they are interchangeable, it is necessary to take into account all the extreme positions of the drawers, overlaps of their facades with the frame of the cabinet. The extreme positions are the upper and lower drawers, where their facades are lapped onto the upper connection or the bottom of the cabinet. The easiest way is to start from the bottom, where the bottom of the cabinet defines the lower boundary of the guide rail. The center line of the mounting holes, as can be seen in Fig. 1, is 18 mm. from its lower edge, while the bottom of the box mounted on the guide just coincides with its lower edge (Fig. 1).

We consider this: if the bottom of the box coincides with the bottom edge of the guide, then add another 4 mm in height to the protruding head of the self-tapping screw so that they do not touch the bottom of the cabinet. Then we get 18 + 4 mm. \u003d 22 mm. - mounting height of the first guide from the bottom of the cabinet. Or 70 mm. (Base) + 16 mm. (Bottom) + 22 mm. \u003d 108 mm. from the lower end of the sidewall of this cabinet (Fig. 5.).

Why exactly 4 mm.? For the self-tapping head, 1 - 1.5 mm will be enough. 4mm. This is a universal size, taking into account the fact that the frame of the cabinet can be made not only of a 16 mm thick plate, but also of a 18 mm thick plate. Then, even in this case, there will be enough clearance for the head of the self-tapping screw.

Size 1.  From the above calculation and Fig. 6 it is clear that the distance from the lower end of the facade of the lower drawer to the axis of attachment of the guide is 38 mm. , i.e. 22 mm. + 16 mm. (the bottom on which the facade is lapped). From here it is very easy to determine what the distance will be from the lower end of the facade of the lower drawer to the bottom of the drawer. This is 38 - 18 \u003d   20 mm. (see fig. 6).

So, the key size for calculations is  38 mm . , applicable to other boxes to make them interchangeable.

The next guideline is calculated even more simply. Let's look at figures 5 and 6. Base (70 mm.) + The first facade (163 mm.) + The gap between the facades (3 mm.) + 38 mm  . (Size 1.) \u003d 274 mm. (see fig. 5). And so on, along the rest of the guides.

Constant: 38 mm.

Calculation of the height of the box itself and the attachment of the facade to it.

Now pay attention to the top drawer. In most of the structures of the pedestals, a connected part is installed at the top - a connection that provides rigidity to the entire structure and allows you to maintain the exact distance between the sidewalls, in order to avoid jamming of the boxes during movement. What is worth paying attention to here?

When removing the drawer from the rails or installing it, it is always necessary to slightly tilt the drawer body in order to be able to drive the rollers into the runners. And so that the case of the box does not rest against the connection, you need to calculate the necessary amount of height of the case. The size should be universal and suitable for any drawer no matter what place in the cabinet it occupies.

By and large, a tall box is useless. Logically, a drawer is simply a retractable bottom of a niche, and even if the facade is 163 mm. make the height of the box only 50 mm., in 90% of cases it will fully perform all its functions. But we will try to take into account the remaining 10% when, for example, a person really wants to fill up a box with small objects to the top and he will constantly miss the height of such a box.

The minimum necessary gap between the box body and the connection is equal to the diameter of the guide wheel, i.e. only 18 mm. But this is right under the butt, so for added convenience we’ll add another half of this size - 9 mm. Thus, the gap will be equal to 27 mm.

Now having this data, you can calculate the universal height of the box. Let's look again at fig. 6. The size of the box on the facade is 166 mm., This is 3 mm. (clearance of the facade from above) + 163 mm. (height of the facade). The distance from the lower end of the facade to the bottom of the drawer we determined earlier in part 1. - it is 20 mm. The distance from the upper end of the facade to the top of the drawer is calculated as follows: 16 mm. (bond thickness) + 27 mm. (accepted clearance) \u003d 43 mm. Subtract 3 mm from here. facade clearance, we get the final size of 40 mm.

With a facade of 163 mm. minus 20 mm. bottom and minus 40 mm. we get a box on top 103   mm This is the height of a box with a bottom of 3 mm thick fiberboard. Subtracting this thickness, we obtain a net size of the height of the part of the box from chipboard, equal to 100   mm This is the height of the universal drawer for this cabinet..

And so, we derive the intermediate formula and check how it works in the options.

N i   \u003d N f - (40 + 20) - N fiberboard *

where, N I - the height of the body (details) of the box; N f - the height of the facade of the box. Ndvp - the thickness of the bottom of the box.

*    - this part of the formula should be present only if the box has an overhead bottom from fiberboard. If the bottom is made of chipboard and is internal, then this part of the formula is discarded or considered equal to zero.

Data checking.

We carry out a check using the example of this pedestal (Fig. 7):

The height of the upper drawers: 120 - (40 + 20) - 3 \u003d 57 mm.

(I remember that earlier we left a small margin in the upper gap between the box body and the connection equal to 9 mm. This margin allows rounding, with an accuracy of 10 mm. according to the rules of mathematics  up or down. Then the case of the upper drawers can be safely done at a height of 60 mm.)

The height of the lower drawers: 206 - (40 + 20) - 3 \u003d 143 mm. (round up to 140 mm.)

Summarize.

1.   Universal size when calculating furniture roller guides \u003d 38 mm. from the bottom edge of the facade to the bottom of the drawer.

2. Formula for calculating the height of the box: N i \u003d N f - (40 + 20) - N dvp

Auxiliary information.

• If you need to install a furniture lock in the upper drawer, then for the convenience of its installation, one front part of the drawer case can be designed and made a couple of centimeters smaller, as in this figure:

If you often encounter the problem of lack of space for dishes, kitchen drawers will be an excellent solution. They help to organize the space and expand the free space of the kitchen, freeing it from the mass of bulky and often half empty furniture.

The main criterion for the comfortable use of furniture is the possibility of free access to any, even its most distant corners. No cabinet, shelf or cabinet can compare in this indicator with drawers. Try to get something from the far corner of the wall cabinet without using a stool. Did not work out? And now it becomes clear how easy it is to do the same when the item is at the level of your hands and you don’t even have to bend down to get it from the fully extended drawer.

The choice of drawers for the kitchen

Kitchen drawers are made from the same wide range of materials as ordinary furniture, so choosing a color or texture that will be in harmony with the rest of the interior is easy. Boxes come in a variety of shapes and purposes - for dishes, cutlery, preserves and spices, extendable mini wine cellars, bread bins, cutting boards, and even full-sized kitchen tables. For their placement does not require much space, because even a small drawer due to its design can accommodate much more dishes, cans, small household appliances and other necessary kitchen attributes than a conventional cabinet with shelves. Furniture of this type is called fully extendable, as its drawers can freely move along the guides for the entire length, thereby opening up access to their entire space.

The main difference between all types of kitchen drawers is the structure and position of their guides. There are two main types of guides:

1. Roller. A typical example of furniture with such guides is an office desk. The guides withstand small and medium loads, have proven themselves well in long-term use. Suitable for installing small boxes, for example, those in which cutlery, spices and other small things will be stored.
2. Telescopic. They are used for large boxes, as they are able to carry significant loads without problems. Suitable for the equipment of boxes in which pots, household appliances, canned goods, bottles and other volumetric or significant objects will be stored.

Modern kitchen drawers  they are equipped mainly with telescopic rails, since they allow, unlike roller rails, to fully extend the drawer without risking dropping it to its feet, and also withstand a load of several tens of kilograms.

1. The general layout of the kitchen. The quantity and relative position of the cabinets with drawers depends on it. Do not place drawers at 90 ° in the corner of the kitchen, as they will prevent each other from opening. In such a place, it is better to do with ordinary shelves, covered with a facade, or install special corner boxes. Although they take up more space, they look very original.
2. The number and size of items that you will constantly use. The essence of drawers is to create comfortable conditions for working in the kitchen. Try not to fill such furniture to capacity; store in it items that may become necessary in the near future. This will significantly reduce the number of things in the kitchen, free up space and give it freshness.
3. Do not save on the quality of the guides, because they are the key to the long service life of your furniture. When buying ready-made boxes or rail fittings, be sure to check the thickness of the metal rails. Give preference to models where the metal thickness is 1-1.2 mm. It will be important to check the smoothness and silence of the drawers. To do this, simply slide and slide them several times and at different speeds. No cracking, knocking or creaking should be heard. Additionally, make sure that there are no distortions both horizontally and vertically.
4. Pay attention to the material from which the boxes are made. Usually, chipboard and MDF are used for their production, less commonly, natural wood. Be sure to extend them all the way and make sure there are no chips, scratches or signs of swelling on the sides.

Adjustment and troubleshooting

During operation, some problems may arise that are directly related to the design of the furniture or to the guide fittings. The main causes of malfunctions are several. First of all, it is exceeding the maximum permissible load. Common problems with the quality of the guides, their mechanical damage or deformation.

The most common problem that occurs due to dishonesty of the manufacturer is the drawdown of the bottom of the box. The reason most often is that in low-quality models, the bottom is made of fiberboard and fixed with small cloves. At first, this design works fine, but after a while, the mount becomes loose and weak. The best solution is to walk along the perimeter of the box with a construction stapler with 10 mm staples.

The remaining problems arise mainly due to the guides. The main cause of breakdowns is the excess load on the box, as a result of which the guides are deformed, jammed or completely broken. To avoid such troubles, choose ball-type guides (telescopic) made of thick high-quality metal. They withstand the load several times more than roller, since the distribution of weight occurs not at two points, as in the latter, but along the entire length of the guides.

DIY drawer creation

The drawer design is quite simple. If desired, it can be made combined by installing stationary shelves and movable elements.

The assembly of furniture of this type should begin with the selection of materials and components. It is best to buy chipboard or MDF in specialized furniture stores, as you can order sawing of all the elements in them, as well as covering the cut points with decorative film or veneer. As already mentioned, preference should be given to ball-type guides (telescopic) made of fairly thick metal, as this increases their reliability and gives a relative guarantee against breakdowns.

For the manufacture of a drawer or drawer, a standard set of tools is useful - a screwdriver or drill, wood drills, a ruler, a pencil, a confirmation key or hexagonal bits for a screwdriver.

The connection of all wooden elements of the box is recommended to be done with the help of self-tapping screws.

They are easy to use, require minimal surface preparation and allow you to reliably and permanently hold all parts together.

It is recommended to immediately abandon the idea of \u200b\u200ba mortise bottom from fiberboard, as it is not only difficult to execute, but also not reliable enough. It is best to use chipboard or MDF of the same thickness as the main components of the box.

The hardware is attached to the main box using self-tapping screws 15 mm long. If you are dealing with a low-quality chipboard, it is better to use self-tapping screws of 30 mm, as they are better kept in a solid wood, even if its porosity is increased.

Additional attention should be paid to adjusting the guides. They must be mounted at the same height and move at the same speed. To mitigate their progress, it is recommended to use special silicone grease for furniture fittings.

Benefits of Drawers

The main advantages of drawers are practicality and the possibility of full access to all items in them. An ordinary regiment cannot provide such freedom of action.

When choosing kitchen drawers, make sure the high quality of all components, and especially accessories.

The diverse form and purpose of such furniture allows you to maximize the functionality of the kitchen, free up space and increase the effective area.

Hello, friends.

In this article, we will learn how to determine the size of drawers (with overhead facades), make them.

Initially, for the manufacture of boxes and boxes, 16 mm thick chipboard will be used, and telescopic guides will be retractable accessories.

Any such element of furniture consists of four parts.

As a rule, two frontal parts are located between two side parts (on which then runners from telescopic rails are attached).

Let it be equal to S.

For the calculation, we also need to know the gaps that must be given on the telescopic rails. They are equal to 13mm (on each guide).

  Now, based on the device of the box itself, we calculate the size of its front part (Sfr):

Sfr \u003d S-32-26-32 \u003d S-90 (mm, all sizes, in the future, will be in millimeters), where: 32 - thickness of the two sides of the box, 26 - tolerances under the guides on both sides (13 + 13 \u003d 26 ), 32 - the thickness of the two side parts of the box.

The formula Sfr \u003d S-90  can be used if, as mentioned above, the thickness of the chipboard is 16 mm.

If, for example, the thickness of the chipboard is 18 mm, then:

Sfr \u003d S-36-26-36 \u003d S-98

The lateral details of the box are usually equal to the dimensions of the guides themselves, which are:

250: 300: 350: 400: 450: 500: 50: 600: 650: 700: 750: 800 (mm).

The most common option (e.g. for making kitchen sets  - a box, 460mm deep, under the guides, 450mm in size).

  The height of the drawers depends on the height of the facades that must be installed on them.

For example, in our version, the upper facade will have standard height  140mm, and under it the height can be equal to 100mm.

But for the other two facades, 291 mm high, this height can be taken, for example, 120, 150, 180 .... In our case, it will be - 200 mm.

Now, a rather crucial moment is the marking of the sides of the box for the installation of “telescopes”.

The marking must be correct, as the drawers must be inside the box at a certain distance from each other. All this is “tied” to the position of the facades and the gaps between them.

So how to make such markup?

First, you need to determine the position of the facade relative to the drawer.

In the case of the upper facade - it will be located strictly along the central axis of the box.

  The gaps between the drawer parts and the extreme edges of the facade (in height) will be 20 mm (above and below).

The remaining two facades will be located so that the distance between the details of the box and the lower edge of the facade is, for example, 25 mm.

Why 25mm?

The fact is that the lowest facade will overlap the box (on the bottom) flush.

Since the lower horizon of the box is 16 mm thick, there must still be a gap between this horizon and the drawer (so that the latter can move without clinging to this horizon).

Therefore:

25-16 \u003d 9 (mm). This will be the size of the gaps.

Even if we include in this calculation the thickness of the fiberboard (from which the bottom of the box will be made), the thickness of which, for example, will be 3 mm, then:

As you can see, there is a gap, everything will work.

And the last condition: For ease of calculation, the part that will be mounted on the drawer will be mounted strictly in its center.

  So, the total height of the box is 730 mm.

Dimensions of facades: 140mm and 291mm.

The upper gap between the facade and the duct is 4 mm, and the gaps between the facades are 2 mm.

Mark the side from the top down.

But in order to start making markings, you need to determine the position of the axis of the guide on a drawer with a facade.

In the case of the upper facade, it will be equal to 70mm above and below.

In the case of two other fronts, it is calculated as follows:

Since the gap between the front and the drawer (bottom) is 25 mm, and half the height of the drawer (200 mm) is 100 mm, the distance from the bottom of the facade to the central axis of the drawer will be:

Then the distance from the top face of the facade to this central axis will be equal to:

291-125 \u003d 166 (mm), where 291 is the height of the facade.

  These two sizes will be enough for us.

So, we calculate the position of the upper guide (all sizes will be in millimeters):

4 + 70 \u003d 74, where 4 is the gap between the upper facade and the upper face of the box.

74 + 70 + 2 + 166 \u003d 312. This is the position of the axis under the second drawer.

312 + 125 + 2 + 166 \u003d 605 - the position of the axis under the third (lower) box.

  In order to check that the calculation is correct, you need to add the distance from the central axis of the lower drawer to the bottom of the facade (125mm) to the last size (605mm), since this facade completely covers the box from below, and we need to get the height of the whole box, which is 730mm.

We check:

605 + 125 \u003d 730 (mm).

All is correct.

The calculation algorithm, I think, is understandable.

On this I will end.

Drawers are very convenient storage organization. And now you will learn how to make your home more comfortable. After reading this text, you will calculate and collect any drawers for your specific purposes.

Drawer Calculation

It is important to understand the design of the cabinet with drawers and then it will not be necessary to remember all the necessary numbers. It is enough to have a tape measure and then you can easily enter and calculate boxes of any material and with any guides.

To extend the drawer needed. For mounting rails needed. Those. the scheme is as follows - sidewall, guide, box, guide, sidewall. Knowing the dimensions of the cabinet, the thickness of the sidewall and the thickness of the guide, you will calculate the size of the box.

To calculate the size of the box, measure the thickness of the guide and the thickness of the sidewall. Add up and multiply the resulting amount by 2, because we have two guides and two sidewalls. We subtract the result from the overall dimensions and get the width of the box.

Design

The box consists of four slats. Two side and back and frontal between them. To calculate the back and frontal, you should know the total width. Subtract the thickness of the two slats from the total width and get the length of the frontal and rear. The bottom size is equal to the dimensions of the box minus 4 mm.

The depth of the cabinet is always 5 mm greater than the length of the guide. Otherwise, the box will abut against the back wall and not tightly close. For example, the length of the rail is 450 mm, which means the cabinet in depth should be at least 455 mm, more than any number.

Within walking distance from you, posted on the calculation of cabinet furniture.

Example with numbers

Stand 400 mm from chipboard 16 mm. The internal size of the cabinet is 368 mm, because 16 + 16 \u003d 32 and 400-32 \u003d 368. The width of the box is 341 mm, because subtract from the internal size 368 the thickness of the two guides 13 + 13 \u003d 26. For easy walking add 1 mm, total 368-27 \u003d 341 mm.

The length of the frontal and rear slats \u003d From the total width of the box 341 we subtract the thickness of the two side slats 32 and we get 309 mm. Suppose the dimensions of the box are 500 * 341. To calculate the bottom, take 4 mm from the dimensions of the box and get the size of the bottom of the box 496 * 337

Bottom reinforcement

When weak bottom fasteners are installed, the bottom flies off. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the bottom with slats of 16 mm or 10 mm slabs. On top of the fiberboard or HDF, we fasten the straps with a width of about 100 mm along or across the smallest size with screws or euroscrews.

The standard depth or height of the drawer is 100 mm and 250 mm. The smallest depth is limited by the height of the guide, the greatest depth is limited by the height of the cabinet. You decide what exactly you are going to store in it. Accordingly, we choose depth not to be confused with long  drawer.

Conclusion

As you can see, simple mathematical operations. If you understand the assembly scheme of the cabinet with drawers, then you can easily cope with the task without much difficulty and unnecessary fuss. If you still have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below the article. I will be happy to answer them.

If you need detailing of cabinet and built-in furniture, please contact. We will certainly discuss the terms of cooperation and come to a consensus. For a moderate percentage for my work, I, on time.

What would you like to add to this article?

Tell me about your experiences in the comments.

It will be very interesting for me to listen to your stories!

With good thoughts about you, always in filings 🙂

Recun Dmitry.