# Cabinet rails



## txgencon (Jan 4, 2011)

For the cabinetmakers here:

How do you decide the width of rails for face frame cabinets?

3 or 4 drawers in a 36" high base?

Client specs? Minimum dimensions?


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## asevereid (Jan 30, 2012)

I always thought the standard was 2-1/4"?
For the record, I don't build cabinets professionally, and for every custom one I've bid, I've been denied because of price... But every one was designed with 2-1/4" gave frames in mind. 

Sent from my SM-G530W using Tapatalk


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Cabinet rails and stiles I make 1-3/4" wide. 5 piece door or drawer rails and stiles I make 2-1/4"

Tom


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

I make them 1 1/2"


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## txgencon (Jan 4, 2011)

How 'bout the 3 or 4 drawers question?


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

txgencon said:


> How 'bout the 3 or 4 drawers question?


Also depends on style... full overlay versus semi... 

But as a standard, 1 1/2" rails... as to 3 or 4 drawers, it all depends on what's being stored... cutlery versus pots for example...


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

All rails are made the same width. Number of openings does not matter.

Tom


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Apparently no standard.

FF inset I do 2" for the frame and 1 1/4" for the divider rails between the drawers. 

Overlay which I rarely do is usually 1 1/2" all the way around on the lowers. On the uppers the top rail is wider, usually 4".

Usually 3 drawers in a 34 3/4" tall lower box. You can go to 4 in a frameless cabinet or a 1 1/2" rail system. That usually yields a 5 3/4" opening for the 4 drawer system.


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## 5280carpenter (Nov 10, 2016)

I want to make sure I can get 2 good pocket holes in a rail for how I build face frames. That's the limiting factor IMO. If I'm trying to keep cost down, less drawers is less $. If they have deep storage elsewhere, I'd do 4 drawers in a 36" cab because client can more likely overload a deep 36" drawer and have me out for a warranty call.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

5280carpenter said:


> ...I'd do 4 drawers in a 36" cab because client can more likely overload a deep 36" drawer and have me out for a warranty call...


why would you build with failure in mind?


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

He said he makes smaller drawers so they can't be overloaded preventing callbacks.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Leo G said:


> He said he makes smaller drawers so they can't be overloaded preventing callbacks.


Didn't read it that way...

Still sounds confusing....


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Not worried about my clients overloading drawers. Blum Tandem slides and dovetail drawers aren't going anywhere.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Leo G said:


> Not worried about my clients overloading drawers. Blum Tandem slides and dovetail drawers aren't going anywhere.


baby blue???....:whistling


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Stratton Blue


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## 5280carpenter (Nov 10, 2016)

Those look great. Just learning as I go. Still using cardboard drawer boxes and 3/4 extension side-mounts


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

What I've learned is use good hardware.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

I do a lot of 4’ drawers under cooktops. Those get pots and pans normally. These drawers get 3/8” plywood bottoms with supports, 5/8” solid maple sides, 569H slides instead of 563H slides and slide balance systems.

As Leo said, dovetails and good hardware. 

Tom


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

Leo G said:


> What I've learned is use good hardware.


Agreed... And more than a couple of screws like I see most use... :laughing:

Only had one callback for Blum glides over the years... unfortunately it was when I learned that the lifetime warranty is in essence bogus as they shift all the costs onto the business that installed it...

To make a warranty claim, they want you to ship it back to be examined, at your cost (which costs almost as much as the glide), to determine if the glide failed, and IF it's determined the glide failed, then they will provide a new one... in the meantime, you've been to the customer, removed the glide, and unless you want to go back AGAIN after getting a replacement, you've replaced it with a new one at your cost... so you are basically underwriting their warranty... and the kicker is, it's not the cost of the glide, but the amount of hourly revenue you lose dealing with it...

The one saving grace, told my supplier about it, and they said if it ever happens again, they'd replace it...

Still an excellent product, but that left a sour taste in my mouth... apparently, we (us and our supplier) treat our customers better than they do...


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I don't deal with Blum. I deal with my supplier. If something fails, they deal with me.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

Leo G said:


> I don't deal with Blum. I deal with my supplier. If something fails, they deal with me.


Like I said, never had a Blum warranty claim until that one... even dealing with the supplier, as I outlined above, you'd still be out the time dealing with their product that was supposed to last a "lifetime"... 

For the amount of times it happened, I consider it an anomaly, but just found that a multi-billion dollar company passing the costs of their "lifetime warranty" onto everyone else a little off-putting when we're out there selling their product... a little ridiculous to claim they are going to pay an employee to examine the glide to "determine if it failed" when the manufacturers cost for said product is around $3-$5... while at the same time making you pay much more than that in shipping to determine it... it'd be better for everyone involved if they stood by their warranty and simply replaced it... 

Simply put. that's not a warranty of any kind in the truest sense of the word...


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Not usually. I carry most sizes in stock, at least a couple. Just replace them and they deal with the crap part. You'll never get anything other than a replacement part which is unfair because you have to deal with replacing it, deal with the client, deal with the time and labor to replace it. That $20 slide will cost ~$200 to replace in real costs.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

Leo G said:


> Not usually. I carry most sizes in stock, at least a couple. Just replace them and they deal with the crap part. You'll never get anything other than a replacement part which is unfair because you have to deal with replacing it, deal with the client, deal with the time and labor to replace it. That $20 slide will cost ~$200 to replace in real costs.


I believe I already said that... :laughing:


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

I've had hinges fail, no slides due to a slide fault. Hinges I collect send in a few dozen at a time. 

I just replaced 2 sets of 569H's due to the granite company cutting a slab in place. Billed the GC, what he does from there not my problem.

Tom


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## 5280carpenter (Nov 10, 2016)

tjbnwi said:


> I've had hinges fail, no slides due to a slide fault. Hinges I collect send in a few dozen at a time.
> 
> I just replaced 2 sets of 569H's due to the granite company cutting a slab in place. Billed the GC, what he does from there not my problem.
> 
> Tom


Ugh. That happened to us once. High gloss laminate with the films removed, over the nice undermount slides with no protection. The drawers sounded like a donkey cart heading down a dirt road


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

5280carpenter said:


> Ugh. That happened to us once. High gloss laminate with the films removed, over the nice undermount slides with no protection. The drawers sounded like a donkey cart heading down a dirt road


Must be a Colorado thing. Never had the problem with fabricators back home.

Tom


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