Ball guides are widely used in the furniture industry. They are mounted on drawers of dressers, tables, wardrobes, pedestals. They are practical, durable, hardy and easy to use. However, all these functions are performed under one condition - if the ball guides for the drawers are installed correctly. This, in fact, is the specificity of the installation of the main parts of the furniture.
More about construction
Ball guides are sold in a set (2 pieces on each side of the furniture box). They consist of a pair of symmetrical telescopic steel runners: left and right. Each strip is disassembled into 2 parts - wide and narrow. The first is attached to the wall of a piece of furniture, the second - to the box itself. Before starting work, you should understand in detail how to install it correctly in order to avoid distortions and errors.
Important: fittings are of two types, they differ in the principle of operation. There are full and partial extension designs, so it is worth figuring out how to fix both types of ball guides.
Parts of the runners move along each other with the help of metal ball bearings. Due to their work, smoothness is ensured. The constructions themselves are lightweight, almost inconspicuous, very comfortable and functional. They allow you to quickly, quietly and in the complete absence of unpleasant friction (it can damage furniture) to push the cells. You can literally operate them with one hand, if you succeed in attaching the parts correctly. How to install the ball runner for drawers correctly? First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the design in more detail.
Hole assignment
Anyone who has ever seen the details up close noted that there are different shapes holes:
- round;
- vertical;
- horizontal.
This configuration is given to the holes for a reason. Each of their species is endowed defined by functions... Thus, horizontal ones provide the possibility of sliding the guide 1–2 mm forward or backward. Vertical ones allow you to set them in height (the guide can be moved up or down by 1–2 mm). A round holes they are just intended to fix the runners in the exact position.
Important: adjustment of the fastening in several planes is necessary in order to align the strips, since distortions may occur during the installation process.
Where to begin
Installing fittings raises 3 questions at once:
- How to capture details of full and partial extension?
- How do I attach them to furniture?
- Where to begin?
First of all, it is worth deciding on the type of product. Collapsible (fully retractable) is more convenient, you can separate them into parts and mount them in turn. Constructions of a different type are more practical, more accurate. When deciding how to install ball guides on dresser drawers, attention should be paid to aligning their position. You need to start by adjusting the horizontal holes. If it is not possible to fix the runners flush with the front (front) wall of the box, then you can move them back a little. Thus, it became clear how to install the full extension rails. Video from good example can be viewed online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-FygNBbwVg.
Important: you need to use horizontal grooves temporarily. As soon as it turned out to find the optimal position of the part, you should lock it with a self-tapping screw. Otherwise, over time, the cell may change position.
Now how to install the partial extension ball guides. They are usually narrower and feature a non-separable design. It is worth mounting them in assembled... Experts advise to insert the guides into the grooves of the sliding elements, and then fix with inside through the wall.
Fastening to furniture
How to install on a dresser? It is necessary to make markings on the wall of the furniture itself. Where you plan to mount the part, you need to draw a line. The removable part of the runners should be fixed along it. The location of the fittings is calculated according to the facade. It is important that they do not touch each other. The gap between the fronts in the extended position of the drawers must be at least 2 mm.
Important: when determining the position, the type of boxes should be taken into account. If they are equipped with overhead facades, then the fittings should be fixed flush with the side wall of the niche. Otherwise, when the finish is internal, the parts are fixed from the back side of the end, stepping back from the edge about 20 mm.
Now you need to solve the problem of how to install boxes on ball guides. If the parts are attached evenly and correctly, then it is enough to insert the removable parts that are located on the box into the grooves of the fittings fixed on the side wall of the furniture. Then you need to connect them. They should close smoothly and gently. Pay attention to the latch so that it locks in the closed position. A small click indicates that the runners are correctly connected and the job is completed successfully.
A set of guides, telescopic, full extension of the drawer.
Calculation of parts for a drawer for this rail.
Before calculating, be sure to double-check the thickness of the guides themselves, it can be different. For this example it will look like this (box length 500 mm):
| share size | transverse | qty | note |
| 610 | 200 | 2 | front and back of the box |
| 500 | 200 | 2 | sidewalls |
| 610 | 468 | 1 | bottom of the chipboard drawer |
It turned out to be such a drawer, here, in the photo, this is a drawer in the bed. Today we will install "telescopes" for him.
We will consider an example of making the box itself in a separate article.
In the beginning, for the convenience of fastening, we work a little with the guides themselves, namely, we will break them one of these pieces, as in the following photos. In the future, thanks to this, it will be much more convenient to crawl up with a screwdriver in order to tighten the counter screw.
It is necessary to break out only from the side of the stopper, where there are two of these "antennae". We break out the most extreme one. And now we proceed to marking the points of attachment of the guides.
We draw a line somewhere approximately in the middle of the side of the box. This line must then correspond to the counter-marking line on the sidewall of the main structure, the bed frame. We select the height of the lines so that the fixed box, when opened, does not touch either the upper or lower edges of the bed.
For comfortable opening, a gap of 10 mm is sufficient both from the top and from the bottom. It is advisable to take into account all the gaps even at the stage of drawing up the detailing, in order to avoid unnecessary work, when it suddenly turns out that the box is clinging to other parts. We begin to fasten the guide from the narrowest free end. We fix it on three screws: at the beginning, in the middle and to the edge.
Place the guide 4 mm back from the edge of the drawer side. This is done so that the facade fits snugly into place when the drawer is closed, since this type of guides does not have mechanical closers. If the indent is not made, then the box will still, of course, close tightly, but only this will require a stronger movement in order for the ball bearing of the guide to reach its stop. This is especially noticeable when the box is heavily loaded.
Fastening to the middle self-tapping screw and fastening to the extreme self-tapping screw (that's why we needed to break off the last "mustache").
The guide on the box is fixed, now we proceed to fixing it to the bed frame. So, with these guides, the box turns out to be not removable, we need to move the center line to the sidewalls of the box as accurately as possible (taking into account all the gaps) in order to avoid it skewing.
After everything has been marked out, we insert the box with guides into the bed box and attach it to the frame also with three self-tapping screws: edge, middle, beginning. Alternately, pulling out the drawer and tightening the screws. At the same time, the order of attachment changes for convenience. We start from the edge, then we fix the middle, and install the very last self-tapping screw at the beginning, in the last mounting hole.
One drawer requires two pairs of runners. Some of the rails are attached to the drawer, and others to the furniture racks. Consider the option of a drawer unit with drawers.
In order to design, and then install the boxes, you need to know the following parameters:
- height of drawer fronts
- size of boxes - width, depth, height
- dimensions for attaching rails to racks
For example, you need to make a cabinet for three drawers. Cabinet dimensions: width - 420 mm, height without legs - 560 mm, depth - 505 mm.
The lid of the chest of drawers will hang over the facades, the facades will be overhead. To calculate the boxes, the parameters of the roller guides will be used.
The first thing to decide on is the height of the facades. We draw a diagram of a curbstone, side view. First, we put down the required gaps: between the lid of the chest of drawers and all other facades - 3 mm, the indent from the bottom of the cabinet - 4 mm.
We calculate the height of the facades:
- Add all the gaps and margins: 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 = 13
- We subtract the resulting amount from the working height of the chest of drawers: 523 -13 = 510
- Divide the result by the number of facades: 510: 3 = 170
The height of one front is 170 mm. The width of the front is 6 mm less than the total width of the product: 420 - 6 = 414 mm.
The thickness of one pair of roller guides is 12.5mm. The total thickness of two pairs of roller guides is 12.5 + 12.5 = 25mm. Add one more millimeter in order to prevent the heads of the screws from rubbing against the guides, the total gap is 26mm.
Now you need to mark the lines for attaching the guides to the racks of the chest of drawers. Always start marking from the top edge of the part. And even if you are a little mistaken, it will not be noticeable at the bottom. For marking, you can use the following rule: the line on which the guide will be screwed should be 35mm above the bottom of the facade.
Hull or modular furniture often equipped with drawers, which are designed to store various small items. They may possess different sizes, but their main feature is that they easily slide out and slide back if necessary. For this, furniture guides are used, which can be presented in several forms. They differ in the way they are installed and how they work. Their main task is to ensure smooth and quiet use of the drawers. At the same time, they must be reliable in order to guarantee a long service life and ease of use of the furniture.
When choosing furniture guides, you need to pay attention to various factors. Most important parameter is the type of construction according to which they can be roller or ball, as well as equipped with a door closer and differ in reverse action. Each option has both advantages and disadvantages, so to do right choice the characteristics of each species should be examined.
Roller
The selection of these furniture rails is considered the most popular. They appeared on the market more than 15 years ago, and they quickly became in demand among furniture manufacturers and ordinary users.
Drawer roller guides offer many advantages:
- Does not require the use of lubricating pastes and other compounds;
- Provide smooth movement of boxes;
- They are easy to install, since there is no need to drill numerous holes for fasteners.
These furniture slides are installed on either side of the drawer recess. Small deviations in the dimensions of the furniture and drawer are allowed. Even if initially minor installation errors were made, the design can be adjusted. The length of the roller guides can vary from 200 mm to 600 mm.
Ballpoint
Ball guides are considered quite popular due to their smooth running and the ability to withstand significant loads. Moreover, they are in an affordable price range. Such telescopic guides can be equipped with door closers or produced without them. They consist of two elements, one is attached to the drawer, and the other is attached to the side wall of the furniture. To disconnect them, you must press the special lock.
There are many models of furniture ball bearings that differ in height, which can vary from 17 to 45 mm. Additionally, they differ in the degree of extension. The most popular structures are considered to be 45 mm high. They can withstand loads of up to 36 kg, so even large and heavy items can be stored in boxes.
With a closer
Guides for drawers with a closer are considered interesting. They are similar in structure to the previous version, the only difference is the equipping of these elements with a closer and dampers. Due to the former, it is guaranteed that the box will be picked up in a certain position, after which it smoothly closes on its own, without any effort on the part of the person.
The damper ensures that the drawer closes smoothly and quietly. In addition, it acts as a shock absorber, so even if significant force is applied to close the drawer, strong shock and noise are prevented.
Constructions with a closer are considered reliable and comfortable to use. They can withstand significant loads, which is why they are popular among furniture manufacturers.
Full extension
Full extension rails are in demand modern designs... They are based on a special ball bearing. Due to such a system, a complete and smooth opening of any drawer is ensured. To use such a pull-out system, you will have to make some effort.
Slides providing full drawer extension are available on the market in numerous models, the choice depends on the planned load. The installation of such fittings should be carried out with extreme caution, since careless handling is the reason for the violation of the integrity of various parts.
Concealed installation
Installation of guides of this type is considered the most difficult and time-consuming. But these fittings are becoming more and more in demand, as they are convenient to use. The structure is equipped with a door closer and a reverse action system.
The indisputable advantage of these furniture elements is that they are installed under the bottom of each drawer, so there is a feeling that the object is floating in the air. Other pluses include good reliability products, as well as the movement of the box is smooth and free of strangers unpleasant sounds... The drawer closes softly and quietly.
Initially, such fittings were installed only on solid wood products, but today they are equipped with structures made of chipboard and MDF. Depending on the model, these rails can support loads of up to 50 kg.
Reverse action
Such guides are similar in principle to fittings equipped with closers. The only difference is that the drawer opens by lightly pressing the front of the drawer with your hand.
A significant advantage of this design is that it does not have any knobs or operating recesses. It has an attractive look, and also allows you to build the box into any part of the structure. Often used in the manufacture of furniture in modern styles where it is important that the glossy surface is not disturbed by any fittings.
Reverse action guides are best not used for children's furniture. They allow the drawer to slide quickly and can injure the child. In addition, it will take a significant effort to slide such a box.
Tandemboxes and Metaboxes
Such fittings appeared on the market relatively recently, but quickly became in demand. The design features include:
- The guide is located directly inside the metal side wall;
- Equipped with a door closer;
- Dampers are always used.
An important advantage of such fittings is the ability to withstand really significant loads. This is especially true in relation to products in which the guides are installed in a hidden way.
Another advantage of such elements is their interesting design, they fit well with furniture made in different styles and sizes. Due to the wonderful performance characteristics the ease of use of the products and their long service life are ensured. In order for the installation to be done correctly, it is necessary to use special devices for marking. They help to accurately determine the location of the guides and avoid distortions.
Separately, I would like to note the Bloom guides. They combine many of the inherent advantages of different types furniture fittings... Due to the complexity of the design and ease of use, the cost of such products is considered quite high. Therefore, tandemboxes are usually used in luxury interior items made of natural wood or other similar expensive materials.
How to choose?
When choosing furniture guides, you need to pay attention to various factors. It is due to them that it is possible to smoothly and silently open and close various drawers that can be installed in wardrobes, dressers, dressing tables, hallways and other options for cabinet furniture.
When choosing products, various factors and recommendations are taken into account:
- The dimensions of the guides must ideally correspond to the furniture where the drawer will be installed, as well as to this element itself, otherwise the installation will be complicated;
- In the store, before buying, you should make sure that the metal has optimal thickness, and also all rollers or balls work properly;
- Externally there should be no scratches, visible defects or structural integrity violations;
- A specific type of guide is chosen, since some users prefer roller products, while others like ball models;
- If guides are chosen to replace obsolete or broken elements, then similar models are usually purchased;
- Immediately after purchase, you must make sure that the kit includes all the necessary parts for installation;
- If you are choosing modern tandemboxes, then you should make sure that you can handle the installation yourself. Such products are considered quite specific, therefore, for installation, it is often necessary to resort to the help of specialists;
- The minimum metal thickness should be 1 mm, but it is better to choose designs where this indicator will not be less than 1.2 mm. This will make it easy to deal with high loads and will ensure long-term operation.
Thus, furniture guides are important parts of various interior items. This is the hardware that makes the drawers easy to use. The guides are presented in several forms, each of which works according to a specific principle. When choosing a specific design, various factors are taken into account, allowing you to purchase really high-quality elements.
When assembling factory-made furniture, the question of installing rails on drawers not worth it at all. Markup for correct installation is usually produced (and very accurately), and installation instructions are included. We take into account that all the accessories are in stock and you do not have to select any elements for fasteners. But when repairing furniture or manufacturing it, you have to independently calculate the position of the guides for the retractable furniture elements.
Ball guides
When choosing guides, preference is increasingly given to the ball version. And this is not without reason: ball runners in many respects surpass all other guide designs. They provide easy pull-out of the drawers, they are quite easy to attach and adjust, they are able to fix the pull-out element in its usual position.
Buying them in a retail network has ceased to be a problem, so it remains to learn how to properly attach them to furniture. To ensure this process, you will need:
- guides;
- screws;
- screwdriver;
- ruler;
- pencil;
- awl.
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Item quality
When buying, pay attention to its length (it must be at least 70% of the length of the drawers) and completeness. It is better to immediately purchase the structure along with the screws, so that later you do not get additional problems. Check the ease of movement of parts of the structure in the store.
Ball options consist of two parts. To disconnect them (and this is necessary for fasteners), press on the rubber clip and simply slide out inner part guide. It will be directly attached to the pull-out element.
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Features of fasteners to the box
You can mount devices on boxes in two ways: along the bottom edge of the side wall of the box or in their central part. Fastening the rails along the central axis of the drawers is recommended if the drawers themselves are large enough. In this case, the load on the structures will be less, which will ensure their durability. This makes the devices easier to mount, but more difficult to fine-tune them. For simplicity, take an additional tool called a level.
Only repeated measurements will help to do everything efficiently. Without building level in this case, too, can not do. In other cases, ball guides should be attached to the bottom edge. And here, too, there can be several installation options: flush with the front panel of the drawer or with a slight indentation inward. It is easier to fix the ball structure according to the first option. So you don't have to do additional markup, and there will be no need to carry out calculations. Facade panel the box has to be disconnected.
Take a guide rail and route it to the side panel. Make holes in the attachment points with an awl. This will make it easier for you to screw the screws exactly perpendicular to the panels. The hats will not stick out and interfere with work. The ball structure can be permanently fixed directly to the boxes. But it is not recommended to do this on the side panels of the curbstone.
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Marking and adjustment
Note that ball guides have both horizontal and vertical holes. They are designed to adjust the position. Regular round holes are required for final fixation. To fasten the structure to the side panel of the curbstone, it is necessary to make a careful marking. Step back about 3 mm from the bottom panel of the cabinet and draw a horizontal line with a pencil at this height. Along this line, place the guide (the line should be strictly under the guide) and screw (not all the way) the screws into all holes that have an oblong shape.
Now you can check their installation using the drawer: we combine the parts of the guide and check the movement. If done correctly, the box should move easily. When the drawer is completely closed, both latches should work. If all this is not there, then the ball devices need to be adjusted. Loosen the screws slightly and ensure that all imperfections are eliminated. And only after that, finally, all the screws must be screwed in until they stop. At the last stage, we fasten the fixing screws. All that remains is to install the panel strip on the drawer and fix it with screws.
At first, the latches will work too hard: it will be possible to open the drawer only with great effort.
You should not be intimidated by this: over time, the clips will be developed, and everything will become much easier. If this does not suit you, then you can install the ball guides without clips.
Ball structures without clamps are also not difficult to acquire. Well, if such were not found, then the clips themselves can be easily removed from the usual guides.
It is much more difficult to install ball devices on drawers that were previously mounted with roller ones. The fact is that roller guides are usually a little wider, so installing other varieties may seem like an insoluble problem. In reality, everything is not so difficult: it is enough to put a strong rail under the guide on each side to level the difference in thickness.
If the sliding elements are located one above the other, then you will not be able to do without calculations. There are even certain calculation formulas, which express the relationship between the dimensions of the drawers and the place where the rail should be installed. It's easier to get technological map where all calculations will have already been made.