Wood Drawers slide on bedrug?

[Bayou Boy]

I'm looking for a simple solution to add a drawer system to my Ram. I want to use the EZTube system detailed in this thread.

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/127843-My-LR3-lightweight-storage-platform-build-(UPDATED-actual-dimensions-on-pg-4)/page9

Because I want to do at least 60" drawers and don't want to pay over $400 for sliders I'm wondering if anyone has ever simply built drawer that slide on the carpet by themselves or with UHMW runners. I have a BedRug installed so that's why iI'm thinking this.

An alternative would be to add a 1/4" piece of ply to the bottom of the shelf setup for the drawers to slide on now that I think about it.
Opinions are much appreciated.

 

[bald.eagle]

If you went with wooden drawers, I would suggest rounding over all the bottom edges with a router using a large roundover bit. That would ease the drag on the bottom of the drawer. As long as you got a good finish sanding, maybe a couple coats of poly, it should slide on a Bedrug just fine.

The downside would be the lack of an anchor for the drawers if you slide them out very far. However, it would make drawer removal easier than slides. A pro and a con at the same time.

 

[rayra]

Put a 1/8" pressboard skin on the bottom, rounded edges. It'll slide just fine and it's very inexpensive. Nothing fancy required. You could use it as narrow skids, or just coat the entire bottom.

My no-metal-slide drawer build.
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/161631-Storage-Drawers-Platform-for-my-GMT800-Suburban-WIP

and you might ask to have thi smoved to the storage forum for a lot mor einput from drawer / platform builders.

 

[Bayou Boy]

and you might ask to have thi smoved to the storage forum for a lot mor einput from drawer / platform builders.

Just saw that forum. I'll do that. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[davec17]

Put a 1/8" pressboard skin on the bottom, rounded edges. It'll slide just fine and it's very inexpensive. Nothing fancy required. You could use it as narrow skids, or just coat the entire bottom.

My no-metal-slide drawer build.
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/161631-Storage-Drawers-Platform-for-my-GMT800-Suburban-WIP

and you might ask to have thi smoved to the storage forum for a lot mor einput from drawer / platform builders.

something like this? I am also in the middle of a build and looking for some cheap slides for two 30 inch drawers.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardboa...25-in-x-23-75-in-x-47-75-in-7005015/202088786

 

[krick3tt]

We used to put candle wax rubbed on cardboard boxes as sleds when I was a lad back East. Maybe use wax to ease the slide after rounding the bottom as mentioned above. Old skate wheels fitted into the side rail? The wheels used at the bottom of sliding doors fitted into the wood? Lots of cheap options with the proper amount of imagination.

 

[rayra]

something like this? I am also in the middle of a build and looking for some cheap slides for two 30 inch drawers.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardboa...25-in-x-23-75-in-x-47-75-in-7005015/202088786

Yes, exactly that. My fully-laden drawers are each sliding on two 1" wide strips of the stuff. Nylon / teflon would be better, but this stuff is still working just fine for me.
Design the drawers so the back end is a close fit to the ceiling of the drawer box or likewise the sides of the drawers and there's no tilting issues. And thus no need for $200 500-lb-capacity roller-bearing drawer slides that eat an inch out of each drawer width.

added benefit with the hardboard, the drawers stay where you leave them, when you have them open with the vehicle on a slope.

 

[jgaz]

Yes, exactly that. My fully-laden drawers are each sliding on two 1" wide strips of the stuff. Nylon / teflon would be better, but this stuff is still working just fine for me.
Design the drawers so the back end is a close fit to the ceiling of the drawer box or likewise the sides of the drawers and there's no tilting issues. And thus no need for $200 500-lb-capacity roller-bearing drawer slides that eat an inch out of each drawer width.

added benefit with the hardboard, the drawers stay where you leave them, when you have them open with the vehicle on a slope.

X2 on the hardboard slides. I’m sliding mine on wood but they work very well fully loaded.

Just a thought for anyone thinking of building their drawers this way. Due to the extremely high interior temps here in Phoenix during the summer, I use this spray, dry lube product on my slider strips. Works much better for me than the sealing wax I tried initially.

 

[TernOverland]

Hardboard/masonite as suggested. Also these offer interesting possibilities: https://www.harborfreight.com/1-inch-roller-ball-bearing-67060.html

 

[rayra]

dry graphite lock lube would work well too, but it gets all over everything. almost as bad as prussian blue.

Those ball bearings work nice but just as much a volume loss for the drawer as slides. I've used those bearings in the past to make a sliding tray for a big battery bank project. I got (8) big Deka deep cycle batteries on a dimensional lumber tray. IIRC the batts were nearly 100# apiece and I used 8 of the bearings under the tray. Worked really well, the battery bank could be slid under a workbench for normal use with a battery tender and inverter. And then be readily pulled out for servicing or mods.

 

[TernOverland]

One plus for the ball bearings is that they will run in the bed grooves, unless you have a mat. That reduces the volume loss a good bit.

 

[rayra]

Delrin works, nylon tape too. I put some 1" wide strips of 1/8" pressboard under the bottom edges of my drawers and it works very well. Drawer slides where i want it and doesn't slide anywhere when I let go, at any reasonable angle of the vehicle. It will wear eventually, especially if you get some sandy grit in there. I consider is sacrificial much like the top edge molding on my platforms. Those readily replacable parts will take the wear and tear and leave the core structures undamaged.

 

[carmad]

3" strips of UHMW, easy to pull even with 100lbs of gear inside, bottom of drawer is waxed with no finish on it.. Recessed screws. Works great.

 

[PaulZ]

I've been working on my plans for my drawers and I like the idea and price of UHMW. Anyone know of a source in the USA that ships? I think I'd like something about 1/8" thick so I can put some small counter sink screws in it to hold it down. The best I've seen so far is .125x4x48 it would be nice to get something in 72+ inch lengths (I'll probably rip it into 1" wide strips).

 

[rayra]

I don't have any volume-wasting 2x lumber in my design
My bases, drawers and skeletonized sides are 15/32 (1/2) ply and the top deck is 23/32" (3/4)
I've piled 600# of bagged concrete on my platform, and other similar piles of gear and not had any interference with my drawer movement. With each drawer in its own ~20" wide box (and an 8" wide 'power module' down the driver side, there's basically 6 vertical supports and no span greater than 19", so there's very little deflection in the deck.