How to Build Roller Shelves

Getting items off an ordinary shelf often requires emptying the first half of the shelf in order to reach something stored in the rear. Even after retrieving what you came for, you have to waste still more time placing the items back into place. Building a roller shelf puts an end to this item juggling. With rolling sliders installed on a shelf, you can roll the shelf out from the cabinet, allowing access to the entire contents of the shelf at once. You can then choose what you want and then roll the shelf back into place, saving both time and effort.

Tape measure
Drawer slides
Electric drill
Wood shims
Drill screw bit
Wood screws
Shelves
Circular saw
Sandpaper, medium-grit
Wood sealer
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Use a tape measure to measure the depth of the cabinet where you want to install the roller shelves. Measure from the rear of the cabinet to the face of the cabinet, subtracting about an inch from the measurement to allow room in case items overlap the lip of the shelves.
- 2
  Purchase a pair of drawer slides for each of the shelves you intend to install. The slides are adjustable in length within a limited range, so make certain the slides you purchase will fit your adjusted measurement. The slides will come with both the tracks needed for placing the shelves and the slides that allow your shelves to pull in and out of the cabinet.
- 3
  Position the tracks of the sliders on one side of the cabinet where you wish to install the shelves. Use a carpenter’s level placed onto the tracks to make certain that they’re level, and then mark the mounting holes onto the cabinet with a pencil. Check the door of the cabinet to make certain it opens wide enough to allow clearance of the shelves once installed. If not, tack wood shims to the cabinet sides to raise the tracks from the cabinet edges enough to allow for clearance.
- 4
  Remove the slider tracks, and then drill pilot holes into the pencil-marked areas. Reposition the tracks, and mount them to the sides of the cabinet with wood screws.
- 5
  Place the slider tracks on the other side of the cabinet, and use the carpenter’s level across the top of the new tracks and the mounted tracks to make certain that they lie even with one another. Mark the mounting holes, and repeat the mounting process.
- 6
  Measure the width between the sliders, and purchase shelves that fit the measurement. Make any needed adjustments to the shelves' width, using a circular saw to cut the shelves to the correct size. Sand the edges of the shelves smooth with a medium-grit sandpaper, and then brush the edge with wood sealant. Allow the sealant to dry to the touch before continuing.
- 7
  Attach the slides to the sides of the shelves using wood screws. Mount the slides so that the wheeled portion is to the rear of the shelves, with the front of the slides flush with the front of the shelves.
- 8
  Place the wheel on the track, and then slide the shelves back into the cabinet to complete the installation.

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