How to Make a Dresser Drawer Slide

While there are many drawer slides available commercially, you can make your own for your next woodworking project. Wood drawer slides are durable and easy to maintain. They also have a more solid feel than many contemporary styles that are made with plastic components. Wooden drawer slides are mounted on the inside sides of the drawer opening in the furniture piece. They are designed to slide into the slots on the sides of the drawer. Select a quality hardwood, such as maple, for your slides for a long-lasting result.

Drawer
Tape measure
1-by-1-inch hardwood board, 96 inches long
Miter saw
Steel ruler
Table saw
Fine-grit sanding pad
Drill
1/8-inch drill bit
Box of 1 1/4-inch wood screws
Screw gun

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length of the side of the dresser drawer using a tape measure. This is the length required for the drawer slides.
- 2
  Place the 1-by-1-by-96-inch board on a work surface. Mark the measurement from step one onto the board using a pencil.
- 3
  Position the 1-by-1-by-96-inch board flat on the table of the miter saw. Slide it over so that the blade is at the outside edge of the pencil mark. Pull the saw down through the wood and back up to complete the cut. Mark and cut a second length of board to make a second drawer slide. Cut as many pairs of boards as needed for your woodworking project.
- 4
  Measure the width and depth of the slots in the sides of the drawer using a steel ruler. These are the dimensions required for the drawer slides.
- 5
  Adjust the table saw fence to cut the slots to the depth of the slots from the drawer slide boards. Use a steel ruler to accurately adjust the fence. Raise the blade in the saw to cut through the thickness of the boards.
- 6
  Lay the boards, one at a time, flat on the table of the saw. Push one side flush against the fence and run the boards through the saw to cut them to the depth of the slots.
- 7
  Repeat steps five and six to cut the boards to the width of the slots in the drawer slide boards. Sand the cut drawer slide boards with a fine-grit sanding pad until all of the sides are smooth.
- 8
  Drill three evenly spaced one-eighth-inch holes through the side of the slides that are equal to the width of the slots in the drawers. Use a drill and a one-eighth-inch drill bit. These are the mounting holes for the drawer slots. Sand around each hole to make sure it is completely smooth.

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