TIL I was overcomplicating drawer slide installs for years. Just switched to using a simple 1/2" spacer block from a scrap piece.

Used to measure and mark each cabinet box individually, then try to hold the slide in place while driving screws. It was a pain, especially on a big kitchen job. Saw a guy on a crew in Tacoma last week just clamp a block of MDF to the box side, butt the slide against it, and screw. Tried it yesterday on a vanity project and knocked out 12 drawers in half the time. What's your go-to trick for getting slides perfectly aligned and square?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan8931mo ago

My old foreman in Seattle swore by a magnetic torpedo level. He'd stick it right to the slide before the first screw, then you could walk away and it would hold itself perfectly plumb. It only worked on the metal slides, not the undermount ones.

lee3301mo ago

That sounds like a gimmick that would just slow down a real pro.