Screw thread & Drawer Slides

[Dave]

Making kitchen cabinets for the first time and having a blast.  Got the uppers done and mounted.  What a breeze with the Kreg system.  I have two questions (only one of 'em is specific to Kreg, but thought I'd ask the brain trust here)

1.  Using high grade ply for the drawers (1/2") and only have fine thread 1" screws that came in the screw assortment pack I bought)  Can I use fine in ply?

2. Drawer slides- Making drawers and I have the relief on the sides (1/2" for the slides).  Question is - Is there a setback for the top and bottom nedded to get the drawers out once installed?  Using Accuride Model  3832C.  They appear to just release and pull out straight, but wanted to check.

Thanks - Learning a lot with this project, but pretty happy with the outcome so far.

Dave

[KregCS]

Dave, 

I would not recommend using the 1" fine thread screws with your plywood material as these will strip out easily during assembly. For this application I would use coarse threaded screws.  You will also need to make sure that your plywood is a true 1/2" thick. Most conventional plywood will be undersized and will take some adjustments with the settings via trial and error to get the best joint.  

As far as the slide, if you go to https://www.accuride.com/media/2833/3832sc-r2-0611.pdf you can see the recommended setback by the manufacturer. If you have any additional questions please let us know. 

[Trace Farthing]

FWIW, I agree with the Kreg CS.

Also, I'd glue the joints. Oh, and most slides aren't very forgiving, especially regarding width and parallel.

Good luck and enjoy!

[carol]

have to agree about using the fine screws; i would only use them in hardwoods. they're just not made for ply or soft woods. in my experience with drawer slides (having said my share of bad words while working with them), the front setback will depend a lot on your drawer face (inset? overlay?). i usually don't worry about a rear setback; i buy my slides about 1" less then the depth of the drawer box.

and now that i think about it...talk about slides being unforgiving on the width! i finally found that making my drawer box 1 and 1/32" less than the width of the opening makes installing the slide less painful. you can shim the width of a piece of paper easier than planing or sanding said width. also if your drawer box is EXACTLY 1/2" less on each side, you risk the screw heads getting in the way of a nice, quiet drawer slide.