From old box to new slide
How do side-mount, undermount and flat-mount slides differ?
Accuride’s checklist says side mount slides attach to each side of the drawer and the opening and need clearance there, usually 3/8, 1/2 or 3/4 in.
Undermount slides, it says, mount to the cabinet sides and connect to levered disconnect and securing devices under the drawer.
Flat mount is its third case: typically side-mount slides turned 90 degrees and mounted completely under the drawer.
| Term | How the maker uses it |
|---|---|
| Flat mount | Accuride: typically a side-mount slide turned 90 degrees. |
| Disconnect lever | Accuride’s part that frees the drawer. |
| Side space | Accuride Europe: the gap the slide fits in. |
| Bottom recess | Blum’s 563H term; its MOVENTO page says the recess must conceal the runner. |
| Locking device | Blum’s part, squeezed to release the drawer. |
What does an undermount runner ask of the box?
It asks for stated box dimensions and for machining at the back. This list follows Blum’s instructions for TANDEM plus BLUMOTION 563H; other runners have their own figures.
- Side thickness: at most 16 mm (5/8 in).
- Inside width: opening width minus 42 mm.
- Bottom recess: 13 mm (1/2 in).
- Rear notch: at least 35 mm, as drawn.
- Bore for the hook: Ø6 x 10, as drawn.
- Holes pre-bored for the locking devices.
Accuride’s 3135EC sheet lists similar work: notch the drawer back flush with the bottom, pre-drill two holes for the slide hooks and fit both disconnect levers to the drawer bottom. In a retrofit, the first three points belong to the existing box; the last three are work added to it.
Will the existing box width suit an undermount slide?
Not automatically. The side-mount documents read here size the box from the space beside it; the undermount ones in this table fix its inside width.
| Document | Mounting | Width rule |
|---|---|---|
| Accuride 3832EC | Side | Drawer 1-1/16 in (27.0 mm) smaller than the opening. |
| Knape & Vogt 8400 | Side | Clearance .50 in +.03/−0 on each side. |
| Blum 563H | Under | Inside width = opening width minus 42 mm. |
| Knape & Vogt MUVAB | Under | Opening width minus 42 mm = inside width. |
| Hettich Quadro V6 | Under | Inside width = ICW minus 42 mm. |
| Salice Futura | Under | Internal width 42 mm less than the cabinet’s. |
With an inside-width rule, the outside width follows from the side thickness, so work out both rules for the actual box. Accuride’s own article on changing to its 3135EC from another undermount brand says even that is not a simple parts swap.
What must the sides, bottom and back of the box provide?
Each undermount document in this table states a side thickness; most also fix the bottom position or the back machining.
| Document | Side thickness | Bottom and back |
|---|---|---|
| Blum 563H | At most 16 mm (5/8 in) | Recess 13 mm; rear notch at least 35 mm; Ø6 x 10 bore. |
| Blum MOVENTO drawer page | Not wider than 16 mm | Recess at least 12 mm high; hole for the fixing hook. |
| Accuride 3135EC | 1/2 to 5/8 in | Bottom inset 1/2 in at most; notched back; two hook holes. |
| Knape & Vogt MUVAB | 1/2, 9/16 or 5/8 in | Bottom recess 12.7 mm (1/2 in) at most. |
| Hettich Quadro V6 | 1/2 or 5/8 in | Read from the sheet’s drawings. |
Use the sheet for the part number quoted, not a range page.
Does the same slide length fit the same drawer?
No. The length rule differs by maker and by mounting:
Accuride
The checklist sizes a side-mount slide from the cabinet: front edge to back wall, less 1 in, rounded to a two-inch increment. An under-mount slide must be the same length as the drawer; the 3135EC sheet agrees.
Blum 563H
The table pairs a 533 mm drawer with a 548 mm runner and a 610 mm cabinet depth, and a 229 mm drawer with a 259 mm runner.
Blum MOVENTO, Salice Futura
Blum gives drawer length as “NL – 10 mm”. Salice says the drawer is 10 mm shorter than the runner.
Knape & Vogt MUVAB
A 22 in drawer takes a 22.4 in slide; the 9 in and 10 in drawers both take a 10.15 in slide.
- Drawer length
- Cabinet inside depth
- Slide length offered
Can a side-mount slide be laid flat under the box?
Only where its maker allows it, and at a lower load. Accuride Europe calls this horizontal or flat mounting.
Lower load
Accuride Europe says most slides carry only 25% of their capacity when flat mounted: a 40 kg slide falls to 10 kg.
A second figure
Accuride’s help centre says typically about 50% of the posted side-mount rating. Ask for the rating of the model.
Not every slide
Accuride Europe says its DZ2601 and DZ2642 series cannot be flat mounted. The 3832EC sheet says side mount only.
A stated flat rating
Knape & Vogt lists its 8900 slide at 100 to 500 lb class depending on application, with a 100 lb flat mount rating.
Space under the box
Accuride says flat mounting needs specific clearances and mounting surfaces under the drawer.
Ratings carry conditions. Accuride bases the 3832EC’s 100 lb on 18 in slides in a 16 in wide drawer cycled 50,000 times.
How is the drawer held, adjusted and removed?
Each maker has its own device and name for it. Check that it can be reached once the vanity is installed.
| Document | Device | What the document says |
|---|---|---|
| Blum 563H | Locking devices | Squeeze the orange handles, pull out and up; up to 3 mm rise. |
| Accuride 3135EC | Disconnect levers | On the drawer bottom, at the inside corners. |
| Knape & Vogt MUVAB | Release levers | Three versions: height; height and side; height, side and in/out. |
| Hettich Quadro V6 | Catches | Tool-less height adjustment. |
| Grass Dynapro | Front locking | Height +3.5 mm, side ±1.5 mm; depth optional; tilt +4 mm at rear adapters. |
| Accuride 3832EC (side) | Disconnect lever | On the drawer member of the slide. |
How should a buyer decide between reuse and a new box?
Decide on drawings, before hardware is ordered. These steps are procurement guidance.
- Measure box and cabinet. Box widths, side thickness, length and bottom position; opening width and inside depth.
- Name the proposed slide. Maker and part number, then get its sheet.
- Compare line by line. Width rule, side thickness, bottom recess, back machining, length rule.
- Check the load. Rating conditions, and the flat rating if a slide is laid flat.
- Mark up the drawing. Confirmed, to change, and still open.
When a new box is the answer
Width, side thickness and bottom position are built into the box. If one does not match the slide’s document, ask for a new box made to it, not an improvised bracket. Notches, hook holes and device fixings can be added to a box that otherwise fits.
What should you send and ask before a quotation?
Ask for a supported configuration, not a promise that every box can be reused.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which slide part number is proposed? | Each document sets its own box. |
| Do side thickness and bottom recess match? | Blum’s 563H sheet sets both. |
| What is machined into the back? | Notch and hook holes differ by document. |
| Which slide length is used? | Blum’s 563H runner is longer than its drawer. |
| Is any slide laid flat? | Accuride says the load rating drops. |
Include with your request
- Box widths, length and side thickness
- Bottom construction and position
- Cabinet opening width and inside depth
- Present slide model, if known
- Drawer contents and weight
WNS Global confirms any offered drawer box, slide and commercial terms separately in writing. This guide does not state that WNS Global products use any slide named above or have the dimensions, ratings or features quoted from those makers.
