Blum Drilling Jig -Drawer Glide Locking Mechanism

How to make a Blum drilling jig for Blum Tandem plus Blumotion drawer glide locking mechanisms.

I created a Blum drilling jig so I could drill all the holes for the drawer glide locking mechanisms more quickly.  I got tired of measuring each side of each drawer.  I lazily tried using a paper template but it didn’t hold up.  So I moved my drawer parts aside and spend a half hour making a jig that I can use every time I make drawers from here on out.  Shoulda’ done this a couple years ago!

Blum Drilling Jig for Drawer Glide Locking Mechanisms

To use Blum drawer glides, you have to notch out and drill holes in the sides of the drawer back.  Check out these posts for related tutorials.

How to Build a Drawer for Blum Drawer Glides

Installing Drawers using Blum Drawer Glides

I’ve been using a ruler to measure but a jig will make the task 100 times faster.  The size isn’t really important because the hole is placed in the bottom left corner of each drawer.  A 6×6 jig would probably work.  The top is open so it will accommodate tall drawers.

Blum Drilling Jig Base

I used 1/2″ plywood for my jig because I build my drawers out of 1/2″ material.

• One piece is 10×20″
• Two strips are 1 1/2″ wide by at least 10″ long

Glue the strips onto the base on the left side and bottom left.

Use a square to make sure these strips are square.  It doesn’t matter if your base isn’t square as long as the strips create a square corner.  Let the glue dry before you move on.

Next you’ll attach a small scrap of wood onto the bottom left corner.

I used a 4×6″ piece of 1/4″ plywood.

Draw lines on this piece to mark the location of the 1 1/2″ strips because those will be the outside edges of the “inside of the jig”.  Meaning when you slide a drawer piece into the jig, it will stop when it hits that strip on the left.

You will reference off of the lines you just drew as the outside when you measure up and over for your hole location.

Blum Drilling Jig – Hole Location

NOTE:  The location will be different depending on which drawer glides you are using.  Blum Glides for 3/4″ material are different than those for 1/2″-5/8″ material.  Make sure you customize your template based on the Blum glides you are using.

Below is the drilling location for the 1/2″-5/8″ material glides and locking mechanisms I use.

• 7mm over and 24mm up is easier to find on a metric ruler.

Use a brad point drill bit to center your drill bit exactly in the center of your mark and use 1/4″ diameter drill bit.  Slide a piece of 1/2″ plywood into the jig before you drill the initial hole to give you a clean cut.

I drill the hole all the way through the drawer piece.  So once I drill the left side, I flip the drawer back over and drill the right side.

When building a batch of drawers, I clamp down my Blum drilling jig.  Then I slide in and drill drawer piece after drawer piece after drawer piece…

And I have perfectly placed holes for my locking mechanisms every time.

Check out these posts for related Blum tutorials.

How to Build a Drawer for Blum Drawer Glides

Installing Drawers using Blum Drawer Glides

The post Blum Drilling Jig -Drawer Glide Locking Mechanism appeared first on Sawdust Girl®.

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Keen Utility: Built with Pride in Portland, Oregon

We recently had the pleasure of heading out to the place were the ’90’s are still alive and putting a bird on it makes it cool, Portland, Oregon to tour the Keen Shoes factory and headquarters.

The culture of the Keen family of brands is deeply entrenched in the culture of Portland — not only do their products reflect the multitude of uses your average Pacific Northwesterner may need and want in their daily lives, but they make sure that the place where they began is the place they build up, literally and figuratively.

Our main focus was to learn more about the Keen Utility line of products — from how they’re built in a facility right by the 405, to how their range of footwear offerings truly take the safety and comfort of their customer base into first priority, to the company’s commitment to their consumers, employees, and community alike to create quality products that unquestionably improve the quality of life for each and every set of hands that come across a pair of Keen shoes.

But truth be told, it was hard to not drink in every aspect of the culture at Keen — the family aspect of the business, the camaraderie of the employees, the creativity encouraged throughout the campuses, and the enthusiastic support of the end result products.

And then we actually put a pair of the shoes on.

Needless to say, we’re hooked, whether we’re looking for sturdy and comfortable work site footwear or new casual kicks to wear to the park with the kids — and not only because of the shoes.

We’ll be sharing our visit to Portland and Keen with you throughout the week, so stay tuned for factory tours, behind-the-scenes peeks, and of course, heavy duty workboots from the inside out, beginning to end … decorative birds optional.

 

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8 Best Buys for an Outdoor Kitchen You Can Afford

An outdoor kitchen might not seem essential to some homeowners, but for those who treasure long summer nights and backyard fun, it's an absolute necessity. Whether your outdoor setup consists of a simple grill or an elaborate array of furniture and appliances, there are some amazing upgrades your can make to your space. Read on for eight of our favorites.

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When temperatures really rise, summer fun can start to fizzle, especially indoors. It's a good thing that great minds have figured out ways to help you chill (literally), using items you probably already have on hand. Take a look at our top 12 picks for keeping comfortable at home, including summertime sleep aids, the right way to work your windows, and even a homemade air conditioner. These simple “aha!” hacks will save you money and keep you cool. So if you can’t stand the heat, give one of these a try.

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Selling Your Home? 7 Things to Know Right Off the Bat

Are you getting ready to put your home on the market? If so, you probably want the sale to go as quickly and smoothly as possible. Well then, get ready to put in some effort—and probably spend a bit of money. To help move the process along, keep the following considerations in mind as you prepare your home for sale. And don’t forget, the expertise of an experienced real estate agent can be invaluable.

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