![]() The pictures in the next step will make this clear. In my case, this angle was 2.5mm (0.1") down for the last 5cm (2") of travel, or a gradient of 1/20. Note that if your existing drawer system closes itself under gravity for the last 5cm (2") of travel, then your Blumotion system will need to be installed at the same angle. The easiest way to do this is to remove a rail from the cabinet, fit it to the drawer and mark your mounting points on the drawer (use masking tape) and measure your offsets from the cabinet front and bottom edge of the rail. Gently let it come to rest against the large end of the spring mechanism.īefore drilling a hole in the drawer, you need to know exactly where to drill not only here but also in the cabinet, which is where we'll be mounting the Blumotion springs and dampers. towards the end of the rail) and you can then lift it off the metal tab. Release the small end of the spring mechanism by pushing down with your finger (i.e. You don't need to bring it up all the way, just loosen it up as far as the screwdriver will naturally go. Once this is done, use a finger to hold the mechanism where it meets the spring (see note in pic.) Keeping your finger there, turn the rail over and use the screwdriver to disengage the plastic tab. ![]() First, extend the slider (and keep it extended until the mechanisms are removed.) Using a small screwdriver, pry up the metal tab holding the small end of the spring mechanism down. It provides a closing force just stronger than the damper, resulting in a consistent closing motion every time, nearly regardless of the drawer load. The spring is the key to the Blumotion system. There is quite a lot of force in this spring, so wear eye protection if you are not confident. Once you have purchased the kit, take out the 2 rails and set the rest aside.Īs you can see in the picture, there is a spring mechanism running parallel to the damper mechanism. If you need a salesperson's assistance when ordering the kit(s), you will probably be asked if you have the correct RATIONELL cupboard in which to install the drawer - a lot of people have obviously tried to screw their existing drawers onto the RATIONELL rails with little success. Obtaining this kit from IKEA is relatively straightforward. WARNING #2: Don't buy the bigger drawers as they use a different damping mechanism which is much harder to modify. This will NOT work as it contains only the damper and not the spring-latch mechanism which is so crucial to the system. Each kit contains 2 damper mechanisms, which is enough for 2 drawers, so essentially you're damping each drawer for AU$22.50 and you still have a perfectly usable drawer left over! (Another way to look at it, given that the non-damped drawer kit sells for AU$40, is that each pair of dampers costs $5 and thus $2.50 per drawer.) WARNING #1: IKEA also sell an AU$10 RATIONELL damper add-on kit. Thus the cheapest way of obtaining the mechanisms is to purchase the IKEA RATIONELL 40 x 35cm damped drawer kit, which at the time of writing costs AU$45. However they mass-produce a custom version of their drawer damper mechanism for IKEA which is sold under the RATIONELL sub-brand. Purchasing the Blumotion drawer damper can be very expensive, if you can find it at all. Thanks to adamazing for bringing this up in the comments. Note about the small piston-type door buffers / dampers: Before this project I attempted to use these to damp my drawers, but they didn't work well (drawers wouldn't self-close, or still slammed shut.) The Blumotion system with its long throw and spring+latch mechanism overcomes these issues. The only requirements for the existing drawer: - approx 12mm (0.5") clearance on either the left or the right of the drawer (almost any rail system will have this) - approx 9mm (0.35") clearance behind the drawer The drawer can be made of wood or metal - doesn't matter. Tools you will need: - drill - bolt cutter - small flat-head screwdriver - small hacksaw (I used a coping saw) - some bolts (small thread, M2.5 or 0.1" thread diameter) - some screws - ruler & pencil In this instructable I will teach you how to retrofit the Blumotion soft-close drawer system (from their TandemBox line) to almost any drawer! Most people prefer to retain a consistent appearance in their kitchen, so replacing the drawers entirely is out of the question (not to mention very expensive.) The Blumotion system is one of the best, however it only works with the corresponding drawer system from the same company. ![]() Edit for 2014: this article is now nearly 4 years old, and nowadays there are soft-close kits by Blumotion and others that make this process much simpler and cheaper!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |