which drawer guide?

[Stephen Sebed]

I am going to be building a dresser soon and need to decide what type of drawer guide to use. I think the cheap drawer slides are rated at
100 lbs but they seem pretty flimsy to use on a large dresser drawer. what are the pros and cons of the different types of guides? I am thinking that the traditional wood on wood slides might be the most durable and best for my application, but I know next to nothing about drawers so I would appreciate any advice you can give me.

Also, are there any good books about drawer or dresser construction?

Thanks,
Stephen

[Jim Becker]

Stephen, metal or ball bearing drawer slides are great for kitchen cabinets, etc, where they get a ton of use every day and need to be smooth as silk, but for furniture, I prefer traditional construction using just wood. This method can also be "silky smooth", but that comes from precision in your craftsmanship rather than high technology. Wood on wood also looks better, from a furniture-making standpoint. The only exception I've made to this so far is on a desk I made LOML a few years ago that is designed to support computer functionality. Ball bearing slides were best for the keyboard support for both strength and functionality.