Found a weird fix for that annoying drawer slide chatter

Had a client in Springfield complain about a soft-close slide making a grinding noise. Tried cleaning, adjusting, even swapped the slide. Nothing worked. Then I read a post about putting a tiny dab of clear silicone grease on the metal ball bearings inside the mechanism. Did it on the noisy one. Chatter gone completely. Anyone else tried this or have a better lube for slides?

2 comments

2 Comments

thompson.tyler1mo ago

That silicone grease trick is a temporary band-aid at best. In my shop, we've seen grease attract dust and grit, turning a chatter problem into a full lock-up six months later. The real fix is almost always a bent drawer box or a cabinet that's out of square, putting constant side pressure on the slide. You're just masking the root cause, and that client will be calling you back when it gets worse.

riverm481mo agoProlific Poster

Ouch, that's a fair point from @thompson.tyler. I've definitely been that guy with the grease gun, buying myself six months of peace. You're right, it just lets the real problem get worse.