Efficiently Stacking Slides for Dual Extension Counter Top & Drawers

[Whaler]

Here's the concept for the inner drawer box inserts that might allow for the modules to be flipped over, upside-down:

The inner drawer would work more like a tray or frame with an open bottom. This frame would have two mounting ledges, located front and rear, which could serve as mounting points for a box insert. These mounting ledges would be located at the midpoint of the drawer frame's vertical dimension. This location would allow a box insert to be mounted on these ledges in either orientation: right-side-up or upside-down.



The box insert would be a simple box, with two matching front and back ledges, that would rest on top of the corresponding ledges inside the above-described drawer frame. I would plan to make several of these boxes in order to easily swap pre-packed sets of gear into the frame, depending on the purpose of any given trip.



Now, because the slides are stacked vertically, the lower slide (which services the drawer frame in question) occupies the space where the mounting ledge would be located; precluding the mounting of any ledges on the sides of the inner drawer frame. For that reason, the mounting ledges are located at the front and back of the drawer frame, where there are no slides.

At the rear of the drawer frame, there's a similar conflict with the back of the drawer frame and slide, so I simply notched the drawer frame's rear panel so that it could slide past the slides:

 

[rayra]

That's a nice tight structure and I note the thin material, are you switching to metal / aluminum plate for the pullout / draw box carrier?

Too, am I understanding your design correctly, it's a slide out flat surface, from which the second pullout (the box inserts) depends? That seems backwards to me and requires a lot more strength and complexity to hang that weight / full drawer so far out.

How do you imagine the the use of this setup, what is driving the arrangement. Is the slide-out flat surface a working surface a food prep sort of thing? Would the work flow not work with a pull-out surface hanging off the bottom of a pull out drawer? It would greatly simplify the design to do so, I would think. I'm re-reading but not really seeing / grasping the uses you are trying to serve. I see the neat solution to the nesting pullouts issue and conservation of useful volume. But just what sort of uses are you trying to support?
I ask because it seems a simpler pull-out drawer with a work surface that slides out from the bottom of the drawer would serve. You pull out the tray / work surface only or as needed, and pull the whole thing out further if you need to get in the drawer.
But these things are driven by how you envision using the setup.

The lower arrangement could still be flippable, by putting the drawer slide carrier portion on the module centerline. Most of the 'inner' portions of sliders (the part that goes on the drawer) are symmetrical and can be flipped. It depends where and how the release catch is placed. If ti's on the carrier or on the insert portion. And most of the time that latch just engages a notch / hole in the other piece, so that can possibly be replicated on the other side to make things truly flippable.




As a design process, you have to watch out for 'problem-solving' leading you astray from your core design. Not saying you have done so, just speaking in general. You're solving a set of nesting issues, but each design change effects something and the next thing and the next thing. Stop and step back and look at the overall design and see that it still serves your purposes. Look at it again and see how it fits your intended arrangement or options or workflow.

 

[TrekboxX]

Another thing to think about- Maybe I missed it your slide specs, but if you have a pullout from a pullout, make sure you use very heavy slides. You can easily overload even the "500 lb" slides if you're not careful. That's a long arm (lever). For example, in my Alpha system the shallow drawer extends a total of 72" from the system. I haven't tested it to failure, but I wouldn't be too comfortable with more than 40-50lbs on it on a regular basis. In contrast, I have sat on the end of the extended fridge slide (36") with no issues whatsoever. And make sure to through-bolt the slides to the box for strength and the ability to loosen and adjust them if they get tweaked.