With the right tools (like say a RightAngle screw-driver, etc), good instructions, and lotsa patience/time, it should be doable... You should be able to practice one set first. Then the rest will be easy to do. Apart from books, DVDs, etc., what may also help is to get a cabinet from say some place like IKEA, see how it all goes together, and replicate the process. Return the cab after that. The only gotcha that I can think of, is if you are working with particle board boxes/drawers - if a mistake is made wrt holes drilled, it could a little painful to rectify the mistake. It is little more invloved to "fill" with wood-fillers (pastes made from quick drying water-soluble powders) and then relocate the holes/screws. Best, /venkat

I was about begin this post with "johnliu, I understand completely with a period kitchen" but I see that's been done. We also are trying very hard for a kitchen that feels appropriate to the rest of the house (a 1923 bungalow.) Our goal not historical accuracy, but, more modestly, to keep people from feeling jarred when they cross the threshold from the dining room. We chose cabinets that follow the patterns of the woodwork in the rest of the house--easy enough. Our hang-up came with the discussion of hinges. I had imagined we'd use traditional ball-tip exterior hinges. The cabinet maker argued successfully for interior hidden hinges, citing the benefits of adjustability (both for him and for us.) He suggested that he could mount faux hinges on the outside to give us the traditional look. For about five seconds I thought this would be a fine idea. Then I had forehead-slapping moment. What part of the craftsman ideal would favor faking mechanicals for the sake of appearance? None that I can see. So we will not have visible hinges. The interior type we're using is reasonably unobtrusive, so I don't feel that too much visual rightness has been compromised for modern function.

A very belated thank you for your help. After looking and thinking and gnashing of teeth, I saw that there was a sort of "rocker" piece that had to be situated just so. It's tricky to slide the drawers out, but it's doable.

I neglected to say that Barker has great instructions for measuring Blum and another, side type. Other than that, you'd have to dig the specs out of the manufacturer's website. You're getting into some tedious work. I would consider either having him remake the drawers completely, buying new ones, or getting glides that fit better in the space and with the drawers you have. This is getting to be way too much work than I'd take on, and I will fuss with something for months. The one and only modification I'm going to make to a drawer to make it fit my space, is on a 17" deep drawer. The next glide is 18" and they must match. I'll put a piece on the back of the drawer above the notches, and drill the little holes for the glides. But that's about as retro on drawer boxes as I'm willing to go. One cabinet I'm retrofitting, is going to get drawer boxes I got at a reuse center. Nice and deep, but definitely not Blum Tandem ready. They're going to get the old fashioned Blum 230 (or KV) types. They'll only hold towels in the MBR, so I don't care. Better to have drawers than 2 reach-in cabs. They're getting inset doors, too. It's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. how much cat fur will settle into a cabinet between an overlay door and its cabinet box. Enough about me. I would suggest you either reconsider this endeavor, or how it's to be accomplishd.