Added more pix in the bolt bucket concerning this issue. Installed and completed the passenger side. The pics really tell the story. I spot welded the front face and the rail system so there is still some minor paint prep to do in those areas.
The slow close slides really ended up being a good idea because they hold the drawer closed. Of course when installing any drawer, you want the sliders to be installed so that the drawer closes in on its own.
The only problem, is that due to the slow close mechanism, the drawers stay closed so well, even though the slides are very smooth, that I cant open the drawer by pulling on the key when its in the lock. I REALLY didn't want a drawer pull on the front, but if I have to have one, I want one that looks really cool. I will take my time looking for something that looks like it belongs there. Its a minor issue.
I decided to paint the drawers after all the spot welding, etc, it needs a good coat of paint. Once the seat is installed with the metal side valances, etc, then painted a medium to dark gray, they will look like they were always there. I also put a nice strip of rubber molding on the top lip of the drawer and that makes it look better.
If you ever decide to do this, the absolute, #1, hardest thing about this project is cutting out the holes in the pedestal. If you used another drawer front, like maybe a tasteful piece of matching bed wood or something, the hole isn't that bad. But if you are keeping the hole cutout to use as the drawer front, WOW.
So, my ONLY criticism of how it came out is, if you REALLY look hard, the gap is a little off in places. I contend that once the valances are on and the door is installed, you wont be able to get a close enough look to see anything wrong.
