IKEA Alex 5-Drawer Full-Extension Modification Kit

I have seen several designs that utilize the single screw in each drawer slide of the Alex Drawer system. Many have you cut large holes or cut away portions of the drawer, but do not provide an easy and repeatable method for doing so.

I decided to model a base plate for my Dewalt DWP611 trim router so it would travel along the recessed track of the drawer slides. Then I designed a stopping plate for the front and back of each side so that the routed path was repeatable and as clean as possible. Because the drawers are made up of cheap particle board and melamine foil covering, I designed inserts that can be glued into the resulting routed path to give a clean appearance and help the (somewhat) loose screw travel back and forth more easily.

The original screws are just barely long enough, and I suggest replacing them with M4x10mm screws (these are the ones I used - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYYP9FN2).

Instructions:
1) Print 1 copy of the Router Baseplate, Front and Back Stops.
2) Print 2 copies of the insert file for each drawer you are modifying.
3) Remove the drawer you wish to modify (this is a permanent modification) by removing the two interior screws and pulling the drawer all the way out of the cabinet.
4) Attach the Routher baseplate to your DWP611 Router (I do not have other routers to make similar plates, but I included the STEP file to modify hole location as needed for different models).
5) Insert a 1/4" Straight Router bit in the router.
6) Place the Front stop into the drawer side groove and push so it is flush up against the drawer front.
7) Place the Back Stop into the drawer side groove at the back of the drawer with the two plastic parts that hold the drawer together placed in the two rounded cutouts - the stop has a small ledge to push up against the back of the drawer to make sure it is seated properly.
8) Set the router with the custom plate into the groove (the circle bushing will fit snugly into the groove, and center your bit in the middle of the groove).
9) Plunge the router bit into the drawer side so that the bit cuts all the way through the side material. The stops are designed to prevent you from cutting too far in either direction. The front stop has a flat side to bump up against the flat, extended side of the router base. The back stop has a rounded side that should allow the router base's rounded portion to bump into it perfectly.
10) Run the router from one stop to the other, making a 160mm cut through the drawer side.
11) Repeat the process on the other drawer side.
12) Lightly sand off the fuzzies left by the white melamine foil finish of the particle board.
13) Take a printed insert and place it into the newly cut slot with the wide lip facing the inside of the drawer (optional: put a few drops of glue to attach the insert more securely). The insert should fit easily into the 160mm x 1/4" slot you just made with the lip covering any light tearout in the white finish.
14) Place your drawer back on the two slides and pull the slides all the way to the drawer front (like installed initially). Use the new, slightly longer screws to secure the drawer to the drawer slides. Do not tighten the screw all the way down - tighten it enough to secure the screw to the metal drawer slide on the outside groove.
15) Push the drawer all the way into the cabinet and then pull the drawer back out all the way. If the screws are too tight, the drawer should stop at the original location. If the screws are loose enough, the drawer will continue to pull out an additional 160mm, giving you access to the back of the drawer.