One of the most common problems I come across are drawers that don’t slide. These are the drawers that you start pulling out and one side jams, then the other side jams, then you yank and the handle breaks. Next you try to kick it closed and your Tiffany lamp falls over and breaks.
I find that drawers are like tires on used cars – everyone tugs on them, if they don’t work smoothly – that’s the end of the line for that piece, no questions asked.
Actually, most times, this problem can be easily remedied:
1.) Pull the drawer out completely and flip it over. Often you’ll find that there is a gap between the drawer bottom and the front of the drawer. The drawer bottom has dried out and shrunk over the course of many years.
To fix this you must remove the nails that hold the drawer bottom to the back of the drawer. 90% of the time that is all that holds the drawer bottom in. Get down, get dirty and pop those nails out. You can use a screwdriver, claw hammer, pliers or dynamite to remove them. In extreme cases a hack saw blade can be slipped between the back and bottom and the nails can be easily cut.
2.) Sometimes the drawer bottom has sagged or warped and may rub on the frame of the piece. This tends to make an annoying sound and may be wearing through the thin drawer bottom.
This is easily fixed by flipping the inside out, so the sag goes up, not down (similar to some cosmetic surgery procedures you may have heard about). Slide the drawer bottom back in completely so the bottom fits into the groove in the front of the drawer. Now you simply re-nail the bottom to the back using small nails or brads. Make sure if the drawer frame is at all loose that you have it reasonably square before nailing, as the bottom really tends to hold the drawer rigidly together when nailed. I like to use at least 3 nails to keep everything solid.
My next installment will cover drawer slides and rails – repairing, replacing, lubricating.
(Try to contain your excitement!)
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Until our next exciting adventure…Hank
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