Antique dresser with sticky drawers?

Question

I have an old hand made dresser. It's so handmade that the drawers need to be fixed so that I can pull the drawers out properly with out yanking on them with a lot of effort.

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

please avoid some of the "fixes" suggested. do not use beeswax, soap, Vaseline, cooking oil and some of the others materials. and please do not try using 000 steel wool to shave the runners down unless you are also after a vigorous workout.

i suggest you careful examine the contact points of the drawer and the cabinet and determine where the problem is. only address those issues and avoid altering the lower moving parts, except with a good wood paste wax [like johnson's].

before you cut anything make sure the joints are tight and solid. often a loose joint causes the wood to distort the alignment of the runners. glue and clamp any parts that need it, retest alignment and only then consider cutting any wood away.

you can shave a small amount from the TOP of the drawer side IF that is the problem, but do NOT take wood from the bottom of the drawer or the slide the drawer rides in. you'll just cause more problems with the alignment of the drawer front to the cabinet.

shave down other offending wood with a small block plane, cabinet makers scraper, or a sander.

note: if you find that the dresser is sticking because it appears to be swollen you have either have a moisture problem in your home or your are storing it in an unheated area. i'd address the root cause so you don't damage it further.

good luck and take care of your antiques

Answer 2

Yes, rubbing wax or soap is the best bet. But if it is tight because someone painted it, and it wasnt originally, I would remove the paint.

Ok, so its not painted? Then what has happened is that the wood has expanded because the air in your area is fairly humid. Its ok. Even a 1/32 of an inch difference will make a BIG difference. I've been doing woodwork for the last 15 years.

So..... Pull the drawer all the way out, and if you cant, pull it out as far as it will go. Go grab some steel wool, 00 or 000. the 0's tell you how fine the wool is, the more the finer. Anyways, rub the steel wool on the rails. This will help to remove a very very slight amount of wood, between 1/64" and 1/32". Afterwards, wipe away any dust with a damp cloth, allow to fully dry, then apply some parafin wax along the rails. I prefer to use wax as it also helps to treat and preserve the wood and doesnt deposit any chemicals into it either.

But no matter what, DONT use sandpaper. Most real woodworkers will tell you to not use sandpaper unless you are removing heavy amounts of wood.

Answer 3

Antique Wooden Dresser

Answer 4

An alternative to using soap, wax, WD-40, etc.
First make sure that the runners/edges are clean and smooth.
Use the "answers" to make sure that drawers slide smoothly against other surfaces.
Soap, wax, etc, may work, but only for a while.
An alternative to this is self-adhesive silicon tape (about $1.20 per foot).
This will "lift" the drawers a bit, so check to see if there is enough play for this.
Here is my DIY version of the self-adhesive tape. You will need scissors, double-sided adhesive tape, and some thin plastic, like what comes inside the collars of new dress shirts, or that is used for boxes for small merchandise (e.g. LED light bulbs).
Cut the thin plastic in appropriate sized strips, apply the double-sided tape to the plastic strip, and affix to the runners that the drawer slides against. I have also used this solution on the vertical part of the runners to "tighten up" the side-to-side spacing of the drawers.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

soap will absorb moisture and do you no good, only a temporary fix. buy some paste floor wax, it spreads real easy, from your local hardware store, and a cheap foam paint brush. apply the wax with that to the inside of the dresser drawer openings, and the bottom, sides, and top of the sides of the drawers. after that, remember to pull the drawers open slowly, so they don't fall on your toes!! this is also a good fix for sticky wooden windows, i use a 1 1/2" foam brush to 'paint' the tracks with wax so they slide easy. good luck, hope this helps.

Answer 7

antique dresser sticky drawers

Answer 8

Try rubbing a bar of soap or a candle on the runners for the drawers- that usually works for me.
One thing--Did someone paint the inside of the dresser? Our daughter did that and no matter what I did the drawers stuck. Eventually had to remove all the paint LOL.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Yes: Remove all of the drawers, rub candle wax on the runners, and, on the bottom edges of the drawers. Your life should be a lot smother now, and you didn't destroy an antique.