Drawers that stick and are hard to open?
I have an old dresser that has drawers (without runners) that are hard to open. They stick and you have to jiggle one side then the other to get the draw open. Pushing them shut is a little easier but they stick there too. Any suggestions without investing a lot of money?
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Hi Robin, unfortunately your drawers have probably warped a bit over time. They may have gotten a little wet or the entire piece shifted a little so that they don't fit as well. I have refinished a lot of furniture and when I have this problem, I pull the drawer out and use a piece of coloured chalk to mark up both the bottom edges of the drawer and the runners it slides in on. Then I push the drawer in and out a few times and then chalk will rub off where there is a problem. You can then sand down a bit of the wood where it is sticking and it should run smoother. It is a free solution but does take a little bit of elbow grease :) Alternatively, you can try rubbing a wax puck on bothe the drawer bottom and the runners to see if it will slide in any smoother. Hope one of those help!
Take a bar of soap or some paraffin wax and rub it on the bottom Runner
Hello. Very often a little lubrication provided with a bar of soap run along the areas the drawer are supposed to glide can be helpful to help your drawers slide in and out as needed.
Bar of soap or candle wax, rub it on and keep the drawer moving until it moves freely.
Here are some tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl-uI3rst7k
try a little WD-40
Running a bar of soap on the drawer edge that slides usually works well. If that doesn't work a light sanding might help and then the soap method again.
You can rub bar soap on the slide to make it slide better
Recreated Designs has the right idea. Look for any wear marks on the drawers showing where they are binding. Lightly sand the areas and test until they slide in and out easy. I have use white chalk on the drawers to look for rub marks and sanded those spots.
How to Add Drawer Runners to Old Dressers
https://www.hunker.com/13403334/how-to-add-drawer-runners-to-old-dressers
I have heard a lot of people use a bar of soap and whatever the drawer slides on rub the soap of the drawer bottom or the area it slides on to make it glide easier without sticking.
Rub a candle or soap on the inside of the drawers. That will make them slide better.
Dee has got it right. Candles work very well and don't `gum up' as soap sometimes does.
Wax
Hello,
You could rub them down a bit on the edges or maybe try a little spray polish or wax on the edges to help them glide easier. Best wishes.
Rub with bar soap or beeswax. That should help to make them move more easily. You might also consider slightly sanding. They may have expanded over time due to exposure to moisture, even humidity. Is issue worse in more humid weather? If so, consider a dehumidifier.
RUB THE UNDERSIDE OF THE DRAWERS WITH A BAR OF SOAP THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO DO OFTEN UNLESS YOU GET A TRACK FOR THE DRESSER....
If you can figure out the parts that are making it stick are, you can try sanding them bit . Make sure there are no rough areas that are catching. Also some kind if wood oil may help them slide easier.also see if the drawer runners are straight and even. I had a drawer driving me nuts. Turned out the drawer tracks were uneven. One was higher than the other
Hi! I have an old dresser like that. I cleaned the wood tracks and waxed them. Worked great! Stay safe!
I restore old furniture and use furniture wax (Annie Sloane) on the sides of the drawers. They will slide smoothly after a few goes.