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Help! Mid Century Dresser Drawer Is Stuck!  

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guyinSF
(@guyinsf)
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Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 392
10/07/2014 6:07 am  

Hi guys, I have this vintage Broyhill Sculptra dresser and one of the drawers is stuck and it won't come out at all. I can pull it out only half way and it won't go any further. I'm able to take all the other drawers out but not this one. The drawers are on metal tracks, shown in second photo. Does anyone know any trick to fix this? I'm wondering if there's some kind of lock on the track that I have to remove or maybe I just need to reach in and squirt some lubricating oil on the track? Thanks everyone in advance for your help!



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kcbrains
(@kcbrains)
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Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 97
10/07/2014 8:46 am  

Can
You just remove the drawer and track? The track might just be bolted/screwed on from the underside. It will be easier to fiddle with that way.


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guyinSF
(@guyinsf)
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10/07/2014 12:06 pm  

I don't want to remove the tr...
I don't want to remove the track, I just want to take the drawer out. I can pull the drawer out half way but it won't go any further than that. With all the other drawers I can pull them all out no problem.


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guyinSF
(@guyinsf)
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Posts: 392
10/07/2014 12:08 pm  

In the second photo the missi...
In the second photo the missing drawer is not the one with the problem, obviously because it's missing meaning that I was able to take it out. The second photo is posted to show you guys what the metal track looks like.


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guyinSF
(@guyinsf)
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Posts: 392
10/07/2014 12:11 pm  

Kcbrain, I think I understand...
Kcbrain, I think I understand what you're asking me now. You're asking if I can remove the track so the drawer can come out with it? Well since the drawer can only open halfway it's quite difficult for me to reach back and unscrew the metal track. I guess if I can figure out how to remove the track that would be one way of removing the drawer but I would rather try to remove the drawer without tempering with the track.


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Danish-homestore.com
(@danish-homestore-com)
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Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 903
10/07/2014 1:42 pm  

Expanded wood
Hi guyinSf
I often have the problem when wood expands due to damp / warping or heat.
If you can wiggle the drawer slightly side to side or up and down as you draw it out you will start to notice it getting tighter as you get to the point where it sticks.
If that is the case the you need to work out if it was damp or heat that caused this.
Get some silicone lubricant and spray it along the drawer side and cabinet wall, all while working the drawer in and out to spread the lubricant.
If you get the drawer out then look down the sides and see if you locate where it drags.
Sand or scrape the wood with a carpenters blade until you have it loose enough to slide in and out with ease.
You may need to plane the top and bottom of the drawer sidewalls if the drawer cant move up and down in the opening but as you have a metal runner holding it then this is much less likely.
Patience is the key and my money will be on one or both side walls have warped.


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Riki
 Riki
(@riki)
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Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 1395
10/07/2014 9:53 pm  

Can you
unscrew the whole back off? It would be much easier to get the track off if you could get at it from behind.


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SDR
 SDR
(@sdr)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 6456
10/07/2014 11:59 pm  

I assume that
the drawer stops suddenly and firmly at one point in its travel ?
The drawer slides on its metal hardware and on the two plastic buttons visible in the second photo. This sort of drawer is loose in its opening; no part of the drawer box comes into contact with the surrounding case.
One possibility is that a screw has come loose and is impeding travel. A more distant yet intriguing possibility is that some foreign object has fallen into the gap between the drawer and the framed panel below it. Imagine a stick of a certain length, lying on the panel and caught between the front rail of that panel and the rear edge of the drawer.
If this is the case, tipping the case on its side or rear would dislodge the object.


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objectworship
(@objectworship)
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Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1185
11/07/2014 2:46 am  

-------+++++++
Try running your hand above the drawer (against the dust-cover) to make sure it's not just a drawer-stop (thing that keeps the drawer from falling on your feet) in your way. This is often just a rectangular piece of plastic that turns on a nail.
Or maybe it just needs a good working, applying constant but varying pressure with thumbs to the edge of the case as you wriggle it out of there
"Kenlin" is the major brand for this sort of hardware if you need to purchase a replacement after you force it free (It may really take some force if you're on the rail but lined up wrong(?)).
Try not to kick it into splinters out of frustration...


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guyinSF
(@guyinsf)
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Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 392
11/07/2014 12:25 pm  

Thanks everyone for your...
Thanks everyone for your input! Really appreciate it! So I fixed it. I figured that it was stuck but with force I could somehow pull it out so I tried and tried and tried and it did come out eventually! When the drawer finally came out I noticed that the very front tip of metal track (on the right side, you know how the track has 2 parallel sides that go up) was severely bent to the left creating a smaller opening at the front than the rest of the track. Because of this the other track that's attached to the underside of the drawer came to a stop when it made contact with that small opening of the bent track that's attached to the dresser. I took a pair of pliers and straightened the bent tip of the track out and now it's fine. Whew!


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