Sticky drawers

Because I repair, paint, and refinish so many pieces of furniture I often run into drawers that seriously stick. Most of the pieces of furniture I work with are antique or vintage pieces that have been used and sometimes abused over the years making the drawers hard to open and close. I have found a couple of simple tricks to remedy this problem.

1. If the drawers aren’t terrible, just a little difficult, lubricating is enough to get them functioning well. I usually use paraffin wax, but a candle stick, or bar of soap works just the same. Rub the top, bottom, and sides of the drawer as to coat the surface with a thin layer of wax.

2. If the drawer is a bit more stubborn, and wax isn’t enough to get the job done, a metal file can be used to shave off a layer of wood. If there are any high spots on the drawer focus mainly on those areas. Try to get the surface as flat and smooth as possible. Only file the bottom of the drawers sides. Sometimes the sticky problem can be due to the fact that there is a ton of paint all gummed up on the drawer. A file can be used to remove layers of paint too. After you’ve filed the drawer down a bit follow the waxing instructions listed above.

3. For really stubborn drawers you may need to break out a plainer. (A file will ultimately achieve the same thing, but take a substantial amount of time to get the job done). This tool, if you’ve never used one before, requires a steady hand and smooth, fluid motion. If you’re not careful you could gauge the wood, creating a really uneven surface. Slide the plainer along the bottom of the drawer to remove enough layers of wood so your drawer can fit nicely into your piece of furniture. The final step will be to wax it as in step one listed above.