Photo: Photosbychristensen / Flickr

Drawers on old pieces of furniture often get stuck when you’re trying to close them. This is especially the case when hardwood has been used to make the exterior and softwood has been used for the interior sections. By lifting sticking drawers up towards the end of sliding them in, it’s easier to close them. While this indicates the age of a piece, it is also a sign that the runners or the sides have worn down through years of use.

What to do about worn drawers

Check to see if the sides of the drawers are obviously worn. If so, it is possible to rebuild them so that they have their original dimensions. To do this, you will have to cut or shave thin slivers of wood to fit into the damaged areas. You could also make do with wooden ice-cream sticks or wooden tongue depressor sticks.

Once you’ve glued the new sections onto the bottom of the problematic drawer or drawers, sand the surfaces until they are smooth. Finish the job by giving the sanded surfaces a couple of coats of varnish. Once dry, you can make for easier gliding by running a cake of soap over the edges. Alternatively, spray the new edges with some lubricant.

What to do about worn runners

Runners are little strips of wood that stretch from the front to the back in order to support the drawers. For stationary runners, use slivers of wood as you would for worn drawers. For moveable runners, you could try turning them over to allow for a smooth surface.

If this doesn’t work, you can make new runners by measuring out the old runners and cutting some new wood to size. Sometimes this is an easier option than building up the old runners.

Missing stops

If the drawers close well but they go too far into the piece when you close them, it’s probably because the stops are no longer there. It’s not a difficult job to replace them.

Look for the marks left by the original stops as indicated by the difference in patina or some old glue spots. If you can’t find any old markings, measure how deep the drawer is (from front to back). Then measure the same distance on the drawer cavity and mark the end point. Glue stops behind your mark.

The whole job ‑ checklist

If you’re restoring the entire piece of furniture, start by cleaning it with a weak water and ammonia solution or alternatively with paint thinner. Then remove all old repairs that no longer measure up so that you can test for loose joints. Once you’ve looked at the condition of the hardware you can look for missing or broken sections. At this point you would test the stability of the doors and drawers and look for any possible warping on the piece. Test levels and look for any unnecessary decorations and if there is veneer, check its condition.

Tags: furniture