Drawers. How to fix them

Drawers in older pieces are frequently problematic; fortunately a few of the less serious problems are relatively simple to repair and are mostly caused by wear, shrinkage or glue failure. Let’s tackle the latter first; this will probably be failure of the glue to the front or back dovetails, or both. If these are loose, gently knock the components apart. Having first removed the fixing’s to the drawer bottom if necessary (method described later). If there is resistance apply hot water to the joint, you can do this with a paintbrush if the joint is partially open. If not drape a hot wet cloth over the joint; sufficiently wet that water will penetrate the joint. Leave for a few minutes to soften the glue before trying again. You may need to use a hot iron to get steam to enter the joint if really stubborn. Once apart wash joints thoroughly with warm water and a small brush to remove dirt and old glue deposits. Take care not to damage any polished surface. Leave to dry overnight. Try the joints for fit, if they are close fitting well and good, if not have some small pieces of veneer or similar to hand. Apply a little glue to each socket and pin of the joint. A word here about glue: Use only liquid hide glue on older furniture; it will be compatible with glue left in the pores of the timber and will also make any future repair easier. Modern P V A and aliphatic glues have no right to be anywhere near antique furniture and are a recipe for expensive restoration bills sooner rather than later. Tap the joint gently but firmly home. If the joint is loose place a small piece of veneer cut to size between the tail and pin of the dovetail. Now clamp firmly in place using a block to protect the timber of the drawer. If you don’t have clamps, webbing straps the type with a ratchet for lashing loads are inexpensive and can be used with blocks placed in appropriate positions to hold the joints firmly. Always wax blocks and packers to ensure they don’t stick to the drawer. Check with a tape from corner to corner to make sure the drawer is square. Better still, use cut battens of the right length also from corner to corner to maintain and hold square while clamped.
Shrinkage will most commonly affect the drawer bottom, commonly causing a gap between the drawer front and the leading edge of the drawer bottom. Bottoms are generally cut over length to counter this problem and it will usually only be necessary to move the bottom forward. Do this by placing a thin wide bladed tool between the bottom of the drawer back and the drawer bottom and gently prize apart a ¼’’to ½’’ inch will generally do the trick. If you now press the drawer bottom back into position the heads of the fixing nails will be left proud and can easily be removed with pincers. I’m assuming here that the original fixings are intact and not rusted solid or having being replaced by a forest of the ubiquitous panel pin. If any of these alternatives are present you must adapt your methods for removal. Sometimes it is easier to sink a rusted nail or panel pin whose head is buried, with a pin punch than try to remove it and damage the surface of the wood. Once we finally have the drawer bottom free, it will only be a question of sliding it forward and re-fixing. It’s always preferable to re-fix with 2 or 3 screws pre-drilled and countersunk, than to re-fix with nails. ¾’’ No 6 brass, slot headed, probably being the right size and best choice.
Wear can be a little more troublesome especially if it relates to drawer bottoms or the runners in the casework itself. This is probably a job for a competent restorer. A little easier to deal with, is a sloppy fit in the width, caused by wear (this can also be the result of shrinkage) although frequently by worn, loose or missing drawer guides. These are fitted beside or slightly above the drawer runners and guide the path of the drawer, when moved in or out. If worn it may be necessary to glue a shim to the existing guide, be sure to clean off any old wax or dirt first. Washing with warm soapy water is the preferred method and leave to dry. Extra time spent gauging the thickness of the shim needed will be well rewarded and remember you must shim each side so that you do not alter the line of the drawers run. . Always try out and test by placing the shims in place and testing the drawer fit before finally gluing up. You may need to tape the shims in place while testing. Please don’t use nails or pins to secure the shims, eventually through continued wear the nail heads would be exposed and cut groves in the sides of the drawer. You will most likely need blocks to hold the shims flat while the glue dries; wax as before and hold in place with sprung sticks. These are pieces of flexible timber such as doweling or small section square stock say 1/4'' x 1/4'' cut about an 1/8'' more in length than the distance between the shims and blocks. Simply flex between the blocks and let go making sure all is in the correct position. These will achieve sufficient clamping force to complete the job.

Another common fault are missing or worn guides which fit above the drawer, sometimes these are simply the bottom of the runners for the drawer above or in the case of a top drawer, part of the side rail of the case or a block, glued under the top of the piece. If any of the above is worn or missing this will result in the front of the drawer dropping when extended. Rectification will be much as described for the side runners, with any necessary modifications for size and position being made. Another very common drawer fault, which you are almost certainly to encounter, is the loss or severe wear of drawer stops. Usually located below the drawer on one of the transoms, although some may be above. These catch the drawer front and stop the face of the drawer from sinking past the line of the case front. Sometimes you will find someone has re-fixed a stop with nails and these have cut into the bottom of the drawer, this should be removed and replaced. It’s important that you replace a missing or damaged stop as soon as discovered, as serious damage can result from continued neglect. You will find it quite a simple matter to cut a new stop by copying the pattern of those that exist. This will generally be a small block of hardwood, with the grain running along it’s length about two inches by one and a quarter and tapering along the short edges towards the back probably about a quarter inch thick. Cleaning the fixing site should be as described earlier making sure all old glue is removed. You may find the makers original mark for the position of the stop, if so place the front (longest edge) of the stop against this line. If you are unable to determine the exact position for the stop you must mark this out yourself. If you have a marking gauge set this to the thickness of the drawer front and transfer this distance to the transom about a ¼ the width of the drawer in from the side of the drawer opening. If you don’t have a marking gauge, you can make one up with a couple of blocks of wood and a small nail.
A rubbed joint will be all that is required for fixing: Apply liquid hide glue to the stop, place in position and rub up and down in the direction of the grain only about a half inch in each direction, until you feel a slight grab. Now finally position accurately to the mark and leave to set.

I know the above will fall short of covering all the many variations you may encounter; therefore you may need to employ some imagination and inventiveness. If, however, you are unable to solve your problem, please write in or email and perhaps we may find a solution.