Expert: Jamie Yocono - 1/18/2008

Question
Hi,

I have a bed with drawers underneath it. In the course of 3 months, each drawer, which is held up off the floor by the bed, has fallen out of its track with a mini rainstorm of ball bearings following it. I have tried putting the ball bearings back in but for the life of me can not figure out how to do it or if it is even possible.

Is this possible or do I have to replace the tracks? Also, I tried to see if I would be able to replace it on my own. The tracks on the sides of the drawer are fitted into a carved out groove in the side of the drawer and rather than what I would describe as a nail or screw, it is fixed in with what kind of looks like a bolt with no way to remove it.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Answer
Hi Amy,

Not sure if I can help you, but I'll try.

It's possible that there was some sort of end piece or clip that kept those ball bearings in place. When they came raining out, your drawer slide became useless... well, I don't have to tell you that, you know it!

It's pretty hard to put the bearings back in, so I suspect you're going to have to buy new drawer slides and install them.  I am pretty sure that the rivet you see doesn't have anything to do with the installation; that is, I think it's just a rivet on the drawer slide that you see, maybe part of the manufacturing process to make it.

The first step is to remove it. After you do that, we'll try to locate a replacement.

Sometimes it's hard to see installation screws, there may be a movable part that can be slid to the front or to the back, thereby exposing the screw.  I think you're going to have to climb down into that drawer cavity with a flashlight and poke around until you find those screws,

When you take them out, if possible, I'd like you to take a picture of the glide and send it to me. You can send any images to jamie@wooditis.com

I'll take a look at it and try to find a replacement.

If you look at this web page, you can learn about drawer slides, and see the various types available: http://www.rockler.com/CategoryView.cfm?Cat_ID=41

Also, this article should be helpful to you:  http://www.woodcraft.com/articles.aspx?articleid=379

Some things to think about- you purchase drawer glides by their length, by how much they extend (3/4 extension, full extension, over travel, etc.), by the weight they can carry, and then by the type of roller them employ (ball bearings, roller, for example). So there are going to be a lot of choices once you get that old broken one out.

Unfortunately, the big hardware stores don't give you a lot of selection in drawer slides, so I don't think you're going to find what you need there. But if you have a custom furniture maker who works near you, they might be willing to sell you one. I've done that many times, so you might want to start looking for a woodworker in your area.

Oh- I just thought of this- I belong to an international group of woodworkers called The Furniture Society. You might want to go to our site, and do a member search for a woodworker in your area. The site is www.furnituresociety.org.

I'll wait to get those pictures, I think we'll be able to fix this problem without too much trouble.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com