Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/dresser repair

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Expert: - 4/13/2009


Question
I have solid wood dresser (tall Boy type). It was my grandma's. It's in really good shape except for the drawers. You can tell it has been used. When you pull out the drawers it scrapes. I have looked inside and the drawers and the wood it sits on is worn and the drawer stops are scraping the drawers up. What can I do to fix this? I don't know if I can build up the wood or replace the side runs. I notice the drawer sides are a little worn too. This really is a beautiful dresser.

Answer
Hi Dawn, this is a common problem on older pieces, the drawer runners (basically the drawer sides), get worn down and cause the drawer to impact the other parts of the chest. The drawer slides can wear too, (the inside part the drawers slide on), but typically it's the drawers themselves that wear. The proper way to fix them is to disassemble them and cut the drawer sides down flat and parallel on a table saw,(or one could use a sharp plane) and then glue new pieces on them, of the same species, to rebuild them to the right size again, thereby giving them a whole new edge to run on. This is some fairly advanced woodworking, however, as the drawers need to be handled carefully, and once the new wood has been added, it needs to be planed and fitted so the drawers run smooth and are level from side to side. A good restorer can do this type of work, and it really shouldn't be tremendously expensive....and it really does need to be done right for the longevity and value of the piece. Hope that helps a little, post back if need be- regards- Greg

Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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