Expert: Eileen Cronk - 8/6/2006

Question
I have refinished an old dresser, but now as I try to put the drawers back in plcae they dont fit.  they were sticky before, but now they are too difficult to slide to be useful.  the dresser and drawers are totally dry and I did not paint the sliding groves.

Answer
Hi Shannon
Nice to hear from you.
I have had this problem many many times.
If you think about it, these old dresser drawers fit properly when they were made so what the heck happens.
My opinion is moisture from humid conditions, or the dresser has come out of "square" from years of use.
If its moisture, let the dresser sit for a while to see what happens.
Next check to see if its squared..a simple process using a square (a large L shaped piece of metal.)
If both these things are OK, you can try sanding a bit of the interior drawer edges off but check first to see if its the top of the drawer or the bottom thats sticking.
Also try rearranging the drawers in a different hole if they are all the same size. Sometimes this is the problem.
I never had any luck with the "wipe on soap or wax" method but you could try that too.
Get back to me if you need to.
Kindest Regards
Eileen