My drawers are too tight!!!!!!

[Larry Browning]

I am making an armoire that has some drawers. I have never made drawers before, but they don't look so hard. Anyway, the drawer box is supposed to fill the entire opening with 1/16 inch clearance on all sides. I carefully measured about 16 times and got the fronts and backs just the right size, I put the boxes together and 2 of the drawers sides rub badly as I slide them in and out. It seems that the sides have a slight outward bow to them. There is no face frame and the drawers are inset into the cabinet setting flush with the front of the cabinet. Therefore the drawer rubs the side of the cabinet the full length of movement making it very hard to slide in and out.
I have been using a belt sander to flatten out the bow. Now this has helped some and I think I can get to eventually work, but I was wondering if anyone might have another idea as to how to fix this.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Hand plane the sides and wax them.

Hope this helps.

Jack

[Alan Turner]

You are experiencing why it takes so long to cut, build, and fit a drawer.

For your next project, I will offer a few suggestions. When measuring, use the opening to size the parts, not a ruler. That way they will fit. Spend some time getting each of the ends of all 4 pieces dead nuts square. For this I use a shooting board and hand plane. Squaring properly is a critical step. For the sides especially, be sure that they are straight, and without warp, twist or bow. For this part, I generally rough cut/resaw my drawer sides at the start of a project, sticker them, and let them move over the next several days or weeks (or months), and then reflatten. Then, when you are layhing out the drawer parts for each drawer, orient the grain of the sides so that you can hand plane from front to back for the final fit.

But, none of that helps you now. Use a hand plane, or your belt sander, and grind them to shape so that they slide adequately. If you are going to finish the drawer sides, and the inside of the carcase, now is the time. Use shellac or lacquer, a thin coat, sand it back with 320, and then a second light coat. Neither finish will smell inside the case. Then, use wax on top of the finish, and it will make quite a difference.

Best of luck. Drawers are some of my favorite things to build. I generally allocate 8 hours per drawer when estimating time, and sometimes it takes longer than that, per drawer.

Alan

[Keith Christopher]

If you've sanded the sides to remove the bow I wonder if they're square. slide the drawers in and out a little and then remove them and look for the "shiney" rub spots and plane them or sand them down a little.


Keith

[Mark Singer]

It usually happens to me right after the Super Bowl...? Maybe chips and salsa...or the quesadias....:mad:

[Ed Hardin]

All of the advice given here is first class. Now, I'll say what all of you were dying to say but stayed on topic and were nice. PULL'EM DOWN.

[Stefan Antwarg]

Definitely try waxing all contact points. I had the same problem after making a drawer and wax did the trick.

Stefan

[Ken Salisbury]

NOTHING GOES RIGHT WHEN YOUR DRAWERS ARE TIGHT

The last time I had that problem, I just switched the brand of my drawers.


http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/misc/walmart.jpg


SORRY - Just in a humorous mood tonight


http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/misc/moderator.gif

[Karl Laustrup]

NOTHING GOES RIGHT WHEN YOUR DRAWERS ARE TIGHT



The last time I had that problem, I just switched the brand of my drawers.

SORRY - Just in a humorous mood tonight




http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/misc/moderator.gif
Are you moonlighting at WalMart as a greeter now, Ken? :D :D

[Mark Stutz]

Still LOL no matter how many times I've seen that picture!

[Jerry Olexa]

Switch to boxers...:D

[Richard McComas]

NOTHING GOES RIGHT WHEN YOUR DRAWERS ARE TIGHT

The last time I had that problem, I just switched the brand of my drawers.


http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/misc/walmart.jpg


SORRY - Just in a humorous mood tonight


http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/misc/moderator.gifI'm sorry too!! :eek:

[Earl Kelly]

Larry, if the drawer bottom is not glued in completely, try placing a clamp across the drawer at the bottom where it's bowed and see if it will pull in any at all. If so glue some small corner blocks and allow overnite drying. That should take care of any bow at the sides. Of course if the bottom is already firmly glued in this will not work.

[Larry Browning]

Larry, if the drawer bottom is not glued in completely, try placing a clamp across the drawer at the bottom where it's bowed and see if it will pull in any at all. If so glue some small corner blocks and allow overnite drying. That should take care of any bow at the sides. Of course if the bottom is already firmly glued in this will not work.


Earl,
I have tried this on one of the drawers, except I just drove a brad or two into the edge of the bottom. I like your idea better. I could make some little 1/4 inch glue blocks and glue them in place. This will help some but I think I will still need to sand them down. The only hand plane I have is a small low angle block plane and that might not work so well, or would it?

Larry

[Steve Clardy]

I skim the drawer box side on the table saw. About a 32 second. An inch up from the bottom. Your side mounted slide will cover that cut up.