Keeping drawer from tipping?

[Keri Gollance]

Hello

I am building an ottoman with a built in drawer. However when the drawer is fully extended the box tips forward. Any suggestions to keep the back weighted down -as rebuilding is not really an option at this point. Are there wood weights that exist to attach to the underside for support? Any suggestions welcome. I don't want to have to anchor it to the floor.

Thank you
Keri (obviously a novice woodworker :)

[Dave Richards]

What are you using for drawer guides? Any chance of a photo or two?

[Keri Gollance]

Hi

I am using full extension drawer glides. Pic attached.296964296965

[Steve Peterson]

How much space is there behind the drawer? That would be the best place to add weight, however it looks like the drawer would have to be an inch shorter to add any significant weight. I have some store bought particle board file cabinets with two 1" thick pieces of particle board on the back wall, plus there is an interlock to only allow one drawer to be open at a time.

Adding weight to the bottom is a second option. Another minor option is the 1/2" space created by the slides might allow about 3/8" of weight.

Steve

[Keri Gollance]

Yes - you are correct there is not space on the back but there is room on the sides and bottom.

Thank you

[Bruce Page]

You also have to factor in any weight that is stored in the drawer. Maybe a slight redesign to the drawer front to allow a small castor wheel under the drawer for support.

[Cary Falk]

I have heard of people using lead plates. You could also use the plates that weight lifters use. You can get individual plates at sports authority, etc.

[Rick Lizek]

I would use two way drawer slides. That way you could access it either side and not worry about weighting the ottoman down.

[Dave Richards]

Would it be out of the question to make the top a hinged lid instead? Get rid of the drawer and provide access through the top.

[Sam Murdoch]

Yes - you are correct there is not space on the back but there is room on the sides and bottom.

Thank you

...and above the drawer below the actual top. All good places to stash your gold coins. :). Not being a wise guy, just agreeing that you need to add counterbalance. One of my first pieces was a "very nice" 2 drawer file cabinet that nearly broke my client's foot the first time she opened it fully loaded :eek:. Who knew :confused:. Well lesson learned and weights added to that one. My client was very understanding :rolleyes:.

[Vince Shriver]

You could cut the drawer down from the back to make room for the barbell weight somebody suggested, and/or install shorter slides with the shorter drawer. Another possibility is to make a base for it, under which you could put some weight. Also, unless full extension is an absolute MUST, you could change them to 3/4 extension. Personally I think I'd just leave it alone.

[Keith Weber]

You could weight it with metal or lead, but I agree with Vince - I'd switch the slides to 3/4-extension. To me, it looks a little weird full-open with a full extension drawer, anyway. I think it would look better with a 3/4-extension drawer. With a 3/4-extension drawer, if you were still having problems with it tipping, you could always shorten the length of the drawer and add some weight behind. With the current slides, shortening the length of the drawer would cause it to appear over-extended when opened all the way (which would make it look even worse.) Just my opinion, others' may vary.

[Mike Henderson]

Another approach is to put an extra leg on the ottoman - a leg attached to the drawer and with a roller or felt at the bottom of the leg. That way, when you pull the drawer out, it will be supported.

A more sophisticated approach is to split the two legs on the drawer side, with the inside half attached to the drawer and with a roller or felt on the bottom of the inside half.

Mike

[Kent A Bathurst]

Hello

I am building an ottoman with a built in drawer. However when the drawer is fully extended the box tips forward. Any suggestions to keep the back weighted down -as rebuilding is not really an option at this point. Are there wood weights that exist to attach to the underside for support? Any suggestions welcome. I don't want to have to anchor it to the floor.

Thank you
Keri (obviously a novice woodworker :)

Huh. Well -

1] Everyone here is a Reformed Novice Woodworker. Never apologize for that, Ken.
2] I have never seen that happen with full-extension glides. I use them regularly - actually, I generally go with over-extension. What brand/model do you have?
3] Doe sit matter in a functional way - is there something interfering with something else?
4] Or, does it simply look wrong, but works fine?
5] If it works fine, then walk away.
6] If there is a functional problem - that dang drawer won't work - you can put a stop inside that prevents the drawer from extending beyond the point where it works properly.
7] Adding weights seems to me to be treating the symptom, not the disease.


Again - I am wondering why this is happening in the first place, and would love to get the info from #2 above.

[Jim Matthews]

I have a similar problem, also with a large drawer.

Mine is traditionally built, and will be retrofitted with side runners.
Sean Hughto suggested using a waxy wood like Teak to bear on
a fixed part of the drawer.

To retrofit yours, I would put some sort of stop inside the cabinet
that fits over the drawer sides - something like an "L" bracket.

That could be held on with just a screw, if you needed to remove the drawer in the future.

I would put it on such that the drawer only makes contact at full extension, when the guides flex.

If you have sufficient clearance, something as simple as a small wooden door pull would work.

[glenn bradley]

A couple options to consider. . .

If the ottoman is to be easily moved about for the most comfortable "feet-up" use, a lot of weight is going to e a bother. change to drawer glides that are shorter and do not allow the drawer to be opened to the tipping point; a false back in the drawer would avoid stuff moving to the back and being difficult to access.

If the drawer's capacity outweighs (sorry I couldn't resist) the need for mobility, run to the scrap iron yard and have them cut you some 3/8" plate to a size that would fit inside the carcass, top to bottom and about halfway from front to back. Drill some holes and mount these inside the carcass between the drawer sides and the interior.

[Lee Schierer]

I think what he is trying to say is that the Ottoman tips when the drawer is pulled out. The only solution is to add enough weight to counter balance the drawer and contents.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I think what he is trying to say is that the Ottoman tips when the drawer is pulled out. The only solution is to add enough weight to counter balance the drawer and contents.


Ohhhhh - didn't pick up on that.

Yep. Weight it down.