Basket case project

[Bill Carey]

I found this in my brothers basement. basket case.jpgMy Dad bought it for my Mom in this condition about 50 years ago and never got around to the rebuilding. So I figured it would make a nice gift for one of my girls. There are no labels or anything on it but there are a few things I have questions about. Are these screws that have eroded? Or nails with a slot? screw nails.jpg The entire piece is held together with them. ANd there are these guides, I guess, on the bottom rails of the drawer openings. drawer thingy.jpg I'm hoping that someone can make a better judgment than I about the age of this basket case. All the parts are there except a portion of the top. SHould be a fun little project.

[David Kreuzberg]

The fasteners were driven in like nails at the factory, in order to save time. They could then be removed later, using the slot.

[Dave Richards]

Those rails would be the runner for the drawer above and the kicker for the drawer below. The kicker prevents the front of the drawer from dropping when it is pulled out. That's traditional construction for drawer cases.

Looks like a fun project.

[Bill Dufour]

Those slotted nails look like the are driven in like a nail but the head is offset. That means if turned with a screw driver the head cams around to move things? That is a total guess I have never seen such fasteners.
Also if you can rotate a nail with screwdriver it is not tight enough to be holding things together. maybe they were used the way I said but just enough force was needed to keep it tight until the glue dried?
Bill D

[Bill Carey]

I was asking about the little thumb nail shaped metal. My guess is that it was a stop to keep the drawer from being pulled all the way out.
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[Bill Carey]

Hey David - any idea of the time period?

[Kurt Cady]

Those thumbnail stops are stops to keep the drawer from being in too far and keep it flush with the case