Replies

1. 
   jackplane | Jan 29, 2003 11:46pm | #1

   Epoxy might work,if not applied right,very difficult to remove.

   I'd cut a channel out of a good hardwood, say maple, leaving an angle-iron type relief.Then glue and pin these level to support the drawers.You'd also need to plane or rip the drawer edges to match.And don't forget to wax.

2. 
   johnhardy | Jan 30, 2003 01:52am | #2

   Are the runners on the bottom of the drawers? I ask because some drawers have runners on the sides which go inside grooves (dadoes) cut into the sides of the drawers.

   Assuming the runners are at the bottom of the drawer, I'd get some veneer and place enough on each side, at the back, so that you can figure out how much wood to add. It should be an easy computation to figure out how to cut an angled piece of wood which starts at zero thickness and ends up the thickness of the veneer. Or, you could use one veneer strip as long as the drawer, minus an inch or so, and use other pieces of veneer to shim it up when it gets to the point where you need more thickness. It shouldn't take long per drawer.

   John

1. 
   JDBoston | Jan 30, 2003 02:17am | #3

   The runners are under the drawers.  But they are a good two inches wide and the groove that has been worn into them is only the half inch wide width of the drawer sides.   So I can't see the grooves on a profile basis; I can only look down into them. 

1. 
   johnhardy | Jan 30, 2003 02:28am | #4

   This would make it easier for you to use a veneer approach. Just cut the veneer in strips that are as wide as the groove. I'd simply play around with how many to use at various places in the grooves and then "install" them.

   The issue is this ... the piece is an antique and if you do something permanent that detracts from the true value of the piece you'll probably regret it.

   What you might be able to do is use the veneer approach and attach the veneer with double sided tape, which is inserted into the groove before the veneer. The veneer layers could be glued to themselves and the fix could be later removed if you desired to do so.

   John

3. 
   SgianDubh | Jan 30, 2003 08:12am | #5

   JD, it's an entirely standard repair, and common for old furniture and for antique restorers to do. If you can't get the back of the cabinet off-- highly unlikley, you just have to work from the front.

   Cut a new runner to an appropriate width. Place it over the worn section. Mark around it. Cut to the marked line with a saw, e.g., a tenon saw-- it's hard to do, but do-able. Chisel and rout (with a hand router and chisel planes of one sort or another) the waste out to an even depth. Fit the new runner into the groove thus formed. Plane the new runner to an appropriate thickness and glue it in place. Maybe add a bit of candle wax after to help the drawer bottom slide.

   The chances are that if you have to replace the runner in the cabinet, you need to replace the bottom edge of the drawer side too. Cut off a strip from the worn bottom edge of the drawer side. Even it up. Attach a new drawer side bottom edge with glue. Plane to the appropriate size, and fit. You may also have to do some work on the drawer bottom slips too if the drawer was a high quality drawer and therefore made this way with the aforementioned slips

   This kind of work relies heavily on hand tools and hand skills, and it's second nature to a restorer, but it sounds like it may be a bit new to you. Experiment with the above lightly described technique on just one drawer first to get the idea. If you feel out of your depth, and the piece is actually valuable rather than just being old-- a lot of old furniture is virtually worthless both historically and monetarily, even if it has genuine sentimental value-- contact a skilled and experienced restorer. Slainte.

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