Sticky Drawer Slides

[Steve B Anderson]

I built a mission style end table a couple of years ago. The drawer sides are pine and the runners are QS White Oak. I applied Johnson paste wax to both the drawer side grooves and to the runners and it operated smooth as silk until recently, it started being sticky. I reapplied Johnson paste wax to the grooves and runners and it is still sticky and not smooth as before.

Any suggestions on what I should do would be greatly appreciated.

Steve

[wtnhighlander]

Humidity changes making parts swell tight? Might need to plane of a thou or two.

[treeslayer]

Ross may be right but after a couple of years I suspect the wax got hard or something of that nature, have you tried scraping the old wax off and reapplying?

[curlyoak]

Check the drawer side dado grooves for wear.

[Steve B Anderson]

I built the piece in high humidity ( living in south center Texas) so I don’t think that swelling is the issue, it’s not a tight feeling just sticky. I will try scraping off the old wax. Should I be using a different wax for this application?

 

[treeslayer]

I’ve never used wax Steve, but only because I bought a can of Slip-It a long time ago and it’s worked really good for me. 

[Steve B Anderson]

1 minute ago, treeslayer said:

I’ve never used wax Steve, but only because I bought a can of Slip-It 

Should I scrap the old wax and apply Slip-It?

[treeslayer]

Well I think the old wax will have to come off either way. Once that is done I’d check the fit and if it seems good, meaning slides good but needs to slide smoother I would give Slip- it a try or reapply wax and see if you’re good to go

[Steve B Anderson]

2 minutes ago, treeslayer said:

Well I think the old wax will have to come off either way. Once that is done I’d check the fit and if it seems good, meaning slides good but needs to slide smoother I would give Slip- it a try or reapply wax and see if you’re good to go

Thanks- I will try to remove the old wax and see what happens. I will report my findings back to this thread for future reference. Thanks for the advice 

Steve

[Wimayo]

Try some of this.

[Steve B Anderson]

11 minutes ago, Wimayo said:

Try some of this.

Thanks Wimayo, but I’m sure I don’t have enough clearance to apply any type of tape to the rails. I spent hours fitting the rails to the slots to make a perfect fit. I do have a project next in line that will have two drawers that I will consider using a tape that you recommended.

Thanks for your recommendation.

[Tom King]

I use Renaissance Wax for bare wood that stuff slides on, like stops in old windows.  It's very inert, but has silicone in it, so it really is slick, and stays slick for years.  I've never known it to become sticky.  I end up using it for more things than I can even remember.  It's not cheap, but is great stuff. 

[Steve B Anderson]

8 minutes ago, Tom King said:

I use Renaissance Wax for bare wood that stuff slides on, like stops in old windows.  It's very inert, but has silicone in it, so it really is slick, and stays slick for years.  I've never known it to become sticky.  I end up using it for more things than I can even remember.  It's not cheap, but is great stuff. 

Thanks Tom for your  professional opinion. I will definitely look into the Renaissance wax for my next project.

[Ronn W]

I use parafin instead of wax - just an alternative that works for me.  Also, is it possible that, the drawer sides have cupped just a little.  If you had a really exact fit before, just a little bow or cup could cause your problem.  Good luck.

[Coop]

42 minutes ago, Tom King said:

I use Renaissance Wax ..... I end up using it for more things than I can even remember.  

[curlyoak]

I use paraffin. I need to look into Renaissance Wax.

[Wimayo]

12 hours ago, Steve B Anderson said:

Thanks Wimayo, but I’m sure I don’t have enough clearance to apply any type of tape to the rails. I spent hours fitting the rails to the slots to make a perfect fit. I do have a project next in line that will have two drawers that I will consider using a tape that you recommended.

Thanks for your recommendation.

Did you check the thickness of the tape; 7 mil (.007"). For me, to get an almost permanent solution, I would be willing to shave a little if necessary.

[Steve B Anderson]

Reporting back on my findings.

I pulled the table top off and removed the drawer. Apparently I had applied too much wax on the last application. Scraped off the old wax and rubbed the slides with a purple scotch brite pad and everything is good now.
I respect the wood movement issues that some of the responses suggested, but in my location in south central Texas, humidity is always present even in the winter so the movement is not as extreme as in other parts of the state or country.

Thanks for all the reply’s and the interest in helping me.

[Coop]

Hey bud! Glad to see ya back and glad you got the problem resolved! 

[Steve B Anderson]

Thanks Coop, this drawer work so well because of your advise when building it.

Thank you for your help.

[Chip Sawdust]

When I lived in Houston back in the stone age, they said this about the weather:

It's either hot, wet and miserable, or cold, wet and miserable.

The humidity is constant for sure. I always said air conditioning is what made Texas the great place it is.

[Steve B Anderson]

Chip you are correct about the weather here. It is hot and wet and cold and wet, humidity is just a part of life here. Even when there is no rain for 4-6 weeks during the deep summer months you can eat the air with a spoon.

Being born and raised here, you just learn how to deal with the weather. I didn’t have AC until I was 15 years old and during those early years I didn’t really need it. Now that I’m older I find myself searching for it everywhere I go. 
it’s really no difference than what our beloved members in the northern parts of the country go through. I see on the news people shoveling snow and clearing snow off of vehicles and think to myself, Wow, I’m glad I don’t have to go through that in the morning.
This is where they were born and raised and this is just a routine they have to go through. They are very proud of their state and towns they live in just like we are here in the Lone Star State.