mchild Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 I recently purchased an armoire that I found some structural issues after getting it home. I have resolved the structural issue but I now have a problem with the two drawers that are in the base cabinet under the upper clothes closet. On each drawer, the back inside corner of the drawer is lower than the rest of the drawer by about 5/8”. Upon careful examination, I see that the fronts of the drawers are warped with the top inside edge of the drawer front rolled back which was caused when the back corner of the inside drawer side panel was forced down from the weight of the clothes closet above. The drawer construction is dovetail and all joints are still tight. I believe the front wood is mahogany while the three sides and slide in drawer bottom are oak. The drawers distorted when the weight of the upper clothes closet caused the rear center portion of the base to sag. There was insufficient support across the back of the five-foot length of the piece (no center leg as there is in the front) and so the center back of the lower cabinet has sagged 5/8”. As this center section sagged over the years it put stress on the inside back corners of the two drawers and they have now taken that set. Now that I have the back of the base fixed the drawers no longer will slide in due to their distorted nature. I am looking for suggestions on the best way to reverse the distortion in order to allow the drawers to slide in and out properly. Thank you for any help or suggestions you can provide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I wouldnt try to fix the drawers unless it was a valuable piece. If you want to keep the faces looking the same that is doable, just by turning the old face into a veneer for a new face with new drawer box. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Are you sure about the warped? Any possibility the drawers maybe wracked? The dovetail joints are probably held with old hide glue. Simply loosen up the joints and re-glue square. That pic is of the drawer side correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchild Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 dwacker - I had that thought early on but the purchaser (wife) said she didn't like that idea. I'll have to hold that idea in my back pocket for right now. Ace - Looking across the front face of the drawers (the left drawer more so than the right) I can see some twist in the face wood. Since the seams are all tight I don't see how one back corner could be dropped as much as it is without there being some movement from the face to allow for it. Drawers wracked? I assume you mean no longer square? The left drawer off 1/8" in a corner to corner measure while the right drawer is a bit more at 3/8". In answer to your question, yes the pic is of the left drawer placed upside down and shows what is the right side (inside when drawer is installed). I placed it upside down to show the gap against the flat surface. Thank you both for your responses and suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 I think I understand now. Are you able to hand plane the drawer bottoms to fit them in the case? Then glue a tapered shim(s) on the drawer frame to either or both sides to compensate and adjust drawer fit when closed. When you made your repairs, make sure your drawer frames are square to the case. If the drawer frame is not square. You will be fighting that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchild Posted March 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Ace, I have had trouble getting to the site for the last couple of days. No other web site problems - maybe they have had some server issues. Thanks for the idea about planing. Not sure it would work as there is only about 3/8" of wood below the channel that the bottom slides into. I have taken some addition pics of the two drawers to help show the distortion. 1. One is with the two drawers together with the top edge of the faces lined up. No distortion evident along the top edge of the faces. 2. The next picture is of the outside drawer sides together. No distortion evident along these surfaces. 3. This pic is of the outsides down on a table and showing that compared to a refernce line there is no distortion of the faces. 4. This shows the insides of the drawers together and this is where the distortion is evident. 5. With this laast pic is hsows the inside drawers sides down and distortion of the faces is evident against a reference line. The distortion of the faces is about 3/16" while the back edge of the sides is down about 5/8" of an inch. To bring the back corner up it seems like the faces are going to have to be brought back to where they belong. Any chance of putting the drawer in a "humid" enviroment and with clamps pulling it to a flat surhace slowly bring the sides and the face back to where it is supposed to be. Just a thought. And again thank you for any insight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preeng2 Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 As Ace already suggested, the drawers are probably glued with hide. I would disassemble with damp heat, clean up the joints with some hot water and dry fit them back together to see if it can be pulled back into square when clamped. If so, then you can simply re-glue with hide and clamp square. Once they are square, they should remain that way since you have taken the carcass and squared that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchild Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 As Ace already suggested, the drawers are probably glued with hide. I would disassemble with damp heat, clean up the joints with some hot water and dry fit them back together to see if it can be pulled back into square when clamped. If so, then you can simply re-glue with hide and clamp square. Once they are square, they should remain that way since you have taken the carcass and squared that up. I have to admit I am not familiar with hide. Is this a water based glue? You suggest I use it when reassembling - anything special about it? If I don't curretnly have gaps between the sides and the face, is it possible that once apart it will go back together square I appologize for all these questons, but I am sure it is clear I have never traveled this path before. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preeng2 Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Animal hide glue is completely reversible, unlike modern PVA glues which are very difficult to undue a joint bond. You can do a search for "hot hide glue" to do some reading on the subject. http://prorestorers.org/notes/hideGlue.htm If your drawer has been constructed with hide glue, it will be reasonably easy to take apart and reassemble. Dry hide glue is mixed with water and then dissolved by heating, this is known as hot hide glue. There is also a "liquid hide" glue that is commercially available from Titebond and another called Old Brown Glue. They both will behave as the hot hide version, with the added advantage of a longer open time. My guess is that the joints have become out of square , I doubt that the wood has been twisted by the out of alignment of the case. If your drawer has been glued with hide, it would probably take that out of square set over time. Hide glue is some nifty stuff, especially when doing restoration work. Do some reading and I think you will see what the advantages are, especially if your drawer was glued with hide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchild Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Animal hide glue is completely reversible, unlike modern PVA glues which are very difficult to undue a joint bond. You can do a search for "hot hide glue" to do some reading on the subject. http://prorestorers....es/hideGlue.htm If your drawer has been constructed with hide glue, it will be reasonably easy to take apart and reassemble. Dry hide glue is mixed with water and then dissolved by heating, this is known as hot hide glue. There is also a "liquid hide" glue that is commercially available from Titebond and another called Old Brown Glue. They both will behave as the hot hide version, with the added advantage of a longer open time. My guess is that the joints have become out of square , I doubt that the wood has been twisted by the out of alignment of the case. If your drawer has been glued with hide, it would probably take that out of square set over time. Hide glue is some nifty stuff, especially when doing restoration work. Do some reading and I think you will see what the advantages are, especially if your drawer was glued with hide. Thanks for your comments. After the previous comments I had done a little looking around on hide glue, but I will do more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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