drawer squeak

[John Smith]

One of the drawers in our built in kitchen cabinets has an awful squeak. There's no way, sans major surgery, to get my head into a place where I can determine exactly where the squeak is coming from.

It's a wooden drawer with plastic wheels that roll in a track on each side. All appears to be lined up well, wheels all seem to roll fine.

Should I just lubricate the hell out of any place I can reach? Suggested lubricant? Vasaline?

[coelacanth2]

I like Elmer's Dri-slide

[Popeye]

wax works wonders on wood'n wheels

[John Smith]

two good ideas. Thanks.

[Mrleft8]

Don't use vaseline! You'll end up with a cat hair encrusted gob of dust and goo!
Are you sure there isn't a mouse stuck in there? could be that every time you use that drawer you're running over it's little mouse toes, and it's screaming in agony......

[Popeye]

candle wax / crayons seems to work , don't know why exactly

pull the drawer out and with an ordinary white stick candle, rub the butt of it all along the edges , top and bottom , sides and inside along the cabinet 'sash'

[Canoez]

Yup. Dry lube would be the choice. Something that will not be messy or attract more dirt. Dry spray Teflon can work well, but be careful with the plastics - whatever the carrier solvent was can have bad effects.

Powdered Moly Lube works well, but is messy as hell and goes EVERYWHERE.

Candle wax is usually a "hard" wax and that's why it can be nice. Apply it and basically polish off the excess. For wood drawer slides at my house we use beeswax and rub with a cloth until the sliding surface has a high polish. My dad made a cherry quarter column chest for both my daughter and son - he likes to do the woodworking but hates to finish. The drawers didn't slide but hung up. I polished the bottom and corner edge with the beeswax and the move like they're on rollers.

[Ron Williamson]

If you are going to wax,apply it to the widest parts and right at the bottom corner of the bit that is on the drawer box.
Also make sure that none of the mounting screws are out and dragging.
Look for places where there is bare metal because normally there is no metal on metal contact ,only nylon rollers on epoxy paint.
R

[Popeye]

i used to have squeaky drawers but not anymore

[David G]

i used to have squeaky drawers but not anymore

Keep 'em well lubed, does ya? :eek:

[David G]

Mr. Smith,

Why won't you tell us your Real Name? ;)

Lubing with a hard wax might do the trick. Metal on metal should, indeed, be checked for.

It's also entirely possible that your drawer guides have reached the end of their life and will need to be replaced. When that happens, often the cabinets and drawer boxes remain perfectly fine, and just the hardware needs to go. A local cabinetmaker can take a look, and tell you what your options are for retrofitting some newer drawer guides. The guides alone will run from about $5 per pair to $50. Multiply that by the number of drawers you have to get the materials cost. If you want to do the work yourself, it's not that hard, and instructions can be had as part of the initial cabinetmaker's consultation.

[Michael D. Storey]

Squeaks aren't all that bad, actually, really, I think.

[Popeye]

nothing worse than binding drawers

[John B]

except that binding feet thing.

[John of Phoenix]

Are you sure there's no way to remove the drawer? I mean, how did it get in there to begin with?

[Ian Marchuk]

I change my drawers every day. They never get to the squeaking stage.
Gets close sometimes.

[paladin]

What Popeye sed...candle wax works great....especially if they izz whale oil candles.

[seanz]

Seal blubber is good too but can attract Killer Whales...........


Candle wax......cheap, clean, effective.

[Rich Jones]

It's possible that the drawer slides have come out of alignment. Most slides have adjustable brackets at the back. Wood drawer could now be rubbing on slide somewhere. Take drawer out and check for evidence of rubbing. Lube wheels with spray silicone.
Best solution: Talk to Jim Ledger and have him build you a new set of cabinets!

[goodbasil]

Just nail it shut. It'll never bother you again.

[LongIslandBoy]

i used to have squeaky drawers but not anymore
WAIT!...I still wanna hear how Popeye solved his problem with his squeaky drawers......on second thought........uhhhh... no...no,maybe not.:D

[John Smith]

candle wax / crayons seems to work , don't know why exactly

pull the drawer out and with an ordinary white stick candle, rub the butt of it all along the edges , top and bottom , sides and inside along the cabinet 'sash'
I got crayons. Is there a preferred color?

[John Smith]

Are you sure there's no way to remove the drawer? I mean, how did it get in there to begin with?

I can pull the drawer out, but I can't figure out where it squeaks, and I can't get my head in there. I can't view anyting of the operation when the drawer is in, so I guess I'll just lubricate everything

[John Smith]

It's possible that the drawer slides have come out of alignment. Most slides have adjustable brackets at the back. Wood drawer could now be rubbing on slide somewhere. Take drawer out and check for evidence of rubbing. Lube wheels with spray silicone.
Best solution: Talk to Jim Ledger and have him build you a new set of cabinets!
I've got a number of candles, too, in a variety of scents.

I seem to remember using candle wax on our sleds when I was a child.

[Popeye]

get your drawers to slide smoothly yet ?

[stevedwyer]

soap up your drawers where they would slide if they didn't squeak.
Otherwise phenolic (slippery plastic) to replace wooden dadoed slides.
Ifn its metal to metal, you may need new wheels.

[John Smith]

get your drawers to slide smoothly yet ?
My wife's still recouping from surgery, and daughter's home with a broken foot, so I've kind of got my hands full at the moment.

[Popeye]

I got crayons.

me too