Materials you'll need:

• Block of wood padded with rag
• Clear finish
• Medium and fine sandpaper
• Dry lubricant spray, graphite or wax candle
• Set of plastic runners or metal slide set
• Hardboard or plywood
• Drawer kit
• PVA glue
• Drawer handle

Tools you'll need:

· Flat bladed kitchen tool
· Plane
· Hammer
· Screwdriver

Few problems can be as frustrating or time consuming to remedy as sticking drawers. Here are some steps you can take.

Getting the drawer out.

1. If contents are preventing the drawer from opening, try to insert a flat-bladed kitchen toot into whatever gap you can open and push down whatever is in the way. When you have the drawer open, remove the offending contents.

2. Wood swollen by moisture needs other remedies. If the drawer is a middle one, remove the drawer above it and try to push drawer out using a hammer and padded block of wood.

3. If the drawer is a top one you may have to remove the back of the furniture. Have a helper pull at the handles (not too hard or the whole front may come away) while you gently tap at the ends of the drawer with a hammer and padded block of wood.

If the drawer sticks only in humid weather, let it dry out for several days then remove the drawer and coat with a clear finish such as shellac, varnish or lacquer on all surfaces to seal out moisture.

If it sticks in dry weather, turn the drawer upside down, scrape or sand the bottom lightly, and spray runners and drawer with a suitable dry lubricant.

To slide really well, the drawer should be parallel at back and front. The runners (the parts against which the drawer slides) should also be a fraction wider at the back than at the front (about 3mm).

A problem with wooden drawers can be seen when they are placed on a flat surface. All four corners may not touch the level surface. The cause can be faulty workmanship or the use of improperly seasoned timber, which has twisted in drying. The high parts can be planed off to alleviate this problem. Plane off a little wood from the high spots then try the drawer. If it still sticks, plane off a little more wood at the parts, which are rubbing. Try to avoid removing wood from the front drawer or runners, making the drawer too small and an obvious bad fit. Smooth the sides, top and bottom with medium then fine sandpaper and treat the drawer sides and runners with dry lubricant or rub with candle wax or a little graphite.

New runners.

If the runners themselves are worn they can be replaced with new slide sets, or plastic runners. Plastic runners are screwed to the frame of the furniture, secured with the beak section facing down, at the front of the unit. They should be about 16mm larger than the width of the drawer to ensure smooth running. A drawer slide set comprises a left and right hand slide and a set of roller guides. Fit the slides to the side frames and the rollers to the drawer itself. The drawer will then be easily removed and replaced, and can be opened to its fullest extent without failing out.

Kit drawers.

Building new drawers is a job for a skilled carpenter, but many types are now sold as kits, which the handyman can assemble. You can buy just the drawer units alone or with frames for use inside wardrobes and similar installations. One of the easiest to assemble is a PLASTIC’ KIT. The sides, back and front are of pre-cut plastic with grooves for the baseboard. To assemble, cut a baseboard to size from plywood or hardboard and glue into the groove of the back section using PVA glue. The other three sides are then wrapped around the base and secured by tapping pre-fitted dowel plugs into the corresponding holes. Finish the drawer by screwing on a handle or add a front panel to match surrounding furniture.