My Dresser Drawer is stuck closed

Question

I have a dresser drawer that is stuck closed without anything inside it blocking it. The inside of the drawer is empty, so I assume it is blocked on the rails somehow, but as far as I can tell I don't have any way to access them.

I've attached pictures I took of the drawer being pulled out and the drawers that are still working around it, and I found this youtube video of someone installing similar drawers and this question concerning similar drawers, but neither really helped in any meaningful way.

Is there some kind of tool I should get to free it up somehow? I've tried pulling back, and pushing up from the bottom and I never felt any give.

Answer 1

Do you see the screws that hold the slide attached to the drawer? One cause of stuck-drawer I've experienced is that those screws can back out far enough that the screw head engages with one of the many holes in the fixed track inside the cabinet.

A possible first step is to understand (figure out) what is mechanically holding the drawer stuck in this position. Several useful tools come to mind.

• your fingers. It appears the space below the stuck drawer is open, and the drawer slide is on the lower edge of the drawer. Feel around all sides of the slide mechanism on both sides. Compare to the feeling of another, non-stuck drawer. Notice the protrusions, dimples, shapes, etc.
• a probe instrument. This might be as simple as a thin piece of wire, a bit of paper or cardstock, etc. Maneuver it into the gap between the fixed and moving pieces of the drawer slide and move it along between the front roller and the drawer roller. Check the slide on each side of the drawer. Do you notice a difference between the two? A difference between these and a non-stuck drawer?
• a visual tool. Maybe low-tech like a pocket mirror and a flashlight, maybe the front or rear camera of a smart phone, or even a borescope/endoscope camera (inexpensive, small, USB digital cameras can be found online at relatively low cost). Inspect the slides visually for any obstruction.

After you've understood how/why the drawer is stuck, or if you decide to proceed blindly, you might try techniques such as prying between the two pieces of the slide to un-bind them, or pushing/pulling harder on the drawer face in hopes of breaking whatever is holding it stuck.

Answer 2

Your problem seems to be is that moisture has gotten to the wood. When you figure out how to dry out the wood and get the draw out coat all the edges in candle wax. It does help to run a dehumidifier sometimes.

Answer 3

I had the same problem as you. Unlike you, though, I have the experience of working my particular piece of furniture and trying to repair the rails.

My bottom drawer got caught. I’m fairly certain it was a screw that was mounting the center of the rail track on my left side. Ultimately, I had to get creative since no one was truly able to help us. I removed the drawer that was above it so I could have easier access and get a closer look at everything. I ended up underwing the front panel of the drawer. This piece of furniture was assembled with screws and wooden dowels. After removing the front panel of the drawer, I slid the bottom panel out of the grooves. I then struggled attempting to unscrew the back panel, but those screws were accessible only via the back. I eventually just keep jiggling the right hand side since it wasn’t stuck. Eventually, after lifting up on the draw, letting go, wiggling left, and shaking right, all on various orders, the remaining pieces of the drawer came out. Victory was ours!

I’ve decided that I will probably buy new rails for the drawers. Depending on the cost, I might just buy a new dresser. What’s important is that I was able to retrieve everything in the drawer.