Wax on
It’s been getting sticky outside and this causes things to stick. Drawers and cabinet doors, mainly. The top drawer in my 200 year old Boston-built Federal dresser is the one that bugs me the most. Every July the wood swells up with the increased humidity and then I can’t get at my clean socks.
Last thing I want to do is plane down the sides of the drawer because I know that in several months when the humidity drops again, the wood will shrink and the drawer will work fine again.
In the meantime, all I have to do is rub the sides of the drawer with a wax candle stub and the drawer will slide as smooth as Ric Silver. Paraffin or bees wax candles work equally well, but colored candles might stain the wood. Red ones do. (Been there.)
And here’s another tip: to make a screw go into wood more easily, pull the threads across that same candle before you drive it in. Works like a charm.
Posted by Jefferson Kolle | Categories: Quick Fixes & Tips | Permalink
(1) Comments
Good tip. I used a sheet sander with 100 grit today today to smooth out a few spots on my wooden back door that give me problems annually. I only needed to take off about 1/16th-inch, which is the paint and a small amount of wood. In the fall, I'll touch up the area with paint. Alternatively, I've also stuck a dehumidifier next to the door. After a few hours, it closed perfectly.