How to remove ball bearing slide drawers

[Poe34]

Hi guys, I picked up a new file cabinet that has a slide that has come loose from the back of the cabinet. I need to remove the drawers to fix it, but can't figure out how to get the slides separated. The slides do not have a tab to raise, like usually found on slides, to separate them. Please help! If it helps, the brand of the cabinet is Sandusky Lee.

 

[Heel2toe]

Pictures would be helpful. Are the slides riveted in by chance? If thats the case then you just gotta drill out the rivets. I wanna say in the case of my tool boxes the slides are indeed riveted in so that is the only thing that comes to mind. Im sure others more knowledgeable will chime in but Id say as a start some pictures would be helpful.

 

[Netman]

Some have a plastic lever between the slides that lifts up to break them free, some have a small clip on the bottom that you squeeze and then lift the drawer to break away and others just require a quick pull on the drawer when all the way out to separate.

 

[Poe34]

Thanks Heel2toe, pics added...

 

[Heel2toe]

Hmmm pictures aren't really helping me much. And I just reread your post a couple times and perhaps I misinterpreted what you said originally. It sounds like youre trying to remove the drawer from the slide to then see about tightening up the loose slide. Is that the case? If so have you been able to pop off the drawers yet? I took this as physically removing the slides not the drawers but as Netman mentioned there is usually a lever or simply its as simple as lifting them upwards to get them off the track.

 

[machine_punk]

Sometimes the drawer lifts out...if they have metal tabs punched into the drawer to fit into the holes on the slides.

I agree...it is not always intuitive to remove metal drawers from slides.

Have you tried a search on google for removing drawers from the brand filing cabinet you have? I'd be surprised if there isn't at least one YouTube video of some smarty-pants who has already figured it out.

Kev

 

[padroo]

Here is something I found.


http://homeguides.sfgate.com/release-file-cabinet-drawers-69080.html

 

[Poe34]

I have googled, all of the results I have found have the tab to release the drawers, or they just lift out, not on these. I can't find anything related to the Sandusky cabinets, and I have emailed Sandusky Lee asking, and have not received a response from them. I appreciate the help!

 

[Cyberbear]

You may need to inspect the interior of the slide and see if it uses rivets or screws for holding the entire unit in place. You may then need to drill out the rivet head, if used, to remove the drawer hardware.

 

[Poe34]

Thanks Cyberbear, there are rivets attaching the slides to the drawer. I'll try removing them. I was hoping I could just get the slides to separate but perhaps that isn't possible and the whole thing was put together as one unit.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have not often found drawers that wasn't removable

 

[Dr Stan]

One of the pics shows a black plastic tab at the front of the drawer slide. That may well be the "magic button".

 

[BillK]

I have emailed Sandusky Lee asking, and have not received a response from them.

Have you tried picking up the phone and calling them ? I have found that a lot of large manufacturers are terrible at answering e-mails but will usually get you the answer in a few minutes if you call them.