Need help with Craftsman heritage box - stuck drawers

[txlonghorn1989]

Well, I picked up this 8-drawer Heritage-badged box at an estate sale 3-4 weeks ago. Today I spent a few hours working on it. Was going to grind the paint off and re-lube the drawer slides. Removed the drawers successfully except that two of them came out with the slide still attached to the drawer. Stacked them up with the bottom drawer on the top of the stack. After getting the paint off and cleaning up and lubing the friction slides and started putting them back in from the bottom drawer. Drawer 8 went in with no problems, as did drawer 7. Drawers 6 and 5 were the drawers that the slides had come off with the drawer. It didn't seem like this was going to be a problem. I got the slide aligned on the right and the drawer on the left and pushed it down sharply just like I had done with the two previous drawers. It went in seemingly like the two previous drawers had but when I went to pull it out just to make sure the drawer was working properly it was flat out stuck and will not even budge in the slightest. Okay, I probably should have stopped there but I figure the mistake must have been that I didn't remove the slide from the drawer. I take the slide off of drawer 5, make sure I'm putting it back in place as it should go then put it back in the box. Go to put drawer 5 on just like I didn't the others. Same result as drawer 6. Will not budge forward at all. Stupid is as stupid does. Being the genius that I am I don't stop there but rather go to put drawer 4 in which like drawer 8 & 7 had the slides remain in the box. Yet, after putting it in like all the others it is also stuck tight. So, to reiterate I put all 5 drawers in the same way with minor variations. The two bottom drawers are fine and the 3 bottom drawers of the top part of the box are all stuck. Does anyone know if these are removable without destroying the slides and/or drawers? I can't figure out what has happened. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Yikes! The only thing I can think of Tex without seeing it up close is that you may not have had the tracks of drawer #6 properly aligned when you installed it. If that's the case, that drawer could be lifted just enough to bind not only it, but all drawers above it as well. I think I'd take out #s 7 and 8, try to get my head in there with a flashlight and see if you can tell if that track is aligned or not. Not sure if you'll be able to see anything from there or not. I'd say whatever the problem is, it started with the first of those 3 drawers you installed and it's just carrying along through anything above it. I don't quite understand what you're talking about by "pushing down sharply" on installation. I've always pushed in till I feel that tactile "click" of the little tab engaging to attach slide to cabinet then hold the slide steady, pushing the drawer in till I again get the click. Don't know if I made any sense there or not. Anyhow, I think you're going to have to get drawer 6 out one way or the other, hopefully that'll relieve the friction on the other two and they'll come out as normal. Keep us posted!

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Don't know if this will help or not but if you look at mine, the gaps between drawers are uniform. Looking at the pic of yours, the gap between your 3 and 4 drawer is really off. Wide on the right, metal to metal on the left. The difference isn't as pronounced between 4 and 5 but it does look pretty tight on the right there. I'm betting you've got a drawer off track and it'd make sense that the culprit is the first of those three drawers you installed. I can't think of any way to disassemble a slide without having a drawer extended. I think you're going to have to force a drawer out far enough to release the slide to drawer clip then pull the drawer the rest of the way out. Might end up bending a track or slide but that can be hammered back into shape with some patience. Hopefully somebody else will come along and think if something I just can't come up with.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Sawdust, There is no friction between the drawers. It also appears that these slides work pretty much like the friction slides on the Craftsman chevron boxes. When I was putting these drawers back in the box it was on it's back. The the slides were all the way down. As mentioned, I did each drawer the same with the exception of #6 which had the slide attached to the drawer. I aligned each drawer to make sure it fit on both left and right slides then I pretty much shoved them down with some force. First two worked, next three did not. I know it's hard to deal with figuring this out without being able to see things but none of those drawers are out of alignment. I will examine one of the removed drawers and probably pull a slide to try and figure out what's going on. It's like I drove the drawers past one of the stops and it's stuck there unable to move forward. Doesn't make sense but that's what this feels like is happening.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Yeah I'm trying to picture things in my mind. I'm on the road now so can't go look at mine. Are you still working on the chest with it on its back? If so I wonder if standing it up would make any difference. I'll shut up now and let you have at it. Please let me know when you get if figured out. That box has to live!!!!

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Don't know if this will help or not but if you look at mine, the gaps between drawers are uniform. Looking at the pic of yours, the gap between your 3 and 4 drawer is really off. Wide on the right, metal to metal on the left. The difference isn't as pronounced between 4 and 5 but it does look pretty tight on the right there. I'm betting you've got a drawer off track and it'd make sense that the culprit is the first of those three drawers you installed. I can't think of any way to disassemble a slide without having a drawer extended. I think you're going to have to force a drawer out far enough to release the slide to drawer clip then pull the drawer the rest of the way out. Might end up bending a track or slide but that can be hammered back into shape with some patience. Hopefully somebody else will come along and think if something I just can't come up with.

That gap isn't there just looks like there's a gap. Just snapped a pic. The drawers are aligned. They actually come forward maybe 1/4" and then they are blocked by something. I'm thinking somehow I drove them on the back side of a stop. Does that make any sense? After that 1/4" they aren't feeling pinched or wedged they are blocked dead. I appreciate your ideas.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Yeah I'm trying to picture things in my mind. I'm on the road now so can't go look at mine. Are you still working on the chest with it on its back? If so I wonder if standing it up would make any difference. I'll shut up now and let you have at it. Please let me know when you get if figured out. That box has to live!!!!

Box is back in the garage, no longer on it's back. When I just took that last pic I also tried to open the drawers. Stuck good and tight. :0(

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Well ****. Yup the gaps look fine now. I'm stumped. If you don't get it figured out by the weekend, I'll be home and open mine up, see if I can figure anything out but it does sound like you've got a problem with those fixed tabs. Damn I was hoping we could figure this out tonight!

 

[RatrodderX]

The catalog says all 8 drawers are lockable via the bottom lock cylinder, could the lock be engaged?

 

[txlonghorn1989]

I thought about that but I don't recall seeing a mechanism that would lock the drawers. At all. I'll have to check it out tomorrow. Or you can! ;0)

All,
Are the drawers lockable on these older heritage-badged boxes and if so how's it work?

 

[FJ 432]

Just a thought. Remove the two bottom drawers to see if you're able to get the drawers moving. It might have to do with the pressure outwards being applied by the two lower drawers to the inner panel of the box.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Just a thought. Remove the two bottom drawers to see if you're able to get the drawers moving. It might have to do with the pressure outwards being applied by the two lower drawers to the inner panel of the box.

I'm not seeing how that could be it but I will definitely give it a look tomorrow. Thanks FJ!

 

[txlonghorn1989]

RatrodderX came over at lunch today to pick this box up from me and we figured out that it does have to do with the locking mechanism. When the lower door is pushed in it isn't releasing the locking mechanism. Anyway Jason will figure it out. I'm looking forward to seeing how he restores the box. Thanks Jason and thanks to everyone for helping!

 

[RatrodderX]

txlonghorn1989 good talking to you today and thanks for letting me take over on getting this box restored.


I'll keep you updated.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Looking forward to seeing the end result!

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Sawdust, There is no friction between the drawers. It also appears that these slides work pretty much like the friction slides on the Craftsman chevron boxes.

When I was putting these drawers back in the box it was on it's back.

The the slides were all the way down. As mentioned, I did each drawer the same with the exception of #6 which had the slide attached to the drawer.

I aligned each drawer to make sure it fit on both left and right slides then I pretty much shoved them down with some force.

First two worked, next three did not. I know it's hard to deal with figuring this out without being able to see things but none of those drawers are out of alignment. I will examine one of the removed drawers and probably pull a slide to try and figure out what's going on. It's like I drove the drawers past one of the stops and it's stuck there unable to move forward. Doesn't make sense but that's what this feels like is happening.

Hi,

I was wondering why some of the drawers came out with their slides and some did not, is that common? Also the ones that came out with slides still attached are the ones that have a problem. Also why do you have to shove “them down with some force”. If the cabinet is on it’s back and the slides are clean and lubed they should practically fall down into place, almost slamming themselves shut.
Unless I am not understanding you, none of that sounds good to me.

It sounds like there might be something wrong with those sliders even though they work. Something is twisted or bent enough to jam or further jam with all the extra work. Maybe something not quite right there is contributing to the drawers locking even though you are not turning a key or trying to lock them. I don’t know how that one works, I’ve never seen that cabinet in real life. However many of these lock with a bar that slides or pushes something that engages the drawers so they cannot be opened. So it works by something sliding over or across that locks the drawers.

Your problem might be because you are mounting the drawers with the cabinet on it’s back. You might have done this before without issues. That does not mean it’s a good idea. The cabinet and parts are not designed to work on it’s back. Part of the design that keeps the lock from engaging randomly is that the designers thought the cabinet would be used as it sat right-side up. If the locking bar or mechanism is a little loose, waiting to be slid over when needed that was fine. GRAVITY would hold it down/in place. With the cabinet on it’s back gravity was not holding the lock out of the way. The lock was allowed to shift.

If the thing is old and parts are loose. PERHAPS putting it on it’s back allowed the locking bar or mechanism to slide a bit, moving from unlocked to locked. When you slam the larger drawers home the bar shifts more, but is still unlocked. By the time you get to drawer 6 with the sliders that would not let go of the drawer, the lock has become engaged. For some reason you keep inserting drawers which snap into the lock and are now fixed in place.

Stop inserting drawers!


It should/could be an easy fix though.
3rd - You could do something that is sort of the reverse of what you did. That is, laying the cabinet on it’s side, face or even upside down to see if you can get the locking bar to slide or bounce loose and disengage. Might require some vibration or shaking. No not you, of the cabinet.
2nd - You might be able to reach in (if some drawers are still out and you have room), and pull/push disengage the locking mechanism. It’s probably one bar or something that will unlock all the drawers at the same time. As I recall you said the bottom drawers will open. So take them out and reach in and unjam the lock.
1st - If you have the key, unlock it.

I see someone has taken over or is helping out.
I hope this helps someone now or if this happens in the future.

Good luck.

 

[A E Numan]

I haven't worked or locked my bottom chest lately but if the bottom cover is not slid all of the way in the drawers will stay locked.

 

[RatrodderX]

The problem was indeed the locking mechanism.

The bottom cover is supposed to push up on the locking bar when you slide it back. For some reason the cover was not pushing the bar up, hence the drawers were locked in place.

You can see in the picture the locking bar is rather bent out of shape.



Drawers slides are all good, actually back apart since I’m beating out dents.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Good news!!!!

 

[txlonghorn1989]

So did you bend it properly for things to work fine now?

 

[RatrodderX]

Haven’t gotten back to that part yet.

Blew it apart and started getting dents out of it.

Still trying to figure out what level of perfection I want to shoot for