Wax Answer from Deleted User on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/woodworking › is there a way to make old dry antique drawers slide better?
r/woodworking on Reddit: Is there a way to make old dry antique drawers slide better?
May 16, 2023 -
My husband told me to post here so here it goes. I am refinishing an old dresser to use as a changing table. The problem is the drawers do not slide very easy since it's just dry wood on dry wood. I tried to install drawer slides but the drawers are tight and there is not enough space. I am currently using wax to rub on the wood so the drawers slide better but it wears off so fast. Any ideas of a coating or a paint I could put on the under side of the drawers? Thanks in advance.
YouTube
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How to Make Wooden Drawer Slides Run Smooth / Woodworking Pro Tip - YouTube
My Woodworking Plans: https://jonpeters.com/design-plans/Hi Everyone, In this follow-up video, I’m answering one of the most common questions from my last vi...
Published September 10, 2025
Videos
Canadian Woodworking
forum.canadianwoodworking.com › home
Helping wood to slide well - Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement Forum
November 6, 2018 - Give the sliders a couple of coats of white shellac or cellulose sanding sealer ,sand very lightly 240 grit or Scotch brite ( fine ) to de nib then use any paste wax preferably a beeswax furniture polish e.g Antiquewax,,Liberon Black Bison . Avoid all silicone's ... Pat, I use a block of beeswax ...
USVintageWood
usvintagewood.com › how-to-make-wood-drawers-slide-easier
Woodworking Tips: How To Make Wood Drawers Slide Easier
March 26, 2025 - Struggling with sticky drawers? Learn how to make wood drawers slide easier with simple fixes like wax, sanding, and modern drawer slides.
The Grit and Polish
thegritandpolish.com › blog › diy-how-to-make-old-wood-drawers-slide-easier
DIY // How To Make Old Wood Drawers Slide Easier — The Grit and Polish
December 3, 2020 - Rub a bar of soap (we used a basic Dove bar here) along the tracks on the bottom of the drawer and in the cabinet/dresser. Make sure to get anywhere wood rubs against wood and give it plenty of soap.
LumberJocks
lumberjocks.com › home › forums › skill share › designing woodworking projects
Alternatives to drawer slides for smooth action? | LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
September 10, 2018 - What they did- to my knowledge- is make the drawers completely flush with the dresser and then line the bottom with a generous coat of paraffin wax. Works like a charm. Hope this helps!
Straight Dope Message Board
boards.straightdope.com › factual questions
How to make painted drawers slide smoothly? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board
June 9, 2018 - Recently moved and the kitchen drawers are freshly painted. However, this is old cabinetry so the wooden drawers are meant to slide along the wooden “rails” they rest on. Problem is that the new paint is somewhat tacky even after several weeks, so the drawers are very difficult to open ...
Facebook
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How to make antique furniture drawers slide smoothly?
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Dcdrawers
dcdrawers.com › home › custom drawers › how to make wood drawers…
How To Make Wood Drawers Slide Easier - 5 Tips - DC Drawers
July 17, 2023 - If your drawer is almost impossible to pull out, you should rub the wax on the inside surfaces of the drawer that are visible. Slowly slide them back and pull outward.
WonderHowTo
macgyverisms.wonderhowto.com › how-to › make-sticky-stubborn-wooden-drawers-slide-more-smoothly-0146571
How to Make Sticky or Stubborn Wooden Drawers Slide More Smoothly << MacGyverisms :: WonderHowTo
April 29, 2013 - You can use just about anything you have that's waxy or has a similar texture, like silicone spray or plain beeswax. If you don't want to apply a coating, sometimes sanding the sides and runners will help drawers slide easier since wood chips ...
Sawmill Creek
sawmillcreek.org › forums › woodworking topics › general woodworking and power tools
Fitting a drawer to slide smoothly | Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community
February 19, 2007 - Run down to the grocery store and get a box of canning wax for jelly. Just a few bucks. Lube up the inside of the cabinet, bottom and lower sides where the drawer contacts it. It comes in block forum, easy to apply, and not sticky to the touch ... I second Steve.
ManMadeDIY
manmadediy.com › diy projects, hacks & crafts | man made diy › how to › tips for how to make wooden drawers slide easier
Tips for How to Make Wooden Drawers Slide Easier - ManMadeDIY
April 6, 2024 - Making wooden drawers slide easier is a rewarding project that can breathe new life into old furniture, enhance the functionality of your spaces, and save you the frustration of dealing with stuck drawers. By understanding the causes of sticky drawers and applying some practical solutions, you can achieve smooth, effortless movement.
Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-best-way-to-lubricate-the-bottom-horizontal-drawer-with-no-side-joints-just-two-raised-pieces-of-wood-in-the-cabinet
What is the best way to lubricate the bottom horizontal drawer with no side joints, just two raised pieces of wood in the cabinet? - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): OQ: What is the best way to lubricate the bottom horizontal drawer with no side joints, just two raised pieces of wood in the cabinet? In other words, you have smooth wood sliding on smooth wood? Here are two: 1. The traditional method is to take out the drawer, turn it upside ...
Woodworking Talk
woodworkingtalk.com › home › forums › woodworking forum › general woodworking discussions
Wood on wood "drawer slides" question | Woodworking Talk
I have made dovetail drawer slides. The way I prefer to make my wood on wood boxes is by having hardwood dust skirt for the drawer bottom to ride on. I build sides in my boxes very tight to the dimension of the front of the drawer box itself.
Blogger
blueistyle.blogspot.com › 2019 › 09 › wood-drawers-sticking.html
Blue i Style - Creating an Organized & Pretty, Happy Home!: How to Make Old Wood Drawers Slide More Easily {A Five Minute Fix}
September 27, 2019 - I repeated this process doing the same on the inside of the chest - applying a layer of wax to all on the interior surfaces that touch the drawers as they slide in and out. After applying paraffin wax to all of the drawer surfaces that could stick, I placed the drawers back in the chest to ...
Market House Restorations
markethouserestorations.com › tuesdaytips › 2019 › 1 › 21 › how-to-help-stubborn-wooden-drawers-slide-better
How to help stubborn wood drawers slide better!! #TuesdayTipsWithFallon — Market House Restorations
March 9, 2021 - For today’s tip I recommend using a candlestick, tea light, a bar of soap or chunk of natural wax, like the kind that I used in the video from Country Chic Paint to help your wooden drawers slide well.
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Family Handyman
familyhandyman.com › home › skills › woodworking › furniture
Fix Wooden Drawer Slides That Won't Open | Family Handyman
December 9, 2025 - ... Start with a medium grit sandpaper, around 180-220, and gently sand the drawer bottom, as well as any slides, runners or center rails. Light sanding helps smooth out any uneven or slightly warped areas that may be causing friction.
Woodgears
woodgears.ca › drawers › index.html
Wooden drawer slides
I was able to make the drawers slide more easily though by putting some fairly slippery floor varnish on the cabinet where the drawers slide on, and on the bottom of the drawers. Varnish on the rails doesn't always help make them slide better - it very much depends on what kind of varnish you use.
WOOD Magazine
woodmagazine.com › woodworking-how-to › doors-drawers › install-drawers-without-metal-slides
Install Drawers Without Metal Slides
February 14, 2025 - This approach provides a clean uncluttered drawer side, perfect for highlighting attractive joinery, such as dovetails. Tip! Make guides from hardwoods that wear well, such as hard maple or hickory. Rub on paste wax or paraffin for a smooth glide.
Bunnings Workshop
workshop.bunnings.com.au › t5 › Living-and-Bedroom › How-to-make-timber-drawers-smooth-to-open › td-p › 169748
How to make timber drawers smooth to ope... | Bunnings Workshop community
September 4, 2023 - If they are timber on timber runners, then rubbing a candle along the contact points and leaving a wax deposit reduces friction and is the traditional method of lubricating timber drawer runners.