Draw opening stoppers

[Hugh]

Any simple way of putting a "stopper" in a wooden drawer so that the drawer cannot pull right out when opened?

[Brian Gaff]

Couple of vertical bits of wood screwed to rear of drawer so they catch on the edge of the top of the opening inside?

Might need some creative ways to affix them though, due to cramped environment. Guess they would need to be on the inside of the drawer Brian

[News]

In message , Hugh writes

How much space is available behind the drawer, when closed? A length of string attached to the back of the drawer, and the carcass?

[Nick Odell]

Depends what drawer and how it is mounted. I screwed a simple piece of wood to the back panel of my kitchen table drawer. In the vertical position it blocks against the woodwork and when flipped through

90deg, the drawer can be removed.

Nick

[Hugh]

Thanks for replies so far.

The problem is that the wooden drawers are not accessible from the back of the cupboard. Also - it is as suggested by one response - very cramped and almost impossible to work inside the drawer once it is in situ. I think your suggestion of a piece of wood at the back of the drawer which I can rotate once installed so that it will catch on the frame if the drawer is pulled forward may be the answer. Or perhaps some sort of spring loaded catch?

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Brian Gaff writes

Single screw through a piece of wood such that it can rotate to the vertical position once the drawer is fitted. Re-fit the drawer with it/them horizontal and reach in to reposition?

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Tim Lamb writes

Oops! Just read Nick's offering:-)

>

[Nick Odell]

No matter. Great minds, and all that...

Nick

[Andy Burns]

A decent old desk I have has a 'V' shaped notch at the top rear of one of the drawer sides (shallow at the front, steep at the back) with an 'L' shaped piece of metal loosely screwed into the side of the desk itself, balanced so it drops into the V and prevents the drawer accidentally coming out, you can lift the stopper if you want to take the drawer out.

[Andy Cap]

Put a fish-slice in it. Always warks for me ! ;-)

[Brian Gaff]

Its the fiddly fitting that put me off of that idea. I'd also ask are they real runners, ie ball bearing things with metal or plastic tracks. Most of these either have built in stop or can be fitted with a screw post to stop them pulling right out. If its the usual el cheapo flat pack plastic runners that look like modified plastic tunking, then forget that idea!

If they fall out before fully opened as some do, then the stoppers need to be on the side of the drawers, again inside and positioned so they catch before the whole thing ovebalances onto your foot. The swivel idea still works but a screw needs to be positioned to stop it swivelling the wrong way. If you are using the drawer for fabric, do not us a screw for this as the fabic will catch it, use a block of wood below the pivot point.

Yes I've done these things in the past, and often wonder about the mindset of designers of things with drawers who cannot get such things right. Brian

[Mike Clarke]

I fitted something similar and it worked fine for decades.

No need for any fancy spring loading, just fit the bit of wood near the side of the drawer so that it goes just past the vertical and rests against the side. That way gravity stops it from falling back down.

[Bob Eager]

Drill a small hole through each side of the drawer, near the back. Size chosen to be an interference fit with a 30mm (or so) dowel.

Insert drawer. Push dowel into each hole until flush.

[Hugh]

Thanks for all suggestions - appreciated. In the end I saw a suggestion on Youtube: take the spring loaded toggle off a "Rawl Fixings Steel Spring Toggle Cavity Fixing" - drilled a hole in one of the arms and screwed it to the back of the front of the cupboard frame so that the drawer would push it down as closed - but it would stop the drawer coming out. (If you follow my drift !!) Anyway - thanks again for ideas - job done.

[harryagain]

Dowels pushed (and glued) through holes in the sides of the drawer.

[Bob Eager]

No need to glue IME. That way, it is just possible to get the drawer out if you need to.

[F Murtz]

It would be possible to make the swivel doover assume the working position by gravity, and if you want to remove drawer manually hold it out of the way.