How To Remove Drawers from Cabinet?

[Paul Alciatore]

I purchased an inexpensive, three draw cabinet on the web because it was a perfect fit for a hole under one end of my work bench. I fully expected it to need some work in order to be useful and I am in the process of doing that with some stiffening on the bottoms of the drawers. It will still need to have a weight limit but I can live with that.



When the cabinet arrived, the box was partially crushed and the thin gauge, sheet metal (steel) cabinet was damaged on the rear corner and the bottom drawer's bottom was bent upwards. So Amazon replaced it and told me that if I did not get any instructions for sending the damaged one back, I could do what I wanted with it. It has been over three weeks and I want to see if I can do some sheet metal work to make it usable in some other location. But I can not figure out how to get the drawers out. They seem to have an integrated slide but they pull out about 3/4s of their depth and just stop there. I have stuck my fingers in as far as I can, probably further than is safe but can not find any kind of a release mechanism. I am wondering if anyone has run into any like this and figured out how to release the stop so the drawers can be removed? Any hints or suggestions would be appreciated.


That is with the drawer opened as far as it will go. There is an "L" shaped slot in both sides which is near the front frame when it is extended like this. But I can not see of feel anything behind it. It is visible in the photo on the left side of the drawer. It must have some function. But what?

If I can't get the drawers out so I can work on them, I can try some auto bodywork tricks but it will be easier if I have access to the inside. All three drawers work so I am not going to just toss it out.

[boslab]

Try lifting the draw up and pulling, it’s easy when the slides protrude there’s a little plastic clip thing in the slide end you lift, I haven’t seen one with no slides visible before, I remember one you had to lock it with the draw out to shift them
mark

[Beazld]

Some metal drawer slides have a metal tang that is raised in the track that you have to depress as you pull the drawer out to nearly its limit. Usually a long thin flat blade screwdriver will do the job.

[Mike279]

It kind of looks like you have to insert a flat bladed screwdriver in the slot near the bottom of the side drawer panel, inside of the drawer. Looks like a tab that maybe gets bent out to lock the drawer in, so maybe bend it back in?

[Cuttings]

There was a method that Snap On used to use on their toolbox drawers. They had two pieces of spring steel that you put it against the drawer and under the guide mechanism before the drawer was completely open. They released the catches and allowed them to pop over there stops. Once they were in you continued to pull the drawer right out.

[lynnl]

It kind of looks like you have to insert a flat bladed screwdriver in the slot near the bottom of the side drawer panel, inside of the drawer. Looks like a tab that maybe gets bent out to lock the drawer in, so maybe bend it back in?

I have a couple of Husky tool chests, purchased from Home Depot, that work like that. The tabs that you bend in or out to catch in a corresponding cutout in the drawer slides are only visible/accessible when the drawer and slide are in just the right position.

When I bought them new it was up to me to make the initial bends to keep the drawers from pulling all the way out, so I learned how it worked. But it's not immediately apparent to the unknowing person. Also, I think instructions came with the chests.

Can't tell much from Paul's picture ...maybe a better look at a closeup of the drawer side would reveal the solution.

[JoeLee]

I've seen every type of drawer release mentioned so far. There has to be a way to release it. Most filing cabinet drawers are released by lifting the front of the drawer and pulling it out.

Looks like UPS did a number on it!!

JL...........

[J Tiers]

Th view is not a good one, but it looks as if those tabs just catch on the lip of the cabinet. Might not really be the case, since the picture is from so far away and not at a good angle.

Close-up of the inside and one of the slide from the front?

[Paul Alciatore]

Yea, UPS sure lived up to their name, "Oops"! You should see the box.

I've seen every type of drawer release mentioned so far. There has to be a way to release it. Most filing cabinet drawers are released by lifting the front of the drawer and pulling it out.

Looks like UPS did a number on it!!

JL...........

[JRouche]

Well? You did ask?

****in A. Give credit to the other folks,

[Paul Alciatore]

I finally got the chance to look at it again. I tried the suggestions above with no luck. But I turned it over so I could view the slides from the bottom. The good news is they may actually be ball bearing. And I think, perhaps I have located the stop and a possible way of releasing it. There is a stop on both sides so I will need to make a pair of tools to try. It is 4AM so tomorrow, I hope.

[JoeLee]

Yea, UPS sure lived up to their name, "Oops"! You should see the box.

I can imagine. Was there any packing around the corners?? Doubtful if it would have helped if that box came tumbling out of a cargo container from fifteen feet in the air.

JL...............

[Paul Alciatore]

As it was packaged, there was a single thickness, cardboard box on the outside and yes, there was the white, molded foam packing around the four corners and a piece of foam top and bottom. Here is what it looked like when it arrived.



And inside when I opened the top. The top foam was completely busted up but it was present on the second cabinet and there was a lot of bits and pieces of foam in this box.



All the top packing pieces wound up in the bottom. So much, that when it was bounced around a bit more, this happened to the exposed bottom of the bottom drawer.



Probably more than one incident of rough handling while in transit.

.............

I think an elephant sat on it. And then farted really hard!

I can imagine. Was there any packing around the corners?? Doubtful if it would have helped if that box came tumbling out of a cargo container from fifteen feet in the air.

JL...............

[reggie_obe]

As it was packaged, there was a single thickness, cardboard box on the outside and yes, there was the white, molded foam packing around the four corners and a piece of foam top and bottom. Here is what it looked like when it arrived.

Probably more than one incident of rough handling while in transit.

I think an elephant sat on it. And then farted really hard!

Box beat to crap and you still accepted it? Are they compensating you for all the damage?

Even if undented, it looks worse than anything you might find a: Goodwill or Salvation Army store, tag or estate sale.
Not getting out much these days?

[Mike279]

I would send that one back for sure if I bought it new. I have imagine they might just give that one to you. If you order another you can hope it's future twin will have a few less wrinkles.