Fixing Drawers

[Chris & Dale]

I doubt that I'm the only one frustrated over the cheap plastic drawer braces on what is considered a very well built quality boat! It turns out that the other day I went to open one of the drawers under my seat and I stood there holding the drawer face in my hand!

Corner Brace (800x600).jpg

Getting beyond a few explicatives I removed all the drawer contents and took the drawers home. You need only take one apart to understand the problem. I removed all 4 drawer faces, keeping the nice short s/s screws for later use. Having the patience of a gnat, I looked around my garage, found a 5/8" wood strip that would fit in the hollow channel, cut 16 of them into 2" long pieces, and proceeded to epoxy them in place.

Wood Insert.JPG

I then drilled a small hole thru the interior into the 2" wood plug and used the brace screws as an extra measure of security.

Interior (800x600).jpg

Being 16 years old I took the drawer bottoms and turned them over to a clean white finish. There was a bit of a stumbling block here. Where the bottom fits into the drawer face it is tapered and without the plastic braces it protrudes out about 1/8-1/4". I then cut it back and had to taper it back with a file. Hindsight always being 20-20, I should have cut the 1/4" off the other end! Oh well, at least you won't have to. LOL!

I then set the drawer on it's end, place the face on top, and got my center line to drill holes into the wood plugs. I then turned it 180 degrees and eyeballed the drill point. After marking and drilling all the holes thru into the wood plugs, I did a small counter-sink on the face. I used #8 1 1/2" s/s screws and assembled the drawers.

Exterior (402x800).jpg

Now the biggest failure point will be those little plastic nubs that hold the rest of the drawer together. If I start having a problem with those, they're going be epoxied.

Really didn't take long other than the curing time.

Hope this helps someone else who's frustrated.

Good Luck!

[Jeremyvmd]

Im really glad you posted this up because I've been thinking of doing the exact same thing. Im glad someone went before me!

[Nancy]

Great write-up, Chris!

When I read this - "Being 16 years old I took the drawer bottoms " - at first I thought you were describing your functional age at this point in the project. Then I realized it was the age of the drawers.

[Chris & Dale]

Ok, I wasn't a grammar major, I admit it. LOL Actually 65 now and fully retired 2/4/16. Now I really do have time for boat stuff....mainly being able to use it! I'll have a post coming on our annual haul out and installation of the new Garmin Fish Finder and transducer in the next week or so. Annual engine service next week and we're done for the year.....wait a minute, was I talking about being done on a boat??? Really??? Sometimes I just crack myself up.

Supposed to be 78 degrees today and sunny. I believe spring has decided to arrive. I'm Loving It!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[joreyn]

I just used 4 L-brackets and 1/2 inch sheet metal srews.

[Tree]

Chris, if you want to get the inside of the drawers nice and clean and white again - oxalic acid is your friend!

How's the finish on the hull holding up? It's got to be about two years now since you had that made look amazing isn't it?