How to remove a drawer with a closer from a cabinet

Designs with telescopic guides have become the most common solution for furniture, especially kitchen furniture. During operation, sometimes it becomes necessary to completely remove the furniture drawer from the cabinet. But you can’t do it just like that. Telescopic guides are the element that prevents the device from falling out during careless movement. This can be done without damaging the structure, with a minimum of knowledge and tools.

Design Features

Despite the variety of fittings, all guides are similar in their main principle - the presence of two strips, one of which is attached to the plane of the cabinet, and the other to the pull-out element. Inside the system, between the slats, there are small balls, which ensure smooth operation and durability of the structure. The main differences may be in the depth of extension:

1. Systems where the fittings do not allow full extension.
2. The mechanism can be fully extended.
3. Super full extension. The storage system can be pulled out beyond the façade. Often used in archival shelving.

The guides also come in four standard sizes (the most common is 45 mm high).
The presence of a closer, that is, a special block that itself presses the drawer until it is completely closed, makes the fittings more comfortable, but does not introduce revolutionary changes to the design.

How to remove the drawer completely

This operation may be necessary to service the fittings, but most often due to the fact that some object or rag has fallen inside and is preventing complete closure or extension.

Due to the fact that all telescopic guides are fundamentally similar in their design, there are no particular differences in their removal, regardless of the standard sizes, extension system, or the presence of a closer:

1. You need to pull out the drawer completely, as far as the guides will allow.
2. In the place where one of the hardware strips fits into the other there will be a plastic lock; you need to press or turn it. Here, the design of the lock may vary, so the method: to press or turn, in one or different directions, will need to be found experimentally.
3. Having done this operation on both sides, pull the mechanism and it will easily extend completely.

Important! When operating the plastic latch, do not use excessive force, as the latch may break. You can help with a thin screwdriver, but it’s better to do everything with your fingers. Do not pull the retainer completely out of the guides!

Mistakes leading to breakdown, or what not to do

All removal operations must be carried out with the boxes completely unloaded. When pulled out, a heavy box can damage (bend) the guides, after which it will be difficult for them to give the correct geometric shapes.

It is better to carry out the operation of removing large boxes together, for the reason stated above.

You should not disassemble the closers or the guides themselves, due to the presence of many small parts in them.