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Do I need to lubricate drawer slides to preserve the life of the furniture? (beehaw.org)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I finally bought a (flat pack) dresser recently. I love it, but when sliding the drawers in and out there is some minor sticking/resistance and some very slight misalignment. I am perfectly fine with this and actually kind of prefer it (it's nice that the cat can't open them), but I am wondering if over the long term, the resistance will damage the drawer slides in some way ? They're telescoping metal slides, on the side of each drawer, attached with tiny screws. I really like this thing and want to keep it in good shape as long as possible.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

@PotentiallyAnApricot depending on where you live, drawer slides are probably not going to be the first thing to go. But they'll be nicer with some lube. A nice option is graphite powder because it is dry - so dust and dirt won't stick. You can get it at many hardware stores. It is a little messy to apply, black dust. But once it is applied it will last a long time

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (3 children)

The slides actually came with a little bit of grease on them so I did buy some extra grease (white lithium) In case I needed it, but I haven't done anything with it yet. Do dry lubricants play nicely with things that already have grease in them?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I asked a locksmith once and he told me to not mix it, ever.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Well then in that case I'm glad I asked you

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

No, don't put graphite on grease!

If there already is some grease, it will last for a loooong time.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

@PotentiallyAnApricot well if you already have some "wet" grease, I would not go look for graphite. They will work together, (see https://www.crcindustries.com/moly-graph-174-extreme-pressure-multi-purpose-lithium-grease-14-wt-oz/) but since there is already some wet grease there, a little more is just as good as adding something else, imho.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Maybe I'm overcomplicating but... I'm assuming I just dab some on and open and close it a few times?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Correct. You can also use graphite for lubrication in high temperature environments, such as a stove. I use it to lubricate the sliding racks in my oven. Wet grease won’t work well here, so graphite is a great option.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

@PotentiallyAnApricot yes, where one part disappears inside another, dab a little along the part that "disappears" - the grease will get spread out over time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

@CadeJohnson Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

PTFE (Teflon) dry lube works great for drawer slides and doesn't become gritty over time. You may need to wipe off the existing grease.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Mr. Humphries from Are You Being Served puffs french chalk on his drawers. I don't see why that wouldn't work for yours.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Thanks! Would this work if they already came with some grease on them.

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