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I have several 10 drawer plastic carts that hold my 12x12 paper. The drawers are always going off track. Has anyone solved this problem? Other drawers I have are on a base, not tracks and are wonderful. Too many and too much $ to replace as they fit the small spaces in my dungeon.
I had some similar to that and found that if anything too heavy was put in them, sometimes they'd want to go off the track.
I wonder if you could put a piece of chipboard or metal across the tracks, making your own base, or putting a wide strip on each side. It would have to be attached - maybe with epoxy. This to That (Glue Advice) can help find the type of adhesive, or if a full base, maybe you could wire the base on.
I am thinking looking at it, that you may have too much weight on the unit with whatever that is stacked on top and it is causing the frame to bow a bit. Try taking the stuff you top loaded with off and see if that helps. Paper itself can be heavy by itself.
Is it any drawer or only certain drawers?
If you have bowing frame, what you could do is tie the two frames-just pull them enough that the tracks stay lined up. You may need to do both front and back-front on the top part above the top drawer and then below the bottom so they still slide.
You might get lucky-this might just be a case of loosening screws/bolts and if you tighten them the frame will firm up and this will stop happening.
One way to tell if your frame is out of whack is take a level to the upright poles of it. They wont have to be offline a lot to cause your problem.
Another way is if you have someone to help you, one of you try to hold the frame on both sides from the back, and then the other pull the drawers in/out and see if they feel more stable. That person then holds the frame while you tie it. If you use a tie that isnt metal...like yarn, it could stretch in time and you would have to do it again. Not the end of the world, just saying.
I would chip in a modification to bjeans' idea. Maybe cutting a piece of masonite that would fit IN the tracks that could become a base for the drawers. It might mean sacrificing one drawer, but it would eliminate the "falling out of the tracks" problem.
I would imagine that the drawers are being pulled down in the middle by the weight of the paper, just enough to pull the top in on the sides...enough to allow the drawer to slide over towards one side and slip off of one track.
Wavejumper has a good idea too, to make sure all your bolts and such are tight.
I had this issue once upon a time and solved it by wedging the stacked drawer units between a wall and a piece of furniture that had ZERO flex to it, which kept the drawer unit rigid, as well...
Before doing all that, try tightening the screws. I have one of these units, and had a similar problem. Remember, you built it when you first got it. Sometimes, withopening and closing, the screws may work themselves loose.
This helped mine, but I also re-distributed weight.
I had this problem with 10-runner Elfa carts from The Container Store. I had multiple wood-mounted stamp sets in each drawer and they became so heavy that they bowed the frame, similar to what Wavejumper suggested. I solved this by stringing those heavy bungee cords with the hooks on each end (like you would use to strap down a bike or cargo to a car) across the frame at several points. The cords are strong just above the drawer so it doesn't prevent it from opening (although in the back of the cart this wouldn't be an issue. I still have to be careful with the cart, but the drawers don't fall anymore. Hope this helps.
I had a similar unit and gave up on it. tried tightening several times, even got DH to do it twice and it still loosened up. there was a note on the box or the instructions that said it would only hold about 3 or 4 lbs per drawer.... umm yeah my paper was way to heavy. Got rid of it and am using the old Expedit(now Kallax) now which is great! Good luck with yours!
With those particular brand and style of drawers, Sue and Rubbernecker have the right idea, with Sue's being the best: pressure on both sides of the frame. I can't do that with mine in my space, so I have relied on learning the feel of opening and closing each drawer straight out and in. I hold the drawer slightly elevated while doing so. It tends to go off track if I just pull open without supporting the front of the drawer weight. You might try that if you have no other choice. I have probably a 75% success rate now after a few years of use.
This thread has come along at the perfect time for me. I have a set of 10 that I purchased from Michaels. I really like them except for the track issue. I never even considered that perhaps they needed to have the screws tightened.
I have been searching for a replacement for the last month or so and have started to become frustrated. IKEAs drawers are either too short, too tall, or too wide. My set sits in front of a window and I don't want to cover up a big portion of the window. Office Max/Depot has similar plastic drawers (without the tracks), but their construction wastes so much space on the sides of the plastic units. I've looked at furniture stores with no luck. My latest idea has been to buy several 12 by 12 plastic units and stack them. I am not thrilled with that idea.
It seems like someone should make an affordable wood or metal unit without the tracking issue. I am going to keep searching, but until then I appreciate the tips!
Last edited by annie*; 02-01-2017 at 05:06 AM..
Reason: word change
This thread has come along at the perfect time for me. I have a set of 10 that I purchased from Michaels. I really like them except for the track issue. I never even considered that perhaps they needed to have the screws tightened.
I have been searching for a replacement for the last month or so and have started to become frustrated. IKEAs drawers are either too short, too tall, or too wide. My set sits in front of a window and I don't want to cover up a big portion of the window. Office Max/Depot has similar plastic drawers (without the tracks), but their construction wastes so much space on the sides of the plastic units. I've looked at furniture stores with no luck. My latest idea has been to buy several 12 by 12 plastic units and stack them. I am not thrilled with that idea.
It seems like someone should make an affordable wood or metal unit without the tracking issue. I am going to keep searching, but until then I appreciate the tips!
I too have a 20 drawer unit with colored drawers. Got it for $20. When I got it home I knew one couldn't put heavy stuff in the drawers because they would come off the tracks with NOTHING in them! I use it for stamps, embossing powders, tools etc. no paper! I just have to be careful when opening the drawers and put them back on track.
Same problems here. I bought two units but the drawers never fitted.
After years of frustration I bought a few long narrow wooden dowels from Walmart at the crafts section, I cut them to the size of the drawer and using the hot glue gun I glued them under the groove on one side of the drawer. Never had problems ever since.
I had tried tightening the screws, I tied the units together, put them here, put them there, to no effect.
These long wooden dowels come in many sizes and I always use them for projects.
I don't know if it will help, but mine don't drop from the track any more.
__________________ Irene I have learned one thing from our ancient Greek ancestors- PAN METRON ARISTON- "Nothing In Excess"
Same problems here. I bought two units but the drawers never fitted.
After years of frustration I bought a few long narrow wooden dowels from Walmart at the crafts section, I cut them to the size of the drawer and using the hot glue gun I glued them under the groove on one side of the drawer. Never had problems ever since.
I had tried tightening the screws, I tied the units together, put them here, put them there, to no effect.
These long wooden dowels come in many sizes and I always use them for projects.
I don't know if it will help, but mine don't drop from the track any more.
I really like this idea!! I feel like the drawers should be a tad bit bigger than they actually are, so this might just be the way around that problem. Thank you!
I got an email Michaels ad today. There was a picture of the multicolor drawer unit. But, it looks like the metal bars are curved rather than straight. Perhaps they've realized the design flaw, and fixed it.
These units aren't designed to hold the weight of cardstock. The suggestions made to brace the unit up sound like great ideas. My husband often jokes that if I buy one more pack of cardstock, one of these days the floor of my craft room is going to let go and I'll be sitting in the basement crafting lol!
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
Yeah. Guilty here too.... I then gathered that the OP was not concerned with wardrobe malfunction
The subject line made me laugh also. I've lost a lot of weight in the last year and a half and my first thought was, "Oh, I'm not the only one with that problem." LOL
Dea
Could you please explain your process a little bit more. Do you know the size of the dowels you purchased? Did you glue them closest to the drawer or closest to the outside of the drawer? I am not sure why this helped so I am having a little bit of a problem imagining exactly what you did to make this work. Thanks for any help you can provide. I think it is a great idea.
Could you please explain your process a little bit more. Do you know the size of the dowels you purchased? Did you glue them closest to the drawer or closest to the outside of the drawer? I am not sure why this helped so I am having a little bit of a problem imagining exactly what you did to make this work. Thanks for any help you can provide. I think it is a great idea.
Annie, I will take a picture or two and try to upload with clearer explanation.
__________________ Irene I have learned one thing from our ancient Greek ancestors- PAN METRON ARISTON- "Nothing In Excess"
Help me! Falling drawers.
