I helped her fix the problem.
Pam, my mother-in-law, told me about her 30-year-old dresser that was falling apart. She'd glued it several times, but nothing seemed to work. I asked if she had tried Gorilla Glue, and the answer was no. She had turned to duct tape as a last resort.
Armed with two bar clamps and Gorilla Glue, I made a house call. First, we unraveled the duct tape.
Using a razor blade, I chipped off layers of dried glue and broken particle board from inside the grooves. We dry fit the warped pieces together. It took some hammering.
Talk about super glue -- Gorilla Glue ($4.99 for two ounces) works wonders! You have to dampen one end of what you're gluing and then spread a thin (thin!) line of glue where you need it. I used a toothpick to spread the glue inside the grooves. The glue expands and becomes white when it cures.
To hold the drawer together while the glue set, I used 36-inch bar clamps, which I bought for $13 each. I put a piece of scrap wood between the clamp and the drawer facing so the wood wouldn't be damaged from the pressure.
In 30 minutes, the glue was dry, and the drawer was ready to go back in the dresser.
I had used the same method to fix my kitchen utensils drawer. I know how annoying it can be to pull open a drawer and have it fall apart, so I was happy to help Pam fix hers.
You could say it was a bonding experience for us as well.
