How to shrink wood?

[JSpill]

I have a drawer that is stuck in a very thin box. I think the wood from the drawer expanded after it was inserted into the box. The humidity in my basement where the piece was built is so much lower than the humidity in the room where the box has been sitting for the last six months. Is there an easy way I can get the wood to contract so I can get the drawer loose? I don't want to pry it loose. The drawer sides are only 1/8" thick . The entire piece is very fragile, so I would like to avoid the heavy hand tactics I usually apply whenever I am frustrated. Thanks.

[CLETUS]

I've never needed to shrink wood.... stretch it, yes.


I think your only option is to get it in a dryer climate and wait.

[JGrout]

blow dryer set to a lower heat..

gonna take time.........

[rschissler]

I guess you could move it back to the basement for a couple months to see if it will revert back to when it was built.

[chips ahoy]

What Joe said.

Mel

[Pink Floyd]

Put the box in the oven at around 100 degrees. Check the drawer periodically until it can be removed.

I doubt if the drawer swelled. More likely, it was the box that swelled and captured the drawer.

[Arlin Eastman]

Hair dryer

[Rob Young]

JSpill said:

---

I have a drawer that is stuck in a very thin box. I think the wood from the drawer expanded after it was inserted into the box. The humidity in my basement where the piece was built is so much lower than the humidity in the room where the box has been sitting for the last six months. Is there an easy way I can get the wood to contract so I can get the drawer loose? I don't want to pry it loose. The drawer sides are only 1/8" thick . The entire piece is very fragile, so I would like to avoid the heavy hand tactics I usually apply whenever I am frustrated. Thanks.

---

Call around to some places that have walk-in freezers. Ask if you can place the object in the freezer for a little while in hopes that the dry air will help lower the moisture content sufficiently to pop the drawer free?

[Alan S]

Can you just bring it back to your dry shop? If not, heating is the way to go, since that increases the amount of water the air could hold. At the same amount of water in the air, warmer air will be a lower relative humidity.

The main problem with heating is that it's easy to heat the outside, but what matters is heating the inside, and letting water escape. So it will take a while and may at first briefly make things worse. If you have a free-standing heater to put in a small room with the box, that might work best.

Cooling will diminish the amount of water the air can hold, and some will come out. This diminishes the absolute humidity, but does not provide anywhere for the water from the drawer to go (does not diminish relative humidity). You then need to heat the air from which water has been removed, leading to air at lower relative humidity that can accept water from the wood. A dehumidifier is a device that does this, and would also help.

[JR1]

+1 Alan has a very good point. On that fine a work uneven shrinkage could cause damage before the drawer releases. Take it into the basement and let it stabilize; if that doesn't do the job put it in a cardboard box with a light bulb (watch out that you don't set the box on fire).