Dear Ms. Hill,

We have an old painted cottage chest that I think is made of pine. What can we do about drawers that slide in and out with a lot of difficulty? My husband has to help me to get the bottom drawer back in every time. He has to lift it from the bottom to get it in. Help.

Maureen Dowd, Salisbury, MD

Dear Ms. Dowd,

My grandmother's standard treatment for drawers that didn't slide well was a piece of wax to make things run more smoothly. However, it sounds to me as if your drawer slides are worn. Drawers move in and out of most case pieces on wooden runners that run front to back and more often than not they are made of soft secondary wood that wears easily. The bottom of the drawer actually rests on the drawer slide, which serves as the runner as it goes in and out of the chest.

I think you will find that when you remove the drawers, the drawer slides are worn. The wear makes it difficult to slide the drawers in and out. The solution is to find a restorer who will replace the slides. This is a tough job for a layman, but a simple matter for somebody who does it all the time. Get it done. You'll be glad you did.