Non-motoring > Filing Cabinet stuck Miscellaneous
Thread Author: MD Replies: 13
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 14:57 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - MD
One drawer of a 4 drawer FC will not return by about 4 inches and a metallic clunk is heard when attempting this. Has Anybody had anything similar happen or has a known cure. Wifey thinks some stuff has dropped behind. Also I cant get the drawer out. I am not sure though that in the deep and distant past that doing something with the lock 'may' release the drawers or I may have dreamt it. HELP!!
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 15:15 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - WillDeBeest
It'll be immigrants, MD. GB and Roger will be able to recommend a solution that's simple, popular and wrong.
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 15:22 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - helicopter
How to remove filing cabinet drawers ......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=467oO-OSUBM
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 15:31 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - Cliff Pope
That's only one kind of FC. I've just looked at ours and they don't look like that.
Ours, you just pull the drawer half-way and then lift the drawer up off the runner, and it will slide all the way out.
I've seen others that have a different kind of release lever.

None of that helps if the drawer won't come out far enough to get to the lever however.

There is some kind of interlock mechanism, to stop two drawers being opened at once, and I think what has happened is yours has managed to jump the mechanism so that it is being stopped by its own lock-out.
Can you get any of the other drawers open? I do recall once that fiddling with the vertical inter-connecting lock rod at the back of a removed drawer would release the others.

Sorry, don't know the real answer.
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 15:38 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - Slidingpillar
On some designs the interlock to stop you opening two drawers is very basic and easily duped. Try pulling out two drawers, a good one and the offending one, by exactly the same amount. I can defeat the lock on mine by so doing, but it is a two drawer model, so you may need assistance to do all four.

Once the interlock is defeated, push the other drawers back in and perhaps you can then follow the above advice.
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 21:12 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - MD
>> How to remove filing cabinet drawers ......
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=467oO-OSUBM
>>
Just had a peek HC and those 'tags' as shown in the video do not exist in this cabinet. Damn.
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 15:36 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - Bromptonaut
Long time since I saw a proper four drawer filing cabinet but there's one in corner of my new office in Westminster.

If drawer movement is being obstructed by locking mechanism* then, if you can locate its linkages, it can usually be lifted or lowered to the unlocked position using a ruler under one of the locking pins. We used to keep a thin metal one for the purpose.

Drawers are usually removed either by lifting from front to get drawer over it's runners. Sometimes you need to release safety catches on ends of runners to facilitate removal. Having drawer with 20kg of files in it pull out and drop was an H&S issue back in the seventies so removal always needs deliberate action.

*including the interlock Cliff mentions.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 14 Aug 13 at 15:37
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 17:05 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - AnotherJohnH
If the drawer stuck out is the bottom drawer, and you're feeling strong/ambitious, tilt the whole thing forward a bit and get SWMBO to rummage underneath the cabinet: the bottom is seldom blanked off.

Find out how much she trusts you.... ;-)
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 17:07 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - Zero
I have just called HMRC, they will be round shortly and have them opened in a Jiffy.
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 19:05 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - MD
Well done old chap. Most of us can't find a number to call them.
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 19:17 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - Zero
Yes, they said they hadn't heard from you for a while..
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 19:39 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - MD
They will soon. Surrey isn't it?
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 21:17 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - Alastairw
Not sure if this will work, or how practical it would be, but sometimes inverting the cabinet will release the lock. Obviously this will make a mess of your filing system and no liability to any persons living or dead is implied by your use of this advice!
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New Wed 14 Aug 13 21:38 
 Filing Cabinet stuck - MD
It would be easier to invert Ann Widecombe methinks. Not that I've tried or indeed wish to.
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