SHELFMATE.NET

"The Customer review is misleading, and quite inaccurate. The project itself was to completely customize an existing (apparantly antique) armoir by REPLACING the existing dovetail drawers with new, while keeping the original drawer face, (dovetailed to the drawer box itself. However, the face of all the drawers had to be re-used, to match the cabinet. (lower drawers that were warped over time). The Customers informed me that the previous contractor they received an estimate from informed them that this was impossible, (replacing the existing warped drawers with new maple drawers, while re-using the existing drawer faces which matched the cabinet's original finish). I knew I could do a credible job, (even with the complexity of retro-fitting an antique unit with dovetail construction and warping drawer face/frame spacing relationship), and I did. However, after this review, I am now regret ever getting involved with this customer, and this project. The best job was done, with what there was to work with. Complicating this was the fact that all the drawers were dovetail construction. Unless you have some background in woodworking, you may not know that once a dovetail joint is broken or altered, it is in fact, impossible to renew it, so I made all new dovetail drawers, attached them to original faces, and fit them into back into the original recessed framing, just as they were before, marking everything carefully upon removal for proper alignment. NOTE the recessed framing allows for less than 1/8" clearance between the drawer frame, and drawer face, as the face of the drawer fully recesses into the frame. This was rubbing due to warpage prior to the project start, and, due to the dovetail construction warping of drawer & frame. What the Customer review refers to as 'difficult to open' is the center large drawer that rubs on the top right of the frame. The review is misleading when stated as problem was not fixed, as this problem as referred to was already existing prior to the replacing of the drawers. To "fix" this problem, I took a file to remove the warp in the wood, as much as I dared to without altering the remaining space relationship to the drawer and frame. Yes, it still rubs. However, as this was a previous issue with the unit itself, (unit appears to be very old, and has had numerous coats of paint and was warped to begin with). As the drawer is fully recessed into the cabinet frame when closing, I recommended they use parafin wax, rather than file any further into the drawer dovetail, or frame. My message to the Customers' (you were not present when I was filing on the drawer to attempt to correct this issue. Please remove the center drawer entirely and you will see the filing on the top right of the drawer itself). The clearance of the drawer face in relationship to the frame is less than 1/8" and cannot be altered without jeopardizing the dovetail joint, (which I did attempt to alleviate). As this issue (drawer sticking) was already existing due to warping, I recommend parafin wax to help in opening sticky drawer). I am satisfied the work is as complete as can be, without damaging any of the remaining integrity of a cabinet of this age, however, I am very discouraged about this review, and will never attempt a retro-fit on such an old unit again after the comments received in this review."