How Do I Fix a Sticking Revolving Corner Cupboard?

Use a hand planer or sanding block to remove excess wood on the edge of a revolving cupboard.

A sticking revolving corner cupboard can be caused by two main things. The way to fix the stuck revolving cupboard will be determined by the specific problem, but sometimes you have to treat both issues to make the cupboard turn freely. Start with the problem that is easiest to fix. The first cause of a sticking revolving cupboard is corroded, dirty hardware inside the cupboard. The second common cause is wood swollen from humidity in the house.

Things You'll Need

• 1 tsp. dish detergent
• Washbasin or bucket, 1 gallon size
• 1/2 gallon hot water
• 1 retired toothbrush
• Small household scrub brush (optional)
• Penetrating oil
• Sanding block with coarse sand-paper or small hand-held planer

Instructions

1. Pour the dish detergent into the washbasin or bucket. Pour the hot water on top of the dish detergent, and mix it with the brush.

2. Open the cupboard as gently as you can by pushing it open, and scrub the hardware at the cupboard's axis point using the toothbrush. Scrub both the upper and lower assembly. The lower assembly might be hard to reach if you are using a regular scrub brush but should be easy to reach with a toothbrush.

3. Saturate the revolving assembly with penetrating oil, and work the revolving cupboard back and forth three or four times. Close the cupboard and let the penetrating oil stay on the assembly. Let the cupboard sit overnight.

4. Open the revolving cupboard and work it back and forth to see where it is rubbing. Grasp the sanding block or hand-held planer firmly and slide it back and forth five times along the edge where the cupboard is rubbing.

5. Check the cupboard by closing and opening it to see if it is still sticking. If it is still sticking, continue sanding or planing until it revolves freely.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using a planer, set between 1/64 inch and 1/32 inch so that you don't remove more wood than necessary from the edge of the revolving cupboard in each pass.

• To sand or plane a revolving cupboard that is sticking on the lower edge without removing the entire revolving cupboard, you will have to lay down on the floor and push upward while removing the swollen edge of the wood.

References

• WBDG: Oil, Penetrating: For Loosening Frozen Metallic Parts
• Proven Woodworking: Planer Tips

Resources

• "Woodworking for Dummies", Jeff Strong, 2003