TIL something about drawer slides at a historic hotel in Savannah

I was staying at a place built in the 1880s and noticed the original dresser drawers still slid perfectly smooth. I got down and looked, and they were just running on waxed wood channels, no metal slides at all. How many of you still use or have repaired that kind of old school wooden drawer guide?

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3 Comments

jake_chen6mo ago

Did they use a specific kind of wax, like beeswax?

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betty_park624mo ago

Medieval bathrooms had wax seals too, so beeswax was everywhere for waterproofing.

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bettyjones6mo ago

Probably beeswax, yeah. I mean, what else were they gonna use? Candle wax from the dollar store? They weren't exactly running to the craft shop for paraffin. It was beeswax or nothing back then.

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