Superglue?

Seriously - I doubt that's a DIY fix.
Even a professional restorer would have trouble with that - and once in place, you won't be able to use that handle again.

It is important to remove ALL the old glue otherwise you will not get a proper fit. Once you do, try dry fitting the handle. It is in the dry fitting stage you will need to experiment with different clamps, straps, tapes and rubber bands to see which is the best way to hold it tightly in place as the glue cures. A good wood glue will work, but you may want to try guerilla glue (these type of glues like to cure with the presence of water so you will need to dampen the wood slightly). It will foam and expand to fill any gaps in the joint. After it cures and you chip of the excess glue from the joint you can then color the glue joint with a stain pen.

It might be possible to re-glue the handle, my guess is that it wasn't glued with glue that is appropriate to the type of wood. It looks like it might be teak, and I know that teak is very oily and hard to glue.

Most cities have stores that cater to woodworkers and also woodworking schools; I would check in with woodworking supply store and ask their advice.

If it was my dresser, I would probably "pin" the handle with really skinny dowels as well as glue it, (drilling very thin holes through the back of the drawer wood into the handle, and then glue the dowels through as well as gluing the long edge together) A tricky repair, but not impossible...

Good luck

Wow, that's a beautiful dresser. If you can't get it to work, I'd take it to a professional. If they can't fix it. I would ask them to sand the bottom drawer where it doesn't have the handle and then attach minimalist pulls.

epoxy. i use this to fix tons of stuff.

yeah, you may have to have the drawer front rebuilt...or is there any way you could have a professional notch the handle with corresponding notches in the drawer and then glue the dovetails?

it's a really pretty dresser and worth the tlc in my opinion!

fjorlief is right. Using dowels and some glue, you could fix this pretty easily. a search on google will have give you some good instructions on how to do it, but essentially I would clamp it and drill holes for some thin dowels in the back. Using a high strength wood glue or epoxy, you can attach them together and the dowels will handle the stress. I've fixed a bunch of chair legs this way, an its essentially the same problem. good as new.

DON'T SAND ANY THING OFF.

If you must, you could have a professional fix it for you, but its going to cost you a lot. It is a beautiful piece, please keep us updated on your progress!

Yes nordic freak is right on. Epoxy and dowels will work. You could also try epoxy and screw it from the back. If it doesn't work you have nothing to lose.

Sand the side of the handle that was attached to the dresser very lightly and use elmers wood glue, it's a miracle worker. Good luck

I'm a trained professional art conservator. Although I don't specialize in furniture, I can offer you some tips to consider. First, to remove the old glue you might test whether warm water, ethanol, or acetone (available at a hardware store) applied with a cotton swab might do the trick. Just be sure to carefully test first so that you don't ruin the finish. You'll need to remove all the adhesive so that your join is perfect, otherwise you'll run into problems.

Please, please don't use epoxy if you care about this piece. It is irreversible, so if it isn't completely perfect, you will probably never get a second chance (nor will future owners). Typically furniture makers use animal hide glue, which is reversible with water, and makes a strong join. Wood glue is also more reversible than epoxy. In either case, clamping it tightly in the right place will help you make a strong join.

Hiring a conservator for this simple job might not be as costly as you think. If you decide this piece is worth fixing professionally, you can find a conservator through our professional organization (www.conservation-us.org) and they should give you a quote after looking at the piece, without any obligation for you to follow through on treatment.

Good luck!

"Using dowels and some glue, you could fix this pretty easily."

You folks are kidding, right?

You realize that the handle is maybe 3/8" thick and curved? There's not a chance in Hades that a couple holes can be drilled in that thin piece of wood without a couple clamps and drill-press (a steady hand won't cut it) that won't puncture the face of the handle, much less split the thing...
...and how is she gonna ensure that the holes line up properly between the handle and the drawer?

It's simply not a DIY fix - which is probably why the original owner got rid of it.

this place did a nice job on some chairs that needed some stripped screws that were overglued repaired. they did a great job, were reasonably priced, and timely.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/furniture-revival-chicago#hrid:nxKbZI5Un9B1FbaDyy1CyQ/src:self

give them a call. they will respond asap.

Please follow megp47's advice. This is a fine furniture piece from the look of the photo. Don't ruin it with epoxy or dowels or any other jerry-rigged fix.

I would think the handle could be fixed with some nice wood glue. You will need to find a way to clamp it while the glue dries and then some.

Best advice I offer is after you get it reattached, use that handle the minimum as possible since very little will get it on there permanently.

Can you tell how the other handles are attached? Any evidence of screws or dowels on the inside of the drawers? If not, then glue was probably used. I'd take megp47's advice and seek professional assistance. It's a nice piece.

Take it to a pro. Dowels are definitely out, and I can't see plain glue working, but it may be possible to use create a small bisquit joint, which is like a dowel but small and flat.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

bepsf (however pessimistic) has very valid points — dowels would never work. The handle is only ¼” thick. Screws would probably also be too thick. And I’d never be able to drill a hole that precise. A very thin biscuit might be possible, but I don’t have a biscuit joiner for the mortice. Though that solution would also reduce the need for perfect accuracy in lining up the handle with the drawer.

Also, nicole u and megp47, thanks for the suggestions of professionals, but I (somewhat unfortunately) live in Iowa…

To the people wondering how the handle was originally attached and if I could replicate it: The strip along the top of each drawer with the handles jutting out is one solid piece of wood. This handle broke off along the grain.

I’m starting to think that this might not be something I can handle (no pun intended) properly. But I’ll send an update when it’s solved!

Erin,

Do not despair! A google search for 'fine woodworking Iowa' yielded 147,000 hits! Surely Iowa, home of Grant *WOOD* and many other fine artists/craftspeople, harbors someone who can rescue your dresser!

And/or... perhaps Fine Woodworking magazine has a column where people can write in w/their questions/problems. Check out their site at: www.finewoodworking.com

Good luck!

Hey, check out the NY Scavenger for today - there is a matching chest for this!!

tiny screw.. very slowly