Doug White intro

I’m a retired airline pilot and joined this group really not so much for an interest in antiques but to get some answers about a rolltop desk I have. Anybody that has some answers about how to unlock rolltop drawers please let me know! Thank you!Also I have a few inherited antiques that I could get some advice on.

 

Welcome, Douglas! Sure you'll get the information you want here. Lots of knowledgable people. (And, sorry. Can't help with lock!)

Debora

 

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Hi Doug, and WELCOME to ANTIQUERS!!

 

Welcome!

 

Found this trick to unlock roll top drawers:

"It's actually quite easier for 95% of rolltops ever made. The OP has been messaging offline... the fix remains the same.

In short.. remove the center drawer. Grab two flathead screwdrivers or a couple of butter knifes. Lay down in the knee hole and look up. The locking, springloaded, retractable tabs will be right above you. Using the flatheads or butter knifes, compress the flanges back into the locking tab. LIFT (a third hand can be handy). Voila!

Once the tambour is fully raised, the dowels will compress and the pedestal drawers will open. No "picking" required.

Just an FYI.. the locking tab recess in the top of the desk is cut all the way through in order to prevent "gunk" build-up, which will, eventually, prevent the locking tab from fully seating and engaging. It also comes in quite handy for those that lock themselves out of their own desks. "

 

Sorry, did not reply properly. Thanks Steffanie for the idea. I saw a similar previous post but I don’t have a center drawer. When I lay down under the knee hole there’s nothing to put a knife or a screwdriver or anything. No latches of any kind. I believe this may be an unusual rolltop desk. The tambor is retracted completely and is locked in that retracted position. As I mentioned in my initial post I have two keys. One fits the Tambor lock and I don’t know what the other one does. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Here is another route? albeit no key involvement.

• Is the tambour going all the way back when it‘s open? I have an antique English roll top desk and the brass lock is only for securing the tambour and the middle drawer. The unlocking of the side drawers is triggered by the weight of the open tambour. The back edge of the tambour pushes on a lever/mechanism of some sort and releases the drawers. This illustration from Fine Woodworking gives a visual of a modern mechanism, but the idea is the same...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  From Fine Woodworking,Traditional Furniture Projects, Taunton Press.
  
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An easier way to post photos is the load them into the gallery on this site and then add them to your post using the camera icon above left (media gallery imbed)

 

Yes, it will open all the way and I’ve tried to open the drawers by even forcing it a little more but no help. The funny thing is it’s locked in the up position also and I can’t pull it down. I am out of ideas!

 

Anyone else have any suggestions on how to unlock my desk drawers?

 

Are you able to post some photos? If you add them to the gallery and then bring them in here with the camera icon on the upper right of this message it usually works. Just add to the media gallery, name the photo, save it, then come back and add it in here from the media gallery.