Stuck drawer

I bought a bench this past weekend that had sat outside for who knows how long.
It has 2 side by side drawers. One of the drawers is beyond stuck. You can tell where someone has tried to pry into it all the way around. It looks tight, but not swollen.
The other drawer came out relatively easy and has a notched area behind the key hole like where a locking mechanism would have gone.

So either it's swollen shut or i need to find a key to unlock it.

How do I go about freeing swollen wood or how do I go about finding a correct key, or at least narrowing down the type of key I'm looking for ?

 

Will it move at all? Wiggle?
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In the house now? How long?
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If it moves does it seem to be restricted where the lock is or elsewhere?

 

This time of year the air is incredibly dry inside around here so if it's that way where you are maybe just let it sit in the dry air for a few days and see if it shrinks at all.

 

No wiggle at all.
It's been inside only a few hours.

I have a dehumidifier in my bathroom that stays on 24/7 at 35%.
Should i put it in there?

 

couldn't hurt....if you're willing to let it stay there a week or more....

 

It may take awhile.
Eventually you may be able to slip something in to see if the lock is engaged or not.
Patience..............

 

Patience is not my virtue, luckily it's the holidays and I'll be distracted for awhile

 

A piece of furniture like this will have what's called a lever lock inside it. I'm guessing that the lock is nothing very extensive, so probably it's just a simple, one-lever lock. That being the case, it should be fairly easy to unlock, provided that it *is* (or is at least a contributory) a factor in why the drawer's shut.

A lock like this will need a key with a hollow shaft and a square or rectangular bit on the end. The shape of the escutcheon (keyhole plate) will give you a rough guide on the general size of the key. Once you have a few keys of roughly the right size, it's just a matter of testing them.

If you're really lucky, then one key will just flip the lock and open it - yes, these locks are really that simple.

If not, then you'll have to break out the files and grind down the key to the right size of the lock. This is harder when you can't actually TELL what the lock looks like. It's a matter of gradual trial and error.

I've had to do this myself on a number of occasions (although not on this large a scale). It's an art, I'll say that. And it requires patience. You could be at it 10 minutes, you could be at it for a couple of hours or more.

 

If you invert the bench, does that give you access to the drawer or is it encased in wood? We can't see the whole bench. There's probably nothing in the drawer but stacks of currency anyway and who needs that?

 

Shoot, not me!
lol

Ill take anything.
This past weekend a man had a bunch of paper work from various local bottling plants, some of that paperwork went for $20 a sheet!

 

Got it.
Flipped it on its back and went in underneath with the claw of a hammer and gently lifted.
Alas, no currency or expensive paperwork. A empty drawer with not even a locking mechanism.

What do I need to do to keep them from sticking again?

 

Let it dry out more then beeswax where necessary.
Last resort...sand only where necessary but not in an area to be seen.

 

And also, rub along all the joins and meeting points with a candle.

 

Let it dry out indoors. It will free up.