Internal compartment access panels

[Berdan]

The internal compartment access panels (wood) under appliances or cabinets are held in by four square drive screws. Removing the screws is easy. Getting the tight fitting panels off is more difficult.

Has anyone added a fabric/flexible pull tab or other unobtrusive method to aid in quickly pulling the panels off without prying and marring the edges? If so I would be interested in what you used.

[JRTJH]

I use a "bent scribe" placed through a screw hole to pull the panels away from their position. You can buy a set of 4 with different bends at Harbor Freight for $1.79. https://www.harborfreight.com/mini-p...set-63697.html

Or you could just "bend a finishing nail" and hold it with a pair of pliers to "manipulate the nail through the hole and pull"....

[gearhead]

Those picks are handy to have for all sorts of projects. I just used one for pulling on a panel in my 5ths basement.
Starrett, I think, makes one that's a scribe on one end and a light duty pick on the other.

[flybouy]

I've used the screw that holds the panel on to pull it off by backing out the screw so it's only in the panel. I've also used a screw "the next size up" to gently screw into the panel and pull.

[Berdan]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I've used the screw that holds the panel on to pull it off by backing out the screw so it's only in the panel. I've also used a screw "the next size up" to gently screw into the panel and pull.

That was the first thing I tried but the panel was in there tight enough that I was afraid I would tear out the hole if I pulled too hard. That is why long term I would like to incorporate something more substantial to pull on.

[JRTJH]

You can always buy a matching drawer pull, drill a couple of holes and use a piece of 1x2 as a backer so the drawer pull screws won't pull through the thin luan.