Connecting Ikea Billy bookcases

[kdband]

Hi guys, I've just bought a number of Ikea bookcases to make into a storage unit (something similar to this :

didn't have a combination that matched my exact requirements so I bought separate units.

I have the corner connectors and they're fine, but there doesn't seem to be any easy way of connecting two adjacent units together. I assumed there must be some kind of bracket similar to the corner connectors but for connecting two units side by side, but I can't find anything like this on their website.

I am thinking of using the same connectors that you use for connecting two kitchen cabinets together, but obviously the bolt heads will be visible and it means drilling the bookcases anyway so spoiling them if I ever wanted to re-arrange them.

I'm sure somebody out there has already built something similar, so please let me know what you did.

Thanks

[PeterMcC]

[e-mail] wrote in

I've got a 20' run of them and used the cabinet connectors that you mentioned. It's a fair while since I put them in - I rather assumed, looking back, that the connectors were in with the fittings but perhaps I too sourced some cabinet connectors - can't honestly remember.

As for the look of them, unless the design's changed, there are lots of holes anyway, for the shelf adjusters - each column has 64 holes on each side so I didn't think that another half dozen would make much difference. I think that the chrome bolt heads are probably more attractive than the open holes where there are no shelf supporting pins.

Come to think of it - perhaps I didn't finish the job off properly, maybe I should have put a little blanking stopper in each hole. But that would have been around a thousand holes to stop...

[cj]

HI got the CD units 6 connected together you can use a kitchen cabinet fixing bolt to connect them just drill through 2 adjacent shelf support holes and fit the bolt through. The bolt is not like a conventional nut and bolt but a 2 part assembly which screw together as 1 half is a thin tube threaded internally and the other a screw which screws into it. Try your local DIY store or kitchen shop . Most DIY kitchens have these couplings in the plastic bits bag.

HTH

CJ

[m__murray]

Another vote for cabinet connectors... I also used the shelf support holes as a guide. I think I had to widen them from 5 to 6mm or similar.

I have three (400 - 800 - 400) joined like this including height extension units. Made a huge difference to how they looked, as well as their stability.

M. M.

[AlanC]

I'm sure that when I bought mine several years ago, they came with a couple of wide u-shaped metal rods that fitted in holes in the top of the side panels. I didnt use them because there was too much play when they were connected this way. I used a couple of metal strips (like mecano) and screwed them on the tops, far enough back so that you couldnt see them. This does mean that you wont be able to use top extensions though.

Alan