Flat pack faff

A bookcase followed by a large sideboard.

The bookcase didn't take too long, assembly was fairly obvious, but had an extra panel, just a narrow strip of ply, not mentioned in the instructions. I guess who ever packed it couldn't bothered to dispose of it and thought it easier to include it in the package.

The sideboard was rated at a 1 hour job. In fact it took 6 hours and all the bits were not fully resolved until near midnight. The instruction were just the pictogram style, no words to help and it was enormously complex internal frame work, for 5 drawers and 2 cupboards. Lots of bits of wood all different sizes and no way to tell one piece from another, except by guess work. All the parts were given numbers on the drawing, but no numbers on the bits of wood at all. What would it have cost, to just have sticky labels with numbers on, on each of the sections?

I eventually got to the end, after several attempts and much pulling apart and reassembling the correct way - then there was a length of nylon strap left over, with no obvious place where it was needed. It was shown on the pictogram, but gave no clear indication of where it was intended to go or its actual purpose. I looked at several flat pack assembly videos on Youtube, before eventually spotting one which showed the assembly of a wardrobe. That had such a strap between the top of the wardrobe and fixed to the wall, to prevent it falling over.

I really couldn't see this low and deep sideboard managing to fall over no matter what, so I have not bothered to fit it.

SWMBO had ordered both without even mentioning it to me, or discussing it, she just said there would be two big parcels arriving. I was always totally against such flat pack furniture, seeing it as cheap looking, made from fibre board and lacking any style, but these look really - not too bad at all if you like the rugged look.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield
Loading thread data ...

Kids have been killed ... The function and instructions for the installation of this should perhaps be made a little more obvious.

If the laden top drawer is extended fully outwards, does it tip forward?

In your case, your assessment of the situation might suffice. Just check, no climbing kids in the house?

Reply to
Adrian Caspersz

Odd bits of wood are often packed in flat pack boxes to pad out empty spaces in the box to avoid parts of boxes crushing when stacked up in the warehouse other times they are inserted as protectors to prevent delicate features being damaged.

As for pictogram assembly instructions, welcome to IKEA land

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

I wonder how well a fixing into plasterboard would resist the interia of a falling piece of furniture and child?

Reply to
DerbyBorn

We wanted a load of furniture very quickly, and found the Corona Pine stuff acceptable in appearance, good value, and easy to assemble.

Reply to
Bob Eager

If the pictograms had dimensions on of these pieces, Bob would be your uncle.

If needing generic furniture in a hurry one can often find better & cheaper at a local charity furniture place, though certainly not always.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

if you have small children visiting it might be necessary. I certianly fitted a similar securing device when assembling a simialar pice of furniture for grandson's bedroom.

Reply to
charles

depends on how well you fix it to the plasterboard

Reply to
charles

and then you have to get it home ;-(

Reply to
charles

If it's a 6 foot high bookcase, say, the strap is fixed at the top and has a leverage advantage of around 10:1, allowing for a child hanging around 6 inches in front of the book case. There shouldn't be a lot of slack in the strap, so inertia isn't really a big issue.

Reply to
GB

Yes, well, I really do feel that they should bring in a test team to try to put them together before unleashing them on an unsuspecting public. Ironically a cd rack I bought was labelled but since I could not read the numbers I had to guess anyway. Luckily the styling dictated that the narrower shelves were at the top or they would stick out. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Most of them have delivery arrangements as (a) their target market of students, unfurnished tenants and poor people generally often don't have cars/vans (b) they already have vans for picking up donated furniture or stuff from the tip

IME they're happy to carry upstairs but won't refit bits that fell off in the van.

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

I expect they do. The same team every time, who have assembled 120 before. Bzzt.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Forget cookery, painting, house makeover and dancing shows on TV.

We need a new competition genre,

"Celebrity Flat Pack Faff"

Every week, a D-list team challenge each other to decode an Ikea assembly manual and assemble on of their items, with points deducted for inaccuracy, wobbles broken edges etc...

Reply to
Adrian Caspersz

Where are they from? I've always found Argos flat pack to be easy to assemble, with written instructions as well as pictures.

(Whoever said, "A picture is worth a thousand words," obviously hasn't tried assembling furniture from one.)

[...]

So assembling furniture is strictly a man's job.

Reply to
Max Demian

Man builds wardrobe.

Woman fills wardrobe.

'tis the natural order of things

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog
.

I think after 2 or 3 pulls most fixings would fail. Especially if you factor in the average Ikea cusomer's DIY ability.

Reply to
DerbyBorn

Reply to
alan_m

But the inclusion of the strap transfers the liability from Ikea to the customer, so their lawyers are happy ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

John Rumm wrote in news:R snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:

+1 (realised)
Reply to
DerbyBorn

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.