The instructions don't make sense... flatpack nightmare

[SeerSGB]

^ This is good advice, which I will employ next time. I don't think I have ever had a piece of flat packed furniture which has survived any of my many house movings.

Another way, if you're really in love with the piece and want to keep it: Small "L" brackets. Use waferboard/plywood along the back, the going under it into the load bearing areas and all the corners and use smalls "L" brackets and screws to shore it up even further. Another bit of advice: get a can/tube of construction adhesive to lock everything together.

Wafer, brackets, nails, and glue you're talking-- if you shop around-- maybe 12 bucks in parts, $20 tops (USD off course, local currency will vary).

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Don't skimp on tacking in the backboard, that's the only part that holds these things together. It's always the last bit you do, and you always end up using half the amount of tacks they say.

Within a week it will be leaning sideways.

Backboard? BACKBOARD? I don't have a backboard

Oh it's a desk, I missed that bit.

Don't worry, i'm sure it will be fine.

Really.

I am re-assured by your confidence

Anyway it is done, finished and not too rickety

Also provided Son with another 4 way plug, is there no end to various chargers for random things that teenagers need? It was like untangling a nest of vipers *time for wine methinks*

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Just to finish this story... I awoke this morning and my buttocks and arms really ache ~ I understand the arms but the buttocks

And the desk is still standing ~ result

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Just to finish this story... I awoke this morning and my buttocks and arms really ache ~ I understand the arms but the buttocks

Flatpack furniture assembly.... [puts on sunglasses] ... really is a pain in the arse.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Just to finish this story... I awoke this morning and my buttocks and arms really ache ~ I understand the arms but the buttocks

Flatpack furniture assembly.... [puts on sunglasses] ... really is a pain in the arse.

Now I know that to be true ~ let it be a warning to the unaware

 

[trekkiedane]

Just take it as a game; assembling flat-pack furniture is just like playing with LEGO!

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Just take it as a game; assembling flat-pack furniture is just like playing with LEGO!

You should see that episode of James May's Toy Stories where he tries to build that house from LEGO® bricks, including the furniture.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Just take it as a game; assembling flat-pack furniture is just like playing with LEGO!

But with LEGO you just do what you want and it all goes together ~ with flat pack furniture you end up making a canoe instead of a desk

 

[Zulu Romeo]

with flat pack furniture you end up making a canoe instead of a desk

Same with LEGO®.

Or maybe that was just me...

 

[trekkiedane]

I'm actually really good at assembling things like that. I can easily identify screws based on their pictures and so forth. Maybe I should hire myself out as an assembly guy.

Just take it as a game; assembling flat-pack furniture is just like playing with LEGO!

But with LEGO you just do what you want and it all goes together ~ with flat pack furniture you end up making a canoe instead of a desk

Rarely - It usually can only be assembled in one way!

PLUS, the only tool you need is usually enclosed

I have had many great times assembling stuff and I love doing it!

 

[Captain Shaw]

After watching James May Lego house being built making Lego furniture looks harder than putting flat pack together.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

I'm actually really good at assembling things like that. I can easily identify screws based on their pictures and so forth. Maybe I should hire myself out as an assembly guy.

Just take it as a game; assembling flat-pack furniture is just like playing with LEGO!

But with LEGO you just do what you want and it all goes together ~ with flat pack furniture you end up making a canoe instead of a desk

Rarely - It usually can only be assembled in one way!

PLUS, the only tool you need is usually enclosed

I have had many great times assembling stuff and I love doing it!

Ahh ~ just realised I had it upside down

After watching James May Lego house being built making Lego furniture looks harder than putting flat pack together.

I LOVE James May. Did you know they had to demolish that house as Legoland wouldn't take it because of 'transport costs' and no-one else wanted it

 

[Captain Shaw]

I LOVE James May. Did you know they had to demolish that house as Legoland wouldn't take it because of 'transport costs' and no-one else wanted it

I know i have spoken to some people who helped out on the Lego and Plasticine Garden.
Do you know the Lego version of James cat Fusker was sent in by a fan and someone stole it

 

[Jadzia]

I quite enjoyed putting together the few self assembly things I've bought. But the weight of maneuvering them around is what I struggle with.

Surprisingly, my computer desk has been the heaviest thing, which has a 3cm thick 2m x 1m solid beech surface in addition to a tonne of steel and other lumps of wood. I got the delivery guys to carry the flat pack to my computer room for me, and I assembled it in the exact position where it now resides.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

I LOVE James May. Did you know they had to demolish that house as Legoland wouldn't take it because of 'transport costs' and no-one else wanted it

I know i have spoken to some people who helped out on the Lego and Plasticine Garden.
Do you know the Lego version of James cat Fusker was sent in by a fan and someone stole it

That Plasticine Garden was amazing and the volunteers did so much work, I hope they had fun doing it.
The bit about the cat chips off a bit of my belief in the Good of Human Nature

I quite enjoyed putting together the few self assembly things I've bought. But the weight of maneuvering them around is what I struggle with.

Surprisingly, my computer desk has been the heaviest thing, which has a 3cm thick 2m x 1m solid beech surface in addition to a tonne of steel and other lumps of wood. I got the delivery guys to carry the flat pack to my computer room for me, and I assembled it in the exact position where it now resides.

I had to drag mine from the car (didn't think of ordering in time) ~ but did assemble it in place
I do like the challenge of assembling and I like the satisfaction of the end product ~ it's just the frustration of stupid instructions that gets to me

Also infuriated that Man pointed out that I had put the runners in for the drawers the wrong way round. They fit more flusher now, but I wish I'd sorted that out myself

 

[Crewman47]

The biggest thing I've attempted is large double wardrobe with drawers and I put it up myself, which took me a good 3 hours or so. That was back in summer last year and to this day it's still standing although the only probelm I have now is that it's a damn bugger to move (heavy object on carpet with no casters), especially if I need to get behind it for any reason.

 

[trekkiedane]

I inherited a triple wardrobe with a triple small set of cupboards on top (three sliding doors into the wardrobe itself and three smaller ones on top) a couple of years ago.

I still haven't re-assembled it because it is a fancy thing with very special metal thingies to put it all together and someone has mislaid -or thrown away all of those

What I'm left with is a nice piece of flat-pack furniture without all the things needed for assembly - basically just a pile of chipboard with nice surfaces (and forget about the instructions!)

One of these days I'll have to put it all together using imagination and off-the-shelve screws and whatnots. I'm tempted to post about it in the Are you handy?-thread