Tim Lamb wrote:
I am about to be lumbered with attaching some IKEA wall cabinets to an
oldish, lath and plaster studwork wall.

Do you mean units hanging from the wall just below the ceiling, or
floor standing units which you will fix to the wall at the rear?

If the first then IMHO you have considerable problems to overcome by
not fixing to a sound wall.

I assume they will be supplied with adjustable corner fixings but also
assume these will not co-incide with convenient studs.

Standard IKEA units of either type are bolted to the wall in the top
inside left & right corners of each unit by a semi-adjustable angle
bracket. Each bracket is bolted to the wall by 1 (usually 6mm) bolt or
fischer screw or similar and held to the side of each cabinet side by 2
small screws.

The mounting is finished off by covering by a slide/clip-on white
plastic cover. Suggest you go into an IKEA store and have a good look
at an assembled unit & ask to see under the white plastic covers.

IMHO a wish and a prayer holds the whole sheebang up. A whole lot
hangs on those small screws fixed into rather crumbly chipboard. I'm
fitting a wall rail (40x20 timber) underneath the back of unit on the
ones I'm currently installing on to a solid plastered wall. IMHO these
wall units need a *really* solid back wall which can take considerable
load.

Suppose, though, the strength needed depends on whether the missus's
crown derby is going into it.

HTH