Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin MDF
back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the contact
details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and Twitter
presence is close to zero. Does anyone know a sneaky back-door way of
getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know if
there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of the
shank grooved. Any thoughts will be gratefully received. Thanks.

On 10/03/2021 16:39, Bert Coules wrote:
Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin
MDF back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the
contact details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and
Twitter presence is close to zero.Â* Does anyone know a sneaky back-door
way of getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know
if there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of
the shank grooved.Â* Any thoughts will be gratefully received.Â* Thanks.



Gorilla glue ?. Much stronger.

On 10/03/2021 16:39, Bert Coules wrote:
Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin
MDF back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the
contact details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and
Twitter presence is close to zero.Â* Does anyone know a sneaky back-door
way of getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know
if there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of
the shank grooved.Â* Any thoughts will be gratefully received.Â* Thanks.



Panel pins.

Ikea now (or they did when I helped SIL put his wardrobe together)
package the pins with a handy plastic guide that holds the pin in
exactly the right distance in from the edge.

To answer part of my own query...

I've now discovered the name: annular ring nails. Several outlets list
something similar, but from the illustrations all are considerably chunkier
than the example I have from a previous Ikea purchase, and I'm not too keen
on driving them into the edges of the thin MDF panels.

Andrew wrote:

Gorilla glue? Much stronger.

That's an interesting thought, and it would remove the possibility of the
side panels splitting or bulging with the nails.

I've never used any Gorilla adhesives. Are they instant-grab? I suspect
there would inevitably be some seepage inside the unit and it would be good
to be able to put it upright for cleaning this off without the back coming
adrift,

Bert Coules wrote:

To answer part of my own query...
I've now discovered the name: annular ring nails.

Must admit from your description I thought you meant grooved along the
shank (like fluted dowel) not around the shank, anything here?

https://www.furnitureparts.com/collections/ikea-replacement-parts

In article , Bert Coules
wrote:
Andrew wrote:

Gorilla glue? Much stronger.

That's an interesting thought, and it would remove the possibility of the
side panels splitting or bulging with the nails.

I've never used any Gorilla adhesives. Are they instant-grab? I suspect
there would inevitably be some seepage inside the unit and it would be
good to be able to put it upright for cleaning this off without the back
coming adrift,

Yes, Gorilla Glue does expand, so you need to keep an eye on it as it sets.
I've used it to fix scews in hinges that have worked loose because of
ageing. Works well.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

On 10/03/2021 17:03, Bert Coules wrote:
To answer part of my own query...

I've now discovered the name: annular ring nails.Â* Several outlets list
something similar, but from the illustrations all are considerably
chunkier than the example I have from a previous Ikea purchase, and I'm
not too keen on driving them into the edges of the thin MDF panels.

FWIW I think you would probably be OK with "ordinary" panel pins too,
especially if you help it with a bit of glue. As you point out the issue
with glue is often seepage. I take it that one of the faces in contact
is "bare" MDF, what is the other? For unpainted wood/mdf/plywood
contacts indoors I'd use ordinary PVA type woodworking adhesive. Easy to
wipe off any extrusion after the whole lot is pinned in place.

I don't think you can wipe off the polyurethane type gorilla glue
easily. I've only used it on "rough" carpentry, in that case you can
trim it with a knife or chisel after it has half or fully set (but
likely to leave a mark in the second case).

Andy Burns wrote:

Must admit from your description I thought you meant grooved along the
shank (like fluted dowel) not around the shank...

Ah, sorry about that. No, the ribs are around the shank (presumably for
better grip in the core of the MDF/chipboard) and the shank itself is not
much more than 1mm diameter.

...anything here?

I'm afraid not, but I'm pleased to know about that site, so thanks.

"newshound" wrote,

FWIW I think you would probably be OK with "ordinary" panel pins too,
especially if you help it with a bit of glue.

That's interesting, thanks.

I take it that one of the faces in contact is "bare" MDF, what is the
other?

The back panel is "veneered" MDF) which usually means it has a printed paper
covering, I think, And the contact is with the bare edges of the main
panels (which on close inspection look more like chipboard than MDF).

Thanks for the tip about the unwipeability of the Gorilla glue.

On 10/03/2021 17:47, Bert Coules wrote:
"newshound" wrote,

FWIW I think you would probably be OK with "ordinary" panel pins too,
especially if you help it with a bit of glue.

That's interesting, thanks.

I take it that one of the faces in contact is "bare" MDF, what is the
other?

The back panel is "veneered" MDF) which usually means it has a printed
paper covering, I think,Â* And the contact is with the bare edges of the
main panels (which on close inspection look more like chipboard than MDF).

Thanks for the tip about the unwipeability of the Gorilla glue.

That sort of veneered finish is slightly glossy and (I guess) not very
absorbant, but PVA should stick a bit to most glossy surfaces.

Maybe use two or three panel pins to get the same grip as a single
"ridged" nail.

On 10/03/2021 16:39, Bert Coules wrote:
Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin
MDF back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the
contact details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and
Twitter presence is close to zero.Â* Does anyone know a sneaky back-door
way of getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know
if there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of
the shank grooved.Â* Any thoughts will be gratefully received.Â* Thanks.

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .
Use more if you need reassurance .

I would not recommend glue of any water as if you do use glue you are
not allowing the backboard to move with humidity/temperature changes.
Even if with MDF, hardboard this movement should be minimal.

Do not know where you are but the local(ish) IKEA (Straiton, actually
MILES away but it is the nearest) is open; with dividers, everyone
wiping down all the time, all that . So you may want to check on-line if
your local IKEA is open and get some of the FREE spares from the
checkouts (you may want to phone them before making a trip).

IKEAs seem to be allowed to open as they sell mattresses (no really)
this may only be Scotland though.

Ikea furniture used to come with a wee spacer for panel pins [1]
as they have to be placed far enough from the edge so as not to split
it but they have to go into the actual wood frame of the piece of
furniture.

Last time I assembled furniture from IKEA it did not have this spacer
(luckily I had saved a few from before so used them).
So I do not know if IKEA always supply these spacers (they used to).
They are not strictly necessary but do speed the job up but I am sure
with even a modicum of luck/skill you will be fine.


[1] https://tinyurl.com/5bb762ch

[1] In case you are paranoid
https://preview.redd.it/l79mkluaoqh1...78bb629890228d

soup wrote:

IKEAs seem to be allowed to open [...] this may only be Scotland
though.

I think it, the ones here are shutdown.

"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
Andrew wrote:

Gorilla glue? Much stronger.

That's an interesting thought, and it would remove the possibility of the
side panels splitting or bulging with the nails.

I always glue these parts as well as nailing

makes the end product much more stable

"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .

In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire assembly
square, but again, the external load is minimal.

Thanks for the tip about not using glue.

I don't believe that any English IKEAs are open at the moment, but in any
case my "local" branch is an impractical distance away.

I do have the pin-spacer, something I've not previously encountered. Neat
and clever.

Thanks for your thoughts.

On Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 8:43:03 AM UTC, Bert Coules wrote:
"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .
In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire assembly
square, but again, the external load is minimal.

Thanks for the tip about not using glue.

I don't believe that any English IKEAs are open at the moment, but in any
case my "local" branch is an impractical distance away.

I do have the pin-spacer, something I've not previously encountered. Neat
and clever.

Thanks for your thoughts.


Beg, borrow or steal a staple gun. Better grip than panel pins

In message ,
fred writes
On Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 8:43:03 AM UTC, Bert Coules wrote:
"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .
In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire assembly
square, but again, the external load is minimal.

Thanks for the tip about not using glue.

I don't believe that any English IKEAs are open at the moment, but in any
case my "local" branch is an impractical distance away.

I do have the pin-spacer, something I've not previously encountered. Neat
and clever.

Thanks for your thoughts.


Beg, borrow or steal a staple gun. Better grip than panel pins

er.. Don't use the divergent point type near an edge!

--
Tim Lamb

On Wed, 10 Mar 2021 16:39:50 -0000, Bert Coules wrote:

Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin MDF
back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the contact
details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and Twitter
presence is close to zero. Does anyone know a sneaky back-door way of
getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know if
there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of the
shank grooved. Any thoughts will be gratefully received. Thanks.

I got a rather nice - and very heavy - double wardrobe via ebay. It was in a
shop in town for double the price+delivery.
Had to assemble it in one bedroom then, minus doors and back, move it to
another bedroom. This involved sort of being inside it to lift it, with a
couple of inches spare on height.
I realised that the only way to move it, e.g. to another house, was to
dimantle it. Rather than use the pins provided for the back I used small st.
st. pan-head self-tappers. Drilled pilot holes so that the back didn't split
and used about the same number.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On Thu, 11 Mar 2021 08:42:58 -0000, "Bert Coules"
wrote:

"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .

In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire assembly
square, but again, the external load is minimal.

Yes, the back panels are critical to prevent 'racking'. You can still
get some on big cupboards and wardrobes where the back panel is in
more than one section, joined by a 'H' section strip and you don't use
enough pins in the side panels.

Thanks for the tip about not using glue.

I have glued a few flat pack units during construction, especially
when 1) they have been built and disassembled more than once and it
was likely to be the last time and 2) it was small enough to be moved
complete and needed to be 'strong'. I typically use something like
Evostick (because of the coatings in some surfaces) and sparingly on
all but the most rough / absorbent surfaces.

I don't believe that any English IKEAs are open at the moment, but in any
case my "local" branch is an impractical distance away.

I used our a few months ago (during lock down) and they were running
C&C and still are. Not sure how that might work re CS but if you could
arrange a replacement pack it could be C&C'd?

I do have the pin-spacer, something I've not previously encountered. Neat
and clever.

Another handy use of a 3D printer, making all sorts of jigs and guides
quickly, easily, accurately and cheaply (once you have one of course).
;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 10/03/2021 16:39, Bert Coules wrote:
Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin
MDF back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the
contact details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and
Twitter presence is close to zero.Â* Does anyone know a sneaky back-door
way of getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know
if there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of
the shank grooved.Â* Any thoughts will be gratefully received.Â* Thanks.


Contact details are present on the web site, just very, very well hidden.

Our phone number is: 0203 645 0000
Calls will be charged at your standard network rate.
Our contact centre opening hours a
Mon-Sat: 07:00 - 20:00
Sun: 07:00 - 19:00

There is also a chatbot....
.... for a short cut google "Ikea Help Line" which produces the same number

Dave

Bert Coules wrote:
Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin MDF
back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the contact
details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and Twitter
presence is close to zero. Does anyone know a sneaky back-door way of
getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know if
there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of the
shank grooved. Any thoughts will be gratefully received. Thanks.




Arent they still doing mail order and click and collect? Son uses in the
past they have posted missing small parts to him.

On 11/03/2021 08:42, Bert Coules wrote:
"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .

In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire assembly
square, but again, the external load is minimal.


Mmm any pieces I have had to assemble,if racking is at all a possibility
there is additional supports[1]to prevent that from happening.

However if you feel that is an issue with your piece fair enough.

Why would IKEA use a piece of hardboard as a structural member ?
IKEA does not want to have to deal with lots of returns so whilst built
down to a price, there is nothing in their 'designs' which can't handle
their function.

As others have said perhaps even stapling is a way forward.
Just don't use fancy staples that may split the wood.

I would still be tempted to ignore any 'second function' of the back
piece and treat it as a dust shield .

Only IMHO, you do you.

[1] English IS my first language (some would say barely ;O) ) but I am
unsure what the bits between the sides at the back are called

"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .

In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire assembly
square, but again, the external load is minimal.

Thanks for the tip about not using glue.

I don't believe that any English IKEAs are open at the moment,

only 4 (and a bit) weeks to wait now

though don't go on day 1. The Q will be mega

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Mar 2021 08:42:58 -0000, "Bert Coules"
wrote:

"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .

In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire assembly
square, but again, the external load is minimal.

Yes, the back panels are critical to prevent 'racking'. You can still
get some on big cupboards and wardrobes where the back panel is in
more than one section, joined by a 'H' section strip and you don't use
enough pins in the side panels.

Thanks for the tip about not using glue.

I have glued a few flat pack units during construction, especially
when 1) they have been built and disassembled more than once

I always moved my flat pack "whole" I never dismantled them

"Radio Man" wrote in message
...
Bert Coules wrote:
Just assembling an Ikea wardrobe: nothing fancy, but nicer than I could
build from scratch for the same money.

There's a fixing pack missing: the panel-type pins for securing the thin
MDF
back to the sides, top and base.

Ikea customer support is effectively shut down at the moment: the contact
details are missing from their website, and their Facebook and Twitter
presence is close to zero. Does anyone know a sneaky back-door way of
getting in touch?

I'm perfectly happy to buy some of the necessary pins, but I don't know
if
there's a correct technical term to search for.

The pins are 20mm long, 6mm diameter heads, with the parallel part of the
shank grooved. Any thoughts will be gratefully received. Thanks.




Arent they still doing mail order and click and collect? Son uses in the
past they have posted missing small parts to him.

pre-Covid I used the online system to re-order a missing part

it took ages to arrive, so much so that I gave up waiting and made a trip to
the store for it

and then a week later, another one arrived in the post :-(

soup wrote:

Why would IKEA use a piece of hardboard as a structural member ?
IKEA does not want to have to deal with lots of returns so whilst built
down to a price, there is nothing in their 'designs' which can't handle
their function.

Value engineering. It works well enough.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
@ChrisJDixon1

Plant amazing Acers.

On 11/03/2021 11:26, tim... wrote:


"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
"soup" wrote:

IME the panels on the back of IKEA furniture are just dust shields and
have absolutely no external load put on them so ordinary panel pins
should be fine .

In this case, the back panel does also serve to hold the entire
assembly square, but again, the external load is minimal.

Thanks for the tip about not using glue.

I don't believe that any English IKEAs are open at the moment,

only 4 (and a bit) weeks to wait now

though don't go on day 1.Â* The Q will be mega



Like every normal weekend then ? :-(

On 11/03/2021 11:37, Chris J Dixon wrote:
soup wrote:

Why would IKEA use a piece of hardboard as a structural member ?
IKEA does not want to have to deal with lots of returns so whilst built
down to a price, there is nothing in their 'designs' which can't handle
their function.

Value engineering. It works well enough.

Chris


If it is anything like my Habitat 'Brianca' ?? shelving, the
panel provides the triangulation that stops it wobbling from
side to side even though its base is flat on the floor.

soup wrote:

I am unsure what the bits between the sides at the back are called

braces?

tim... wrote:

only 4 (and a bit) weeks to wait now
though don't go on day 1.Â* The Q will be mega

The queue at the nottingham store was mega for *weeks* after lockdown1,
several times I drove into the car park, turned round and went straight
back out.

"Andy Burns" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:

only 4 (and a bit) weeks to wait now though don't go on day 1. The Q
will be mega

The queue at the nottingham store was mega for *weeks* after lockdown1,
several times I drove into the car park, turned round and went straight
back out.

We've been waiting a year to order various bookcases from Ikea, to be
delivered. We had a couple of wardrobes delivered just before lockdown
began, but since then they've not been accepting orders that require a
two-man delivery, because of social-distancing rules.

One day, when the initial excitement has died down, we'll go over the Ikea
(a fair journey from near Scarborough to the Ikea south of Leeds) to look
around, buy things that are small enough to fit in the car and arrange for
delivery of the big things like bookcases. For long things that will fit in
the car, we need to remember to use my car rather than my wife's because
although hers is bigger and longer, the back seats are split the wrong way
round (ie two on the driver's side, one on the passenger side) so if my wife
has to sit in the back because things extend into the front seat, then we
can only get things that are narrow enough to go through a *single* width
gap in the rear-seat back-rest. My car has the split the opposite way round
so we can get wider long things through a wider gap, with less room for my
wife alongside - done that in the past.


Part of the problem with the Leeds Ikea is that the car park is one-way, so
you have to go around a fairly long circuit. So if you join the queue,
you're stuck for a long time before you can turn round.

NY wrote:

Part of the problem with the Leeds Ikea is that the car park is one-way,
so you have to go around a fairly long circuit. So if you join the
queue, you're stuck for a long time before you can turn round.

The problem wasn't so much queuing in the car (apart from the dead-end
they created to make more space for pedestrians) but the queue on foot
snaking around the building and into the temporary bit of car park that
was roped off for pedestrians.

ISTR that when they're open normally, it's until 10pm, I'd aim late ...

Tim wrote:

Only 4 (and a bit) weeks to wait now.
Though don't go on day 1. The Q will be mega.

I'm hoping that when the stores reopen they'll also reinstate their customer
services department, which at the moment appears to be completely shut down.
The website still has an "order spare parts" page but the means of sending
them the order form has been removed, as have the email and phone contact
details.

David Wade wrote:

Contact details are present on the web site, just very, very well hidden.

Thanks very much for that!

On 11/03/2021 12:07, NY wrote:
"Andy Burns" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:

only 4 (and a bit) weeks to wait now though don't go on day 1.Â* The Q
will be mega

The queue at the nottingham store was mega for *weeks* after
lockdown1, several times I drove into the car park, turned round and
went straight back out.


Part of the problem with the Leeds Ikea is that the car park is one-way,
so you have to go around a fairly long circuit. So if you join the
queue, you're stuck for a long time before you can turn round.

I would have to drive 50 miles to Purley Way and spend ages crawling
along the approach roads even before the car park

David Wade wrote:

Contact details are present on the web site, just very, very well hidden.

I'm delighted to say that I got through (after a remarkably short wait) to a
very helpful chap who sorted out not only the missing fixings but also a
subsequent problem of my own making: I damaged one panel, enquired about
buying a replacement, and was told I'd be sent one, free of charge and with
no delivery cost. Excellent.

Thanks again, David.

On 11/03/2021 23:03, Bert Coules wrote:
David Wade wrote:

Contact details are present on the web site, just very, very well hidden.

I'm delighted to say that I got through (after a remarkably short wait)
to a very helpful chap who sorted out not only the missing fixings but
also a subsequent problem of my own making: I damaged one panel,
enquired about buying a replacement, and was told I'd be sent one, free
of charge and with no delivery cost.Â* Excellent.

Thanks again, David.

Glad you got everything sorted.

"soup" wrote:

Glad you got everything sorted.

Thanks. It also restored my faith in IKEA's customer service, which I've
always found very good in the past.

On 10/03/2021 17:08, Bert Coules wrote:
Andrew wrote:

Gorilla glue?Â* Much stronger.

That's an interesting thought, and it would remove the possibility of
the side panels splitting or bulging with the nails.

I've never used any Gorilla adhesives.Â* Are they instant-grab?Â* I
suspect there would inevitably be some seepage inside the unit and it
would be good to be able to put it upright for cleaning this off without
the back coming adrift,


I've used a couple of Gorilla adhesives and found them no better than
competitor products and in the case of some of their expanding products
they are pretty poor. The power of a large advertising budget works
wonders for the sales of the products.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 11/03/2021 08:42, tim... wrote:


"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
Andrew wrote:

Gorilla glue?Â* Much stronger.

That's an interesting thought, and it would remove the possibility of
the side panels splitting or bulging with the nails.

I always glue these parts as well as nailing

makes the end product much more stable




I also glue the wooden dowels that most of the flat pack comes with.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk