I HATE flat pack furniture!

Gareth John · May 17th, 2008, 02:03 PM

Just finished bolting together a chest of drawers, took 2 hours before I had any draws in. This is probably why I don't build my own guitars. I've built my bed, my desk, a book case, a dvd cabinet all from flat pack and I HATE it!

I arranged all the screws into types etc, but the instructions were so bad, some parts not labelled and half drawn diagrams (printing errors)

Don't even think about using common sense because there's no place for it in the world of flat pack! my legs have gone dead from kneeling on the floor whilst trying to get this thing together. Now that it's up, the drawers don't even sit flush because bits are cut wrong. £120? that's alot of money. I might as well have bought a book and some tools and cut the wood myself.

One of the worst things about flat pack is that little screw and belt to attach it to the wall so that you don't pull it over when you try to operate the drawers.

I feel better for that now but it's still robbed me of a day off.

Edit: Spelling mistakes caused by RAGE

bug music · May 17th, 2008, 02:15 PM

I found this from another thread, but it's fitting here :
http://thefuntimesguide.com/2007/09/...rs_manuals.php
play the audio file about 1/2 way down the page.

- Jay

Gareth John · May 17th, 2008, 02:24 PM

HAHAHA that's ace. I think I will go grab a Bud now!

e-merlin · May 17th, 2008, 05:20 PM

Heck, I can build a car, guitar, computer, lasagna or chili from parts with little help from a manual. Furnature is a cake walk. Bring it on! All i need is a nagging wife leaning over my shoulder and an Old Mil in the fridge and I'm good!

OldMan · May 17th, 2008, 06:57 PM

My daughter bought my wife a porch swing for Mother's Day... in a flat pack. What a major pain in the a$$ to put together. Whatever happened to buying something that was already assembled and having it delivered? I miss the old days.

Glen W · May 17th, 2008, 07:50 PM

I like how in the box it weighs about 400 lbs, but after you put it all together it's like 37 lbs.

Nick JD · May 17th, 2008, 07:58 PM

The Chasers War on Everything...

"Some assembly required"

jhundt · May 18th, 2008, 01:10 AM

I am the opposite - I find it very relaxing to assemble Ikea products - IF everyone leaves me alone and I have enough space to work. It's a good thing that I do enjoy this kind of work, because my wife likes to buy Ikea flat-pack furniture as much as I like to assemble it.

However - disassembly under less-than-ideal circumstances is another thing altogether. Once we bought a great big double-wardrobe closet with bifold louver doors. It was the last one - fully assembled floor model. I could have it cheap if I disassembled it and moved it out RIGHT NOW! The saleswoman loaned me a screw-driver... man that thing was big and complex; and everyone in the shop (sales staff, my wife, other shoppers, etc) had "advice" for me.... and there were no instructions... and I had NO BEER! And when I was finished with disassembly I could carry it all down 3 floors to my sub-compact car, cram it in, take it home, carry it up to the 2nd floor and reassemble it (with no assembly instructions) in a tiny and crowded bedroom. At least I had some beer in the 'fridge!

cband7 · May 18th, 2008, 03:22 AM

Never thought of it until now but a great idea - all kit furniture should come with a coupon for beer.

I, too, have had times where I had the thing propped against one wall, my leg around the other side trying to keep it from falling while I twisted one of those bizarre little cam lock things while holding a flashlight in my mouth and a large thought balloon over my head saying "I will freaking cut down a tree and make my own lumber before I'll do this again!!!!!".

And sometimes it's easy.

It's an imperfect world!

Gareth John · May 18th, 2008, 05:18 AM

I think you're right Glen W, it's totally against the laws of physics.
I've put stuff together before that's been a doddle, but this was like being on the Krypton Factor!

Buckocaster51 · May 18th, 2008, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glen W

I like how in the box it weighs about 400 lbs, but after you put it all together it's like 37 lbs.

It's got to do with the spervel bearings!

I know! I read it on the internet!

Hockey Rocker · May 18th, 2008, 06:23 AM

My wife found a nice corner piece for the kitchen online. It arrived and I put it together. It had two left-side cabinet doors. They sent me the right side door four weeks later. Too late. I did a Rube Goldberg on the extra lefty door and filled in an obvious hole by jamming a like-colored crayon in there. My wife likes it. She says it looks like a knot in the wood.

My entire basement is furnished by Ikea. Not too bad really.

woodman · May 18th, 2008, 12:48 PM

when my wife comes home with one o' those flat boxes, my heart sinks. i'm impaired in the manual arts, and i know it's gonna cost me an afternoon and at least one skinned knuckle -- plus lots of cussin'!

stephent2 · May 18th, 2008, 02:19 PM

well, I'm in the middle of assembling "Alex" from Ikea, a hopefully handy guitar parts drawer for the shop, last week it was Ikea CD towers (three of them, but it's dang nice to get organized), coming up this week I'll have help the wife finish two (big ass) Ikea closets and in the fall, a whole Ikea kitchen.

I love the smell of particle board in the morning.

RomanS · May 18th, 2008, 05:50 PM

As a confirmed IKEA-holic I love putting together their stuff - and I have a hunch that this subconsciously paved the way to building Partscasters...

Westerly Sunn · May 19th, 2008, 06:29 AM

I hate the stuff... Last experience was an entertainment center I put together for my GF's Mother... Lot's o' pieces to that sucker... and very little room on the hardwood floor of her Den; upon which I sat for the entire afternoon... hurting my knees? Yes... but also bruising my coccyx; an injury that made it painful to sit for about 3 months and which I can still feel upon occasion. O.K.; so that is not the products fault... but it's still cheap crap and I like it not. I might also add that the pre-drilled pilot hole for the screws that attched the magnetic catches behind the front doors were placed too far back and won't hold the doors. I've still not gone back and fixed that... LOL!
I have a big DVD rack out of the stuff... The back panel they provided...? Cardboard, of course... and that thing was expensive! I chunked the cardboard and put plywood on the back.

eddiewagner · May 19th, 2008, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhundt

I am the opposite - I find it very relaxing to assemble Ikea products

well jon, i always knew you had a dark and scary side. but i did not expect it to be that bizarre.

eddiewagner · May 19th, 2008, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanS

As a confirmed IKEA-holic I love putting together their stuff

what? roman too!!!! what is going on here?

mark norwine · May 19th, 2008, 09:00 AM

Has anyone else here earned their "IKEA Bunk Beds" merit badge?

Talk about a PITA.....

RomanS · May 19th, 2008, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddiewagner

what? roman too!!!! what is going on here?

I have to admit, at least 2/3rds of the furniture in our apartment is from IKEA - only the kitchen furniture was already in here when we moved, and I built our bed, coffee table, and some cabinets from scratch...

Hey, assembling IKEA stuff is actually much easier than assembling Partscasters...

...no soldering involved ---> no burnt fingertips!

Glenn D. · May 20th, 2008, 09:49 AM

Heh. My wife loves IKEA and we have lots of the flat pack stuff. The kicker is that she likes to put to together by herself. I only need to get involved if there is heavy lifting involved at some point.

Glenn D.

May 17th, 2008, 02:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
Gareth John Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: England Age: 23 Posts: 477 8 Photos	I HATE flat pack furniture! Just finished bolting together a chest of drawers, took 2 hours before I had any draws in. This is probably why I don't build my own guitars. I've built my bed, my desk, a book case, a dvd cabinet all from flat pack and I HATE it! I arranged all the screws into types etc, but the instructions were so bad, some parts not labelled and half drawn diagrams (printing errors) Don't even think about using common sense because there's no place for it in the world of flat pack! my legs have gone dead from kneeling on the floor whilst trying to get this thing together. Now that it's up, the drawers don't even sit flush because bits are cut wrong. £120? that's alot of money. I might as well have bought a book and some tools and cut the wood myself. One of the worst things about flat pack is that little screw and belt to attach it to the wall so that you don't pull it over when you try to operate the drawers. I feel better for that now but it's still robbed me of a day off. Edit: Spelling mistakes caused by RAGE

May 17th, 2008, 02:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
bug music Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2004 Location: Taxachusetts Posts: 638 1 Photos	I found this from another thread, but it's fitting here : http://thefuntimesguide.com/2007/09/...rs_manuals.php play the audio file about 1/2 way down the page. - Jay __________________ "When I die they're gonna say He couldn't play sh*t, but he sure made it sound good" - Hound Dog Taylor

May 17th, 2008, 05:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
e-merlin Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 5,547	Heck, I can build a car, guitar, computer, lasagna or chili from parts with little help from a manual. Furnature is a cake walk. Bring it on! All i need is a nagging wife leaning over my shoulder and an Old Mil in the fridge and I'm good! __________________ WARNING:This post may contain items including, but not limited to, sarcasm, irony, hyperbole intended to bring humor to this discussion. Those of you who are overly sensitive or who have no sense of humor are better off ignoring this post.

May 17th, 2008, 06:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
OldMan Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Kentucky Age: 61 Posts: 176	My daughter bought my wife a porch swing for Mother's Day... in a flat pack. What a major pain in the a$$ to put together. Whatever happened to buying something that was already assembled and having it delivered? I miss the old days. __________________ ALCOHOL... the cause of and solution to all of life's problems - Homer J. Simpson

May 17th, 2008, 07:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Glen W Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2003 Location: CT Age: 59 Posts: 796 9 Photos	I like how in the box it weighs about 400 lbs, but after you put it all together it's like 37 lbs. __________________ Go big... or stay home.

May 17th, 2008, 02:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
Gareth John Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: England Age: 23 Posts: 477 8 Photos	HAHAHA that's ace. I think I will go grab a Bud now!

May 17th, 2008, 07:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
Nick JD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2007 Location: North NSW, Australia Age: 35 Posts: 1,656	The Chasers War on Everything... "Some assembly required" __________________ It was such a lovely day I thought it a pity to get up. W. Somerset Maugham

May 18th, 2008, 01:10 AM	#8 (permalink)
jhundt Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Netherlands Age: 54 Posts: 2,685 9 Photos	I am the opposite - I find it very relaxing to assemble Ikea products - IF everyone leaves me alone and I have enough space to work. It's a good thing that I do enjoy this kind of work, because my wife likes to buy Ikea flat-pack furniture as much as I like to assemble it. However - disassembly under less-than-ideal circumstances is another thing altogether. Once we bought a great big double-wardrobe closet with bifold louver doors. It was the last one - fully assembled floor model. I could have it cheap if I disassembled it and moved it out RIGHT NOW! The saleswoman loaned me a screw-driver... man that thing was big and complex; and everyone in the shop (sales staff, my wife, other shoppers, etc) had "advice" for me.... and there were no instructions... and I had NO BEER! And when I was finished with disassembly I could carry it all down 3 floors to my sub-compact car, cram it in, take it home, carry it up to the 2nd floor and reassemble it (with no assembly instructions) in a tiny and crowded bedroom. At least I had some beer in the 'fridge!

May 18th, 2008, 03:22 AM	#9 (permalink)
cband7 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kwajalein, Marshall Islands Age: 54 Posts: 180	Never thought of it until now but a great idea - all kit furniture should come with a coupon for beer. I, too, have had times where I had the thing propped against one wall, my leg around the other side trying to keep it from falling while I twisted one of those bizarre little cam lock things while holding a flashlight in my mouth and a large thought balloon over my head saying "I will freaking cut down a tree and make my own lumber before I'll do this again!!!!!". And sometimes it's easy. It's an imperfect world! __________________ "If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith." --Albert Einstein

May 18th, 2008, 05:18 AM	#10 (permalink)
Gareth John Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: England Age: 23 Posts: 477 8 Photos	I think you're right Glen W, it's totally against the laws of physics. I've put stuff together before that's been a doddle, but this was like being on the Krypton Factor!

May 18th, 2008, 06:23 AM	#12 (permalink)
Hockey Rocker Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Jersey Age: 46 Posts: 717	My wife found a nice corner piece for the kitchen online. It arrived and I put it together. It had two left-side cabinet doors. They sent me the right side door four weeks later. Too late. I did a Rube Goldberg on the extra lefty door and filled in an obvious hole by jamming a like-colored crayon in there. My wife likes it. She says it looks like a knot in the wood. My entire basement is furnished by Ikea. Not too bad really.

May 18th, 2008, 12:48 PM	#13 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 62 Posts: 5,222	when my wife comes home with one o' those flat boxes, my heart sinks. i'm impaired in the manual arts, and i know it's gonna cost me an afternoon and at least one skinned knuckle -- plus lots of cussin'! __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)

May 18th, 2008, 02:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
stephent2 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA. Age: 57 Posts: 2,168 20 Photos	well, I'm in the middle of assembling "Alex" from Ikea, a hopefully handy guitar parts drawer for the shop, last week it was Ikea CD towers (three of them, but it's dang nice to get organized), coming up this week I'll have help the wife finish two (big ass) Ikea closets and in the fall, a whole Ikea kitchen. I love the smell of particle board in the morning. __________________ 3. If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers. - - Thomas Pynchon

May 18th, 2008, 05:50 PM	#15 (permalink)
RomanS Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Vienna, Austria Age: 36 Posts: 2,535 14 Photos	As a confirmed IKEA-holic I love putting together their stuff - and I have a hunch that this subconsciously paved the way to building Partscasters... __________________ http://www.pbase.com/romans http://www.myspace.com/romans212

May 19th, 2008, 06:29 AM	#16 (permalink)
Westerly Sunn Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. North Carolina Posts: 518 3 Photos	I'm with the Op... I hate the stuff... Last experience was an entertainment center I put together for my GF's Mother... Lot's o' pieces to that sucker... and very little room on the hardwood floor of her Den; upon which I sat for the entire afternoon... hurting my knees? Yes... but also bruising my coccyx; an injury that made it painful to sit for about 3 months and which I can still feel upon occasion. O.K.; so that is not the products fault... but it's still cheap crap and I like it not. I might also add that the pre-drilled pilot hole for the screws that attched the magnetic catches behind the front doors were placed too far back and won't hold the doors. I've still not gone back and fixed that... LOL! I have a big DVD rack out of the stuff... The back panel they provided...? Cardboard, of course... and that thing was expensive! I chunked the cardboard and put plywood on the back. __________________ My white hairs had you fooled, didn't they, son? Yes, Sir! Ha! Drive on!!!

May 19th, 2008, 09:00 AM	#19 (permalink)
mark norwine Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: New Jersey Age: 50 Posts: 1,357	Has anyone else here earned their "IKEA Bunk Beds" merit badge? Talk about a PITA..... __________________ "Progress is not possible without deviation from the norm." Frank Zappa

May 20th, 2008, 09:49 AM	#21 (permalink)
Glenn D. Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fort Collins, CO Age: 46 Posts: 144	Heh. My wife loves IKEA and we have lots of the flat pack stuff. The kicker is that she likes to put to together by herself. I only need to get involved if there is heavy lifting involved at some point. Glenn D.