Assembling
The main thing to note here is give yourself plenty of time. Many instruction sets will give you an idea of how many people and how long it should take but not all. Two sections below indicate:
- How long it should take
- Typical Tools Required
- General Assembly Tips
Since we are all different we will all approach this in a different way. If you are reading this you are probably more conscientious than most and the sort of person who will read instructions and follow them. Whilst this is generally a good idea, for complex items it is often worth reading the whole way through, as many instructions leave a lot to be desired and can sometimes not be the best way to build an item.
How long it should take
The table below gives a good indication depedent on your level of skill and experience versus the item you are assembling.
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Typical Tools Required
The follow set of tools will usually be sufficient for most assemblies:
Required
- Range of Philips/flat headed scewdrivers small and large
- Tack Hammer
- Set of spanners / Allen keys
Nice to have
- Electric screwdriver/drill with bits
- Tape measure / Set Square / Pencil
- Plaster board rawl plugs (for anti-tilt tags)
- Mitre with saw (some jobs)
- Knee pads if doing a lot of work
- Pliers
General Assembly Tips
Here are some tips:
- Use the right screws - The biggest single flat pack mistake is putting the wrong screws in the wrong place and damaging your product or them getting to a later stage and not being able to proceed.
- Missing Bits - Don't be too concerned if you don't use all the screws and nails supplied. Often a generic pack is included that may be used for several items, as these are cheaper to bulk buy than providing the exact quantity required, this is often true with pins/nails and also if the unit can be combined with others as the connectors may be included whether you need them or not.
- Use the packaging - Open out the box and use this as a mat for your assembly. Doing this will protect your furniture or flooring from damaging or scratching one another and prevent drips of glue staining your carpet.
- Drink - Drink plenty of fluid and take breaks. Multiple items can be hard work.
- In general - Fix all the fittings to panels that you can, before assembling them. It is easier to lie panels flat and screw into them.
- Dowels - Knock dowels into the ends of panels, rather than poking out at 90% from a flat side. If you don't, when pushing two panels together, you can force a dowel through and damage the laminate/veneer
- Electric Screwdrivers - If you are using an electric driver, use a low torque setting to start and work your way up to the right setting, not down.
- Electric Screwdrivers - If you are using an electric driver, only use it on on Phillips or Posidrive style screws. With flat head slots, it is easy to slip when applying pressure and the sharp edge can damage your furniture. If you are using an allen key setting or similar be very careful not to over drill and burr the fitting, if this starts happening use a hand tool instead.
- Levelling Doors - Level wardrobes with a spirit level before adjusting hinges. Place cardboard or spacers underneath the vertical side panels. This is by far the easiest way to get doors hanging right. Pull towards you or push away from you the vertical sides to level the doors to determine where support may be needed. Generally floors are not level and your wardrobe will twist slightly, this is the best approach.
- Glued Drawers - PVA / Wood Glue usually takes 24 hours to dry. Remember this especially with drawers held together primarily by glue and don't use or fill them as soon as you have built them, otherwise they may distort and dry in a non rectangular shape.
- Check Nuts and Bolts - Periodically remember to check items assembled with nuts and bolts (mainly beds and climbing frames) that they are still tight, they can work themselves loose!
Assembling Metal Items
The main thing to remember when assembling metal items, is that where possible make sure that you connect the peices so that the fastenings (usually nuts and bolts) are fastened, but remain slightly loose, with some 'give' in them. Very often if you tighten them up fully as you go, when you come to put the final pieces in, you will have to force the pieces together. If you leave them slightly loose, as you build the furniutre can take up it's natural form. Once the basic shape is assembled, make sure you tighten all the connections properly. Each item varies so make sure you consider the impact of them being tight or slightly loose, as you go.
Assembling - Extra Info
Addtional information on assembling these items is available here:-
Flat Pack Blog
Sunday, February 6th, 2011
Whether it is a bunk bed or loft bed, it is important to heed the warnings on the instructions. If you do not attach the slats properly to the upper bunk your child can suffer serious injury. The following two things have been identified:-
- The slats must all be fastened down on the top or raised bunk. On a normal bed the slats are often strung together and fastened down at six anchor point. If the slats fall through the bed you only have 12 inches to fall so no issue. If you are on the top bunk, such a fall could cause a serious injury, especially considering the way the slats might move and trap an unlucky child.
- Slat must be placed right up to the head and foot boards on the upper bunk. Again an unlucky child could slip and get trapped in a seriously uncomfortable or fatal position.
The chances of these two things happening are increased during play and therefore it is imperative that bunk beds and loft beds are assembled correctly.
