Ikea Style Drawer Repair - How To
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- See how to repair an Ikea style drawer. Ikea made this type of flat-packed furniture widely available, so you may have a drawer similar to this. Unfortunately, flat-packed furniture isn’t as durable as furniture made using traditional woodworking methods.
Here are some links mentioned in the video:
- Corner clamping braces - amzn.to/31cUUpq
- Beginner Wood Finish Recommendations video - homeimprovement...
- Measuring tape with millimetres and inches - amzn.to/37ZTXDe
To repair this Ikea style drawer, I have to replace the broken parts. On this drawer, it means replacing the sides. I also add a front to the drawer so I create a solid connection between the drawer box and the drawer front. I’m using 1/2 inch poplar cut to match the existing parts.
The drawer sides need to have a groove (called a “dado”) in them to accept the drawer bottom. That’s cut on the table saw. I trim the bottom slightly as the inside of the box is now smaller that I’m adding a front to the drawer box.
I assemble the drawer with glue and finishing nails. I also add one screw in each joint, located where the side runner will be attached so the screw is concealed. Clamping braces make this work much easier if you don’t have someone to help you to accurately hold the parts together.
Once the drawer is assembled, I finish it with wipe-on polyurethane, which is an easy DIY way to seal the wood. I installed the drawer runners on the sides in the same location as the previous sides. The drawer front is attached to the drawer box with the screws for the two drawer pulls. The challenge is to make sure the drawer front lines up on the repaired drawer box the same way as it did on the broken drawer box.
If you have questions, ask them in the video comments. I read every comment and respond to the respectful ones.
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This video is hosted by Scott Bennett, Owner of Wooden It Be Nice - Furniture Repair in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. WoodenItBeNice.ca
#drawer #ikea #repair
I've watched loads of woodworking videos in which they make drawers with false fronts. Never understood why. You're the first RUclipsr to actually explain it. Thank you.
Archaeologists in the future will find just a drawer and wonder where the rest of the cabinet went 😉
Lol, that's funny! Thanks for the chuckle. Scott
Hhhhhhhhhh
Hahahaha
Great video. This video is about wood repair not about buying cheap furniture.
Thank you very much!
I love this repair, economially speaking it allowed the user to get started for cheap when he needed it. Eventually enhance the most used parts like this (probably) top drawer and using the 80/20 rule (Paretto) this maybe the only drawer that ever needs to be fixed. Awesome repair and great structure for the final solution. If I were Scott I would ask the customer for the other drawers and add the reinforcement at the front to the other drawers to make sure they don’t eventually suffer the same fate as this one. Keep up the great content and thank you!
Thank you. I like your analysis of the situation and your suggestion. Scott
I appreciate your taking time to show the details of the repair. While I consider myself an experienced woodworker, I seem to be learning new stuff all the time.
I have just discovered your channel and I love it! The detractors that say this furniture isn't worth repairing are missing the point. It CAN be done and putting some work into a piece keeps the rest of it from becoming landfill fodder. At least for a few more years. I always love learning a new technique. Thanks!
Nice job! I love that you take the same care to repair a two bit piece or a very valuable antique piece.
Thanks Sylvie. I hate to see any piece of furniture go to waste. Cheers. Scott
I found this channel by complete coincidence, i love the content and i really like that its not just wasting my time videos on RUclips, there's alot to be learned out from your channel.
Greetings from Egypt
Hi Scott. What you did is more rebuilding the Ikea drawer than repairing it, 🇦🇷 and🇯🇵🏴.
You could look at it that way. There really wasn't any way to save it otherwise. Scott
That's my favorite thing about this video. Although, I think adding a little comic relief would've been great.
"I'm going to show you how to fix this Ikea drawer" and then if he just spun around in his chair and dropped it directly in a trash can, maintaining direct eye contact with the camera the whole time.
It was still a great video! Great Job! Subscribed! :)
You should show us different versions of how to build each one progressively more advanced. That would be great to see. Thank you for this video.
Thanks for the idea!
First I have heard about oil from fingers when gluing. Nice tip, thanks.
You're welcome. I read that tip in a Fine Woodworking article years ago. Cheers. Scott
Well done ,well presented and explained.Any negative comments should be ignored , as you are showing people how to fix a problem in the most sensible , economic way ,with no loud music , and in a calm , confident professional manner.
Many people would ask "hey, the only way to repair this is to throw away the old parts and re-building them up from new parts?", but this solution is the most senseful. Well, first of all, it's a simple calculation game: what does a single plank cost, and what does the whole furniture cost? You already know this from your car ;)
Also, it's a question of warranty: I don't know how it is in the USA, but in Germany there is a minimum one year warranty even defined by the law. Even if a repair would survive the warranty somehow and breaks after that again, would you come back to have other works done? Most people won't, so a long lasting repair is a good customer service.
The way to fix the real problem (here, a construction issue by designing the drawers that they will break somewhen) like shown in the video is a good solution - and a damn good proof of that the handworker knows what to do. Good job!👍👍👍
Very educational video! Thank-you!
A suggestion. If you had cut the new front piece short, then the drawer bottom could have gone back into the groove in the face piece to support the drawer bottom at the front. Nice video. I am enjoying your lessons.
Wow! That's a heck of a lot of work for an IKEA piece of furniture. BTW these videos are cathartic.
Good repair video Scott. Also reminds all of us what inexpensive furniture is. Put it together and your afraid to move it , knowing it might not withstand the move. Well done Scott.
Very true! Thanks.
This is a problem in my area. There are a number of renters. When it is time to move (which happens a lot) it is cheaper for them to leave the furniture than it is to move it. Especially since it is crap MDF and particle board based stuff. So they dump it on the kerb as they move out and leave it. Then it becomes someone else's problem to clean up after them. Very frustrating for us owner occupiers that don't want our suburb turned into a dump.
@@DavesShed OTOH - free furniture!
You can do everything with a radial arm saw rather than using a mitre saw and a table saw. I like the sawdust extractor on the mitre.
I like radial arm saws and would have one in my shop if I had the space for it. I would not recommend using a radial arm saw for ripping - technically it can be done, but it's not as safe as cutting on a table saw. Cheers. Scott
If you don't have access to all those tools to do a proper fix like this video maybe try another way. Amazon has the Ikea style cam locks and screws as well as wood hardener (liquid form) and wood structural epoxy/filler. Maybe that works to get by for few years till you get some real furniture or the equipment for a proper repair. I've been watching Fixing Furniture the last fey day and learn a few things and discover some new tools. Good stuff, keep it up!
If you're not concerned about the look of the repair, you can add supporting blocks in the corner. Wood hardener won't work on this type of material and epoxy putty isn't structural so it doesn't add strength. I hope that answers your question. Scott
So, basically IKEA-repair = replace all particle boards with actual wood ;D
In this case, there wasn't a way to salvage the particle board. It's cheap material that can't be repaired. If it was solid wood, I would have repaired it easily. Yes, this style of furniture I refer to as "disposable furniture"
I think this is not true at all. Actually you can repair particle board. Actually you even can fill broken out gaps. The reason you do not repair it is your attitude. You think crap material should not be repaired. Thats ok for me but then you should not call this a repair video when it is a replacement.
@@ftrueck It's "ok for you" but still you're here quibbling over semantics? Who cares if it's a repair or a "replacement" -- it was broken, now it works -- that's a repair in anyone but an insufferable pedant's book. The customer cares enough about the object to spend the money on fixing it. Scott is putting his seal on the repair, giving his guarantee it will hold -- stands to reason he would make sure it's solid. Stop wasting everyone's time with these pointless, negative comments.
@@ftrueck and how will you repair that? with epoxy resin? or maybe with noodle and superglue? it's faster to replace it than the repair.
@@ftrueck It's called "crap material" exactly because it's cheaper/easier/better to just replace it 😉
like the way you located the drawer front
I'm glad you found that useful. Thanks. Scott
OMG, waaay better than anything out of Ikea! Great job! 👍
Good job, as always. Why not use glue to make the joinery stronger?
Thanx 4 sharing amazing DIY Tips made simple
My pleasure 😊
Thanks for the video. Learnt a few bits from it. One thing that surprised me is that you didnt actually fix the draw front on at all...
I'm wondering about this too. Why didn't he at least glue that front?
I just found your channel and am looking to start getting into some very basic woodworking. Thank you for this material. Your explanations are fantastic. I always like to know the 'why' behind actions and you do a great job explaining. Thanks again!
I learned a few tricks from this video. Thanks man.
Glad to hear it! I love to get feedback that people are learning from our videos! Thank you for subscribing. Scott
I normally wait to sub until I have seen a few video, not today. The quality and style of your video makes it enjoyable to watch its like "Edutainment" or "Learnitainment"!
Wow, thank you! I appreciate that! Scott
Very, Very Good.
BEAUTIFUL.
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you for your channel and for sharing your methods and techniques. I too, am a furniture repairman and use many of the same methods, but I have learned some new things watching you. My question is regarding the cost to your customer for such a repair to a Ikea drawer as you demonstrated. BTW, you are an outstanding teacher, and I haven't seen a single video of yours that I have not been impressed. Thank you.
I'm a new subscriber. Thank you for some very common sense tips that I would never have imagined. Your videos are very well done!! I'm hooked.
Outstanding!
Thank you! Cheers!
Ty ! This is super handy info !
Glad it was helpful for you. Cheers. Scott
Hi Scott! Thanks for all your great videos, it's been helpful to understand repair to design better projects!
Quick question: You've said many times that it's critical to glue both sides of a joint, but here you didn't. You know far more than I, so there's a good reason, but I don't know what it is. Can you help me understand the difference?
Good observation Alan. To be honest, I didn't realize I did that... there wasn't a purpose in doing that. I should have glued both sides to ensure the best possible bond. Thanks for pointing that out. Scott 🇨🇦
Good to watch. 🇹🇭 Thailand.
Thank you! Scott
Thank you, that was a great tips how to fix not only IKEA but all from store. thank you again
Glad it was helpful! Scott
I had several drawers that as a young child ended up destroying the drawers, and bad glue jobs. Skipping to present day. I reglued parts that were especially bad, and rebuilt partial rails as most of the parts was still in good shape. Now I have two working dressers instead of hampers for clean clothes.
The problem with this is that the Ikea design is dependent on the materials being dimensionally stable. Composite board does not change size dependant on humidity. Solid wood does change, particularly its width, so simply glued joints don’t work. That is why solid wood drawers have dovetail joints front and back. With just glue it won’t survive through a winter/summer. Plywood is dimensionally stable, but you can’t glue onto the edges, you would need to use some appropriate joints, possibly doweling.
You are correct that wood moves in width, which is why wide boards that are cross grain will separate from each other. When the boards are connected with grain in the same direction, they move at the same rate, therefore the joint stays intact. The reason dovetails are used is because they resist the force of the drawer being pulled open and keep that joint intact. I hope that helps. Scott
Learned something new
That's great to hear. I love it! Thanks. Scott
Great channel. I don’t feel like an idiot watching you work. I understand. I’m subbed! 👍
Thank you for subscribing. I'm happy to hear our videos are helping you out! Scott
thanks for the no finger glue tip, was wondering how much of a strength difference does it make with the finger oil in glue vs pure unadultrated glue joint?
That's a good question. I don't know. I read this in a Fine Woodworking article years ago about wood glue, so given the source, I assume it has merit. Cheers. Scott
Greetings from Cordoba, Veracruz Mexico
Thanks for sharing where you're from! Scott
I always glue this stuff when assembling it.
Glue might help if the right glue is used. Wood glue won't work on malemine or plastic. I'd recommend epoxy. Scott
Nice work... The drawer is probably worth more than the original piece of furniture!
Thank you. I've stopped guessing what people will and won't spend money on for furniture repairs... everyone has a different view of value. Thanks for subscribing! Cheers. Scott
Sir, If I maybe so bold as to offer you a tip perhaps you might find useful. For glue spreading I use Acid Paste brushes. I get them at Harbor Freight, you get a bunch for a few bucks. They work great and I just trash then at the end of the day. I tried the silicone brushes I really do not care for them.
Thanks for the suggestion. I prefer not to use disposable products where I can avoid it. I wash out the glue easily, even when the glue has dried. Scott
Repair? You build a new solid drawer :)
It's way better to use solid material than cheap chipboard for sure!
My best one yet was a neighbour couldn’t assemble one side to the front of the drawer.
When IKEA was routing the hole for that stupid rotating clamp clip something went wrong and it machined it about 1/2 too close to the end. That was fun plugging and rerouting a new hole in the correct spot in basically cardboard.
I said take it back but he had built most of the desk about 6 months prior.
Really nice video.
A family just starting out, maybe kids, not much money usually buys cheap furniture that looks good in the show room. After I got sick of buying cheap and repairing, replacing I started looking for used good quality solid wood. Even at the stores look for solid wood. At least there's something to repair. Particle board is the devil.
That's great you've learned that quality furniture is a better investment. Well built solid wood furniture will last generations. Scott
Great tips
liked the video, feels like a guide to replace rather than repair! surprised that you didn't use the side pieces as templates for drilling the holes you needed instead of measuring.
Replacing part of a piece of furniture that's broken is still repairing the whole piece of furniture. Replacing would be going to Ikea and buying another one.
Good work, you make a repair that is made to last, more than the rest of the furniture.
Thank you. I appreciate that! Scott
Well, this is obviously a professional repair. U made me subscribe!
But i am curious what do u think if (as an nonprofessional) i would DIY repair such a drawer using pocket holes screws? Thx
To be honest, I'm not a fan of pocket hole screws. Securing the drawer sides to the front and back would be more effective with screws straight through the sides. Does that make sense? Scott
Awesome videos! As a non-woodsman i can only suggest to use modern torx screws like spax to make it even easier to fulfill your warrenty(which is pretty unlikely in this case) and match the color even more. 🌰👍
Thanks for your suggestion Rosi. I'm guessing you live in the UK with the recommendation of using torx screws. In Canada, our wood screws are all Robertson (tapered square drive), and in the US, the standard is Phillips. I've never tried to source torx screws and screw drivers, but maybe I should give it a try. Thanks for your suggestions. Scott 🇨🇦
Im here in germany 😁 specially carpenters(the trades are historically diverted meaning the woodworkers which build roofs) love it as with the correct bit the screw stays on the bit and doesnt fall down which is awesome if you work above the ground or wanna keep your back healthy. Its funny that we even got 2 different words for cabinetmakers which are 'tischler' and 'schreiner' 😅
de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zunftzeichen
I love the pace of this video. Also I appreciate your focus on the repair process and the low key presentation. I'm curious as to why you would spend the time essentially making a new drawer but use butt joints for your joinery? I'm not suggesting half-blind or through dovetails are necessary, but a simple dado on the drawer sides with a locking rabbet on the front would build a much stronger drawer. You also wouldn't need the screws and the nails for strength. If the goal is to keep the joinery simple to help the non-professional fix a drawer, then I respect that. But if you have a table saw then making stronger joinery for the drawer sides should be easy.
My objective in this video was to show an approach that other people could reproduce. Simple construction for a good drawer. I own a dovetail jig, but most viewers don't. Cheers. Scott
I like your idea of making a completely new box of solid material, though ApplePly works very well for me. I would do dovetails in front and a dado in back. I would also replace the bottom and provide a cross strut to stiffen it up. Properly glued dovetails will last forever and endure almost any kind of abuse. Once set up in a jig, dovetails can be cut quickly and accurately.
Don't think many Ikea users could do dovetails else they would make their own furnitures.
I’ve done this repair many times over the years.
Beautiful repair. For the cost of what they must’ve paid for you to do that they could’ve probably bought the whole new piece of furniture. They must’ve really liked it or this was just a demonstration
Excellent repair video. But in practicality, would it not be cheaper to just buy another drawer chest from Ikea?
Nice repair, the only problem I see is if/when they take off the knobs, and the front falls off and lands on their toes😃
I,m surprised you just didn’t use body fillers to repair the damage as it was not that severe. I too am in the business and do it all the time and much less work and is stronger that the particle board.
real life hero
Good job Scott. What were they thinking when they designed it?
They're designed for minimal material use and easy assembly. They're not build to last a generation. Scott
Brilliant, that will be one strong drawer. You'll probably end up with the rest of them now :)
I think this was was broken in a move, so hopefully the others are in safe condition. Thanks for subscribing! Scott
We don't have IKEA in Brasil but we do have that garbage furniture. O used sawdust Ane glue to repair a drawer and used two angles, to make sure It will last another week or so. If you want to find good wood in Rio de Janeiro, just check the dumpsters. I have a collection of pure wood drawers I have found around.
I’m ecstatic to find this channel, as an underpaid dancer in NY, most of my apartment furnishings over the years have been bought second hand very cheap, which I then repair for use. IKEA has often begrudgingly been a large portion of big pieces like dressers. My question is, would the face still fall flush onto the body of the dresser? The finished drawer is beautiful, but has a full board of extra thickness now, and knowing IKEA construction, would have left a boards’ thick gap between it and the body. Were you able to test it? I’d love to re-side the drawers of one particular piece I’m currently using until funds pick up enough to maybe fashion my own dresser.
When I replaced the sides, I made sure the outside dimensions matched the existing drawer. That way the drawer fit in the dresser without any issues. Adding material on the outside of a drawer will cause an issue where it won't fit into the dresser opening. Does that answer your question? Scott
End grain absorbs glue you would achieve a stronger butt joint if you press glue on the end grain, set for 15 minutes then re-apply wood glue
I've never tried that technique. So you think the end grain will cause a glue-starved joint? I'll give that a test with some scraps in the workshop. End grain to face grain joints are not strong to begin with so I'm interested to see if this makes a difference. Scott
Great job! great pleasure watching this. I feel like I want to be in this business. 👍 New sub!!
Awesome! Thank you!
Would be nice to know how much a repair like this costs.
Pretty disappointing it wasn't mentioned. If done yourself, it'd be pretty cheap, but having a professional shop do it, probably at a shop rate similar to what mechanics charge, probably cost at least $60 or more.
bit late to the party but when numbering repairs as you do it helps to add the year or even month. so a may 2020 repair could start like 0520 and then add the years nr like 052020-513
I use the order number we use in our business. That's a unique identifier for the details about the repair. I hope that answers your question. Scott
George from dublin ireland...like your video as i do similar work...would like to know where u get your putty sticks
That putty stick I bought at Home Depot. They're commonly sold at hardware stores. I buy burn-in sticks from a specialty supplier. I hope that answers your question. Scott
Unfortunately Ikea items are beautiful but they have a very low level of quality.
After your work it will last for a long time. Good job.
Congrats from Brazil again.
Thank you Alex! Scott
Do you clean the paint brush after gluing for use another time, or are they single use only. And if you do clean them up, what do you recommend for the cleaning? Very useful video, by the way.
Most common wood glue is PVA based which is water soluble, so brushes will wash out easily with water.
So how much do you charge for that repair considering the total cost of the cabinet might be around 60 bucks?
Btw the key not to strip your drill bit is to let the drill stop then retract the bit
I didn't know that. Thank you. Scott
I could think of something to repair the old material but it wouldn't have been pretty or worth it for that matter, you could inlaid dovetail shaped pieces where the cracks ect. were
Unfortunately particle board is useless when broken. Thanks for watching! Scott
Good job. How much do you charge?
Fabulous repair lesson. But my take away main lesson: avoid cheap fiberboard IKEA junk. Look for well made joinery before buying.
Yes, you got it. You'd be surprised how inexpensive quality used furniture sells for. Cheers. Scott
How do you set up your warranty services?
Warranty is based on our record keeping and stickers we put on repaired furniture. Each repair has an order with an order number. We write that order number on the sticker to identify the piece repaired. If a repair fails for some reason, we can track it back to the work completed to confirm the problem is something we've repaired before. In the past 2 years, we've only had 1 warranty repair - at no charge of course. Does that answer your question? Scott
Thank you for a timely reply. I am doing the same and wanted to compare are if there in anything else I could do. Love watching and learning different tips and trick a. If you don't continue to learn you fade away.my name is also Scott. So I will sign as Scott C.
Can you wash and reuse the brush for gluing, and if so is it just soap and water cleanup?
Yes, if you use PVA (common wood glue) - it's water based so will wash right out :)
Why didn't you glue the drawer face to the body?
I can't imagine there is enough oil on someone's finger to weaken a joint if the finger is used to spread the glue!!
to fix a broken IKEA drawer one needs equipment for about 1000 Dollars.grat job ;-)
I would do a simpler repair which isnt as pretty but just requires adding 90 degree bracket and screw it on to the front and side piece, and all the broken parts just fill it with some filler. because its ikea furniture, there isnt a point in making that pat so strong when the rest of the furniture is particle board
That approach would solve the problem too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Scott
Anyway its a nice Work,,,,,, 🇦🇷🇦🇷
Thanks
I think the average Joe/Josephine should just cut some corner blocks and put them inside the drawer. It wouldn’t look great however it’s inside the drawer, and it’s low cost, low labor, low equipment required and it’s cheap furniture to start with. Most flat pack is only kept a limited amount of time so doing that fast low drag approach probably adds more than enough extra life. Noted that it lacks points for style. 🤓
Yeah, I guess that would work to hold it together for a while. Thanks for sharing that Jim. Scott
Of note, I still appreciate the effort and techniques that help others plan repairs on more expensive stuff too. Heck, a lot of $500-600 bathroom vanities have poor construction and that starts getting pretty expensive for a lot of people.
Was the face only attached with the hardware screws?
Yes, hard to believe, but that was it. This is why I refer to this style of furniture as "disposable furniture". It just isn't build to last.
Originally it would have been held by the dowel and the fixings on each side. The new face is only held by the hardware screws - that would have been the repairer's choice to do that. Personally, I would have put a few more
This drawer is GROOVIE ...
Good job , 👍👍👌👌👍👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Sometimes when I finish there are random spots where the finish doesn't work. Any fix?
That's too general for me to provide you advice on. Please tell me what wood you're using and what finish you're using. Thanks. Scott
@@FixingFurniture it was cedar and It was minwax golden pecan as well as some polyurethane.
May have to sand all back down, and redo. May possibilities Could have been a glue smear left on the wood. Could have been sweat that dripped down onto the wood, if your working in a hot environment. Or.... Last night my son-in-law used my shop to rebuild a carburetor. He was spraying carburetor cleaner and the over spray was landing on my wood project that I had it clamps. I'm hoping it won't effect anything when I apply the finish.
We all have an opinion on fake wood. But a paying customer is how we survive.
Well said Simon! Thanks. Scott
That will be the only drawer in the chest that is any good!
Lol, I suppose so. Cheers.
That drawer is too good to be put with the rest of those IKEA crap press board drawers. That is no longer an Ikea drawer lol. Should just throw the whole dresser in the dump. Great video!
IKEA should be banned from selling ANYTHING in the U.S.A.
Someone has to admit: mm are way more handy =)
now i can repair all of our dressers! i don't want to buy any more
The "Moral of the Story" buy Quality First,even second or third hand. If it's lasted 30/40/50 years it'll probably last your life time.
🇮🇪🇪🇺
Except people want an arm and a dick for anything in decent condition these days. Besides, kinda hard to buy a $500 dresser when all ya have is a spare $150 after bills.
yeah but how would that look on the drawer though hehe
I don't understand. Do you mean how would that look in the dresser?
@@FixingFurniture yes sorry, when you put it where it should go does it look that much different when you open all the drawers
Tony Eatinsky - It looks slightly different on the inside compared to the other drawers, but I don’t think that’s an issue IMO for a dresser because they would always be closed.
If it is your desire to repair IKEA products, you will be repairing until the cows come home, and leave again! Thank you,
Very true!
I would have used glue and dowels instead of screws.