How it went
To those of you unfamiliar with assembling Ikea furniture: the more you do it, the easier it gets. So if you have never done it, my advice to you is to read through the entire directions before beginning. Remember that although the illustrated, no-verbal directions appear simple, you must study them very carefully.
The Malm nightstands went together easily, as did the dresser, but the Expedit bookcase is more difficult (even though it seems very simple at first). With a large piece like the Expedit 58" square bookcase, or loft beds, or other large items which use tension to hold together, I suggest searching online for assembly tips before beginning. I assembled the first Expedit easily enough, but the directions glossed over some very important tips. One tip is that you cannot tighten all of the screws all the way, otherwise it will be hard to put the last piece in place. Tighten them a little at a time, leaving wiggle room until the end.. that way there is less tension on the unit, and less chnace you will crack the shelves at the wooden dowel insertion point. Wiggle room also means it will slip apart over and over when you assemble it - so having a second person around to hold it together or brace it as you go also helps.
The second bookcase will be easier, but I'm going to have to take a six hour break in-between assembling the first and second bookcases. The Exepdit is very, very heavy, so you need two strong people to carry it into your space.. and if you are on the 4th floor (like we are), you're going to have to pace yourself. It comes in two very large boxes, one of which is easily 110 pounds.
NOTE: if you buy blinds at Ikea, they no longer come with screws. You must get the hardware to hang them at another time, and I suggest opening the box and decided where and how to hang them before buying any hardware.
In other wholesome news, my cat went outside again yesterday after an almost three-year respite from sunlight. He had a ball! And removed his collar - which was on as tight as it can get, but at closer scrutiny I realized that it was a collar for a toy poodle, not a cat. Ooops!
I am still waiting to hear about a job.. I interviewed over two weeks ago, and they told me they'd make their decision in two days. They still say they are undecided and that I am a top candidate. They said they need to post the job internally AND actually offer it to an internal candidate before they can offer it to an outside candidate. Hence the very long wait. So dear readers, (if you are still reading) please cross your fingers for me once again. I really want this job.
Have a great day.
The Malm nightstands went together easily, as did the dresser, but the Expedit bookcase is more difficult (even though it seems very simple at first). With a large piece like the Expedit 58" square bookcase, or loft beds, or other large items which use tension to hold together, I suggest searching online for assembly tips before beginning. I assembled the first Expedit easily enough, but the directions glossed over some very important tips. One tip is that you cannot tighten all of the screws all the way, otherwise it will be hard to put the last piece in place. Tighten them a little at a time, leaving wiggle room until the end.. that way there is less tension on the unit, and less chnace you will crack the shelves at the wooden dowel insertion point. Wiggle room also means it will slip apart over and over when you assemble it - so having a second person around to hold it together or brace it as you go also helps.
The second bookcase will be easier, but I'm going to have to take a six hour break in-between assembling the first and second bookcases. The Exepdit is very, very heavy, so you need two strong people to carry it into your space.. and if you are on the 4th floor (like we are), you're going to have to pace yourself. It comes in two very large boxes, one of which is easily 110 pounds.
NOTE: if you buy blinds at Ikea, they no longer come with screws. You must get the hardware to hang them at another time, and I suggest opening the box and decided where and how to hang them before buying any hardware.
In other wholesome news, my cat went outside again yesterday after an almost three-year respite from sunlight. He had a ball! And removed his collar - which was on as tight as it can get, but at closer scrutiny I realized that it was a collar for a toy poodle, not a cat. Ooops!
I am still waiting to hear about a job.. I interviewed over two weeks ago, and they told me they'd make their decision in two days. They still say they are undecided and that I am a top candidate. They said they need to post the job internally AND actually offer it to an internal candidate before they can offer it to an outside candidate. Hence the very long wait. So dear readers, (if you are still reading) please cross your fingers for me once again. I really want this job.
Have a great day.