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Hacking IKEA Furniture

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Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#61

Post by matsemann »

ssharp wrote: post #45

Whenever I looked at using IKEA stuff to hack or incorporate into a larger build, the cost, effort, and quality never seemed worth it to me. I built my current desk from some butcher block counter tops and shelfs and 4x4's. I don't think it cost me all that much more from what I could have done from IKEA and the quality is astronomically better. If you're already dealing with saws and drills to hack the IKEA stuff, y…

Eh, most IKEA desk hacks is to buy the wooden kitchen countertop, cut it to shape, and put it on some drawers. So you're not really describing anything different.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#62

Post by peterpost2 »

vanrohan wrote: post #26
artisinal wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mind immediately went: I’m sure there is some German law or ordinance or regulation against hiding your Gaszähler. This surely goes against die Niederdruckanschlussverordnung. Now that you have published this online, police will visit you to remove the Billy! Perhaps I am too pessimistic with German laws. PS: It looks much better this way.

I really hope not! But it does look much better this way, it was an eyesore. And the regular heizung guys didnt complain when they saw it like this, so im assuming all is well

There is a requirement for having a vents if you are boxing in that device.

One high and one low one, this is so the gas does not build up in case of a leak.

Would highly suggest you get that sorted, your insurance might be void in case you do get a fire.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#63

Post by hackernewds »

matsemann wrote: post #61
ssharp wrote: post #45

Whenever I looked at using IKEA stuff to hack or incorporate into a larger build, the cost, effort, and quality never seemed worth it to me. I built my current desk from some butcher block counter tops and shelfs and 4x4's. I don't think it cost me all that much more from what I could have done from IKEA and the quality is astronomically better. If you're already dealing with saws and drills to hack the IKEA stuff, y…

Eh, most IKEA desk hacks is to buy the wooden kitchen countertop, cut it to shape, and put it on some drawers. So you're not really describing anything different.

Their point is the effort vs quality.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#64

Post by peterpost2 »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #34
artisinal wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mind immediately went: I’m sure there is some German law or ordinance or regulation against hiding your Gaszähler. This surely goes against die Niederdruckanschlussverordnung. Now that you have published this online, police will visit you to remove the Billy! Perhaps I am too pessimistic with German laws. PS: It looks much better this way.

As long as you can easily slide it out of the way and it isn't fixed to the wall, it wouldn't be a problem for anyone who needs to service it. Therefore, it would not be against regulations, because all regulations in Germany are logical

You need a vent there as well so gas can't build up.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#65

Post by maxglute »

Most impressive / annoying thing about Ikea is how they keep value engineering products, some products are cheaper relative to inflation vs decades ago, but at the same time it be nice if they just settle one some "timeless" perennial basics like lego. The expedite -> kallax transition still lives rent free in my head, and my curse is being able to identify either sku from a distance.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#66

Post by jameshart »

One of the best furniture life hacks you can recognize is that you can replace the top panel of most self-assembly storage furniture items with a custom work surface suited to your usecase.

Take two drawer units, and instead of putting the tops on them they were supplied with, put a slab of desktop across both of them with a gap between and you’ve got yourself a desk.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#67

Post by convolvatron »

torginus wrote: post #7

I was thinking along the lines of Ikea-style furniture from scratch. Most local hardware stores carry these giant CNC routers, and the technicians there can cut particle board sheets to requirements. How cool would it be if they offered a simplified furniture CAD program, where you could choose what material you need how many shelves of what size, etc and it would generate the needed program that would drill the requ…

there's an place in Seattle, WA that does this called shelf.me for what looks like zero-hardware self designs.

my shop is next to a cabinet maker who does most of is work in that same birch hard-ply. he's got the full sheet router, but he only really uses it for special projects. its mostly just the big table saw. he's got a subcontractor that just does drawers. most cities have several of his kind of shop, and while they don't have a design website they generally work from napkins. I think that birch ply has gotten really expensive in the last 5 years though.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#68

Post by maxglute »

Beijinger wrote: post #27

There are tons of websites like this: https://ikeahackers.net/ I read, IKEA first wanted to have them closed down, but then they realized, it does not matter why someone buys their stuff, as long as they buy it. I like Ikea. I lived in so many countries, and it is an excellent place to buy furniture if you have to. But I consider it "throw away" furniture. Quality is okay or soso and it is unlikely to survive several…

No many real furniture out there with entire ecosystem of storage/containers sized for it. IKEA sheet/stamped metal stuff that introduced a few years ago will last forever.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#69

Post by bborud »

An architect friend of mine once said that he admired IKEA above all other furniture manufacturers because it made a modern range of aesthetics available to the masses. IKEA had done more to evolve the public taste than any other manufacturer.

And I do have to agree. I can remember what ghastly furniture most shops used to have around here. There was a lot of what we call "cabin furniture" - which isn't made to look good, just be practical. (Well, some people like that look, but it is a bit...dull). Sure, there was more solid wood furniture, but guess what: that durability comes at a cost. Not only in terms of money, but also in terms of how easy it was to install and move.

And who buys furniture to pass it on to your kids? Your kids will be unburdening themselves of your old furniture before you are in the ground.

As for quality: I have owned some pricey designer furniture and I can't say that I'm always impressed with the quality. Yes, if you have a lot more money you can get really well built furniture. But IKEA is more often than not more than sufficient quality. (Also see their "hidden tags" campaign)

If I pay $5000 for a chair I have reason to expect a lot from it. And more often than not, pricey furniture doesn't actually deliver sufficient quality to be able to defend the price. (Collectible furniture is a whole different deal where you don't actually care all that much about quality, but more about it being an original piece).

For those of you who look down on IKEA furniture, I'd like to hear about what alternatives you think need mentioning. Especially for young people or people of modest means. And I'm not trying to make some clever rhetorical point here. I can't really think of any company that offers what they offer and comparable quality, looks and price here in Europe.

Re: Hacking IKEA Furniture

#70

Post by jameshart »

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #11
torginus wrote: post #7

I was thinking along the lines of Ikea-style furniture from scratch. Most local hardware stores carry these giant CNC routers, and the technicians there can cut particle board sheets to requirements. How cool would it be if they offered a simplified furniture CAD program, where you could choose what material you need how many shelves of what size, etc and it would generate the needed program that would drill the requ…

That would be very expensive compared to ikea. Look at the very popular Lack table, it's made from cardboard hexagons with four pieces of wood-like thing in the corners to hold the legs. You can't make that yourself for cheap, and just the material cost in eg. wood, would be more expensive than the full table in ikea. Otherwise, there are many youtube channels specializing in woodworking where you can learn all the b…

Billy bookcases though are just slabs of laminated engineered wood cut to rectangular dimensions, drilled with precision positioned and sized holes, plus a stack of dowels and camlock fasteners.

That seems parameterizable.

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