Go Back   IKEA FANS > Making it Work > Assembly and Installation
Register Forum/Blog Search Mark Forums Read


Comment
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
No Gallery image is associated with this thread

Old Oct 12th, 06, 4:41 pm   #1
rangerdanger
IKEA FAN
 
Join Date: Nov 30th, 2005
Posts: 49
Gallery: 8
Location: West Virginia, USA
My IKEA: USA-Pittsburgh
Doorstyle: Nexus BB
Post

I took a look at this other thread covering some info on saws:Link

But what else will I need or want for a smooth install that doesn't require 20 trips to Lowes to pick up the little tool to do this or that? The flat pack items all seem to go together nicely, but what I am unsure of now is the tools to get those cabinets on the wall and everything finished nicely.

  • I see lots of clamps being used -- how many and what type/size/brands work best?
  • Brad nailers that people have suggested -- are these the compressor powered ones or the little electric staplers?
  • Do I need a sander?
  • What about caulk or glue?
  • Other suggestions?
I havea basic tool kit, but am looking for excuses to buy some new stuff for the install project.

Thanks for the help!
rangerdanger is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 12th, 06, 6:16 pm  
IKEAFans...we put the fun in functional!
 
DesignDiva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 3rd, 2005
Posts: 8,078
Gallery: 127
Location: Arizona, USA
My IKEA: USA-Phoenix:Tempe
Doorstyle: Nexus Birch

LBG Adoptions
Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN IKEAFANS Moderator 
Total Awards: 8

Post

  • I see lots of clamps being used -- how many and what type/size/brands work best?
I used the ones with the pressure fit thingy on it...you set the distance and then pull the trigger type handle to tighten.
  • Brad nailers that people have suggested -- are these the compressor powered ones or the little electric staplers?
Compressor powered would be overkill for these cabinets...it's only to staple on the cardboard. I think electric would do, unless you're going to see a need for a compressor one in the future.
  • Do I need a sander?
Not for the cabinets.
  • What about caulk or glue?
Caulk, definitely, silicone or paintable depending on where you use it. You'll need it around your sink, along the back of the countertop where it meets the backsplash, possibly along the sides of the cabinets butting up to the wall.
  • Other suggestions?
Definitely a powerful cordless drill, preferably with a quick change type chuck. And an extra battery for it, you should always have one in the charger. Also various drill bits, screwdriver bits, hole saw bits, etc. Get one of those 10,000 part ones that come in their own case, then get more expensive good ones as you need them. A flexible snake thing that helps you get into tight spots is nice too.

A laser level is a very handy thing. So is a long, long level...at least 4 feet.

A jigsaw.

A handy dandy cordless light that can be positioned so you don't need to hold a flashlight.

A good laminate cutting blade for your circular saw.

An extra work table. We have the Black and Decker Workmate, I'd like another one to go with it. Very handy.

An extra pair of hands. And a few pairs of good construction gloves, leather or heavy canvas.

An extra stepstool/short ladder. Very handy when you have two people holding up something long, like the suspension rail.

Room in the fridge for beer.

A nice miter saw setup. You'll use this a lot.

A dremel tool is always good to have. We used it to carve out the channels for the metal straps that are holding the island together.

A good pry bar. Great for all sorts of things.

A rubber mallet.


That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there's more!





__________________
The Diva has spoken

Life is too short to live with bad design.

Planning a new IKEA kitchen? Click here: Getting Started
DesignDiva is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 12th, 06, 9:55 pm  
Moderatrix, googler
 
kelly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 23rd, 2006
Posts: 4,543
Gallery: 176
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
My IKEA: USA-Minneapolis:Twin Cities
Doorstyle: Nexus Yellow Brown
Blog Entries: 73

LBG Adoptions
Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN IKEAFANS Moderator IKEAFANS Benefactor ($100+ Donation) 
Total Awards: 9

I've been blogged!
Post

That is a really good list- I read through it and I beleive that I used nearly all those things this week putting together the pax (cept the brad nailer...I was the brad nailer).
kelly is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote

Register to remove this ad

Registration is simple and FREE!

demo-1.jpg Confirm
demo-3.jpg Join In!
Register
Old Oct 12th, 06, 10:28 pm  
IKEA FAN
 
mzgloves20's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 27th, 2006
Posts: 85
Gallery: 5
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
My IKEA: USA-Pittsburgh
Post

Hello rangerdanger....

Have you been top the Pittsburgh Ikea yet? GIGANTIC parking lot that is always packed...the police have special traffic details on the weekends to keep traffic moving....lol...



I had a long run of cabintes to install and the Irwin 6" quick grip clamps were my best friend. I got a set of 4 a L*owes for 19.99. Very good quality. I have an air brad nailer and used it to attach the filler strips at the end of the cabinets against the wall. Not necessary to buy foryour job,but leaves a very small hole inside the cabinet as opposed to a large screw head.

evapercontiis dead on with the rest of the items...rubber mallet for sure!!! If not for gental alignment of cabinets; for ones own head after spending some time with Ikea instructions...
Attached Images
File Type: jpg clamp.jpg (13.1 KB, 70 views)
__________________
Mike
mzgloves20 is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 12th, 06, 11:02 pm  
IKEAFans...we put the fun in functional!
 
DesignDiva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 3rd, 2005
Posts: 8,078
Gallery: 127
Location: Arizona, USA
My IKEA: USA-Phoenix:Tempe
Doorstyle: Nexus Birch

LBG Adoptions
Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN IKEAFANS Moderator 
Total Awards: 8

Post

Yep, those are the pressure fit thingys I was talking about! I was too lazy to go to the garage to find the name of them. Thanks mzgloves!
__________________
The Diva has spoken

Life is too short to live with bad design.

Planning a new IKEA kitchen? Click here: Getting Started
DesignDiva is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 13th, 06, 11:33 am  
IKEAFans...we put the fun in functional!
 
DesignDiva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 3rd, 2005
Posts: 8,078
Gallery: 127
Location: Arizona, USA
My IKEA: USA-Phoenix:Tempe
Doorstyle: Nexus Birch

LBG Adoptions
Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN Appreciation of an IKEAFAN IKEAFANS Moderator 
Total Awards: 8

Post

I just saw a great deal on a compressor driven brad nailer at Amazon, $30 with free shipping today only (Friday Sale)

Brad Nailer

__________________
The Diva has spoken

Life is too short to live with bad design.

Planning a new IKEA kitchen? Click here: Getting Started
DesignDiva is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 13th, 06, 1:14 pm  
IKEA addict
 
ourmoneypit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 27th, 2006
Posts: 628
Gallery: 0
Location: Ontario, Canada
Doorstyle: Applad/Stat
Post

The only thing I would add to Eva's list is a short level. We found that sometimes we needed to check inside cabinets and the 4' and 2' were just too long.

Martine
ourmoneypit is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 13th, 06, 6:48 pm  
IKEA FAN
 
mzgloves20's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 27th, 2006
Posts: 85
Gallery: 5
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
My IKEA: USA-Pittsburgh
Post

I got my brad nailer from Harbor Freight for 14.99... It is great for what it cost. Gotta watch H/F though..sometimes they sell junk...
__________________
Mike
mzgloves20 is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 13th, 06, 7:53 pm  
IKEA FANatic
 
Join Date: Jun 16th, 2006
Posts: 110
Gallery: 0
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Post

the quality and kinds of tools you need depend a lot on the size of the job. Are you doing cover panels? Installing your own countertops? without those two things you could really do the install with a drill, hammer, screwdriver, and level - the IKEA system is that ingenious. once you start doing trim and counter work you'll want the best system you can afford for making straight cuts - tablesaw, jigsaw, or power saw and straight edge.

I would add to the lists above - shims for plumbing the cabinets and that beautiful little tool that holds a screw in the driver without using your hands - because man there are a lot of screws - and you are sometimes upside down inside a cabinet while inserting said screw.

be patient and be as precise with the level as you can - it will pay dividends when you install the doors and drawers later.

its also kind of fun

B -
breed is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old Oct 13th, 06, 9:15 pm  
IKEA FAN
 
Join Date: Nov 30th, 2005
Posts: 49
Gallery: 8
Location: West Virginia, USA
My IKEA: USA-Pittsburgh
Doorstyle: Nexus BB
Post

evaperconti wrote:
Quote:
I just saw a great deal on a compressor driven brad nailer at Amazon, $30 with free shipping today only (Friday Sale)
The nailer is a great price, unfortunatley/fortunately I also need to get a compressor, so I checked out some of amazon's packages of compressors and a couple of different nailer guns. Great prices on good brands, but I still have the Harbor Freight issue riding in the back of my cheap mind. If I probably will only use the new tools (compressor and a chop saw) for this project should I go cheap to finish the joband store for years when I start thenext project, or should I buy the quality tool that Ithink Ilike. Theyprobably work better and are more durable, but will I see any difference--most likely not. If I can't decide on the tools, will I be able to decide on a countertop and backsplash! Aggah!

breed, I hope your right that itwill bealot of fun -- I actually enjoy putting the flat pack stuff together. I will be doing the cover panels butthecountertop will be left to skilled labor, untill I get the price quote...

mzgloves20-- the Pittsburgh Ikea is pretty funny -- I've alway gotten in and out very efficiently (and I usually on have the opportunity to go on weekends). I've almost ran over the officer directing traffic a couple of times. The only other Ikea I've been to is in Seattle and it always seemed much much busier. It's out in an industrial park, not in the middle of the whole stripmall/chain eatery/big box **** that is Robinson (I love to hate all of those things - they suck, but then I still go and spend lots of money and end up with new sheets I didn't need and a $100charge at the Bahama Breezes -- go figure.)

Thanks for all the tips! Any others are welcome!
rangerdanger is offline  
Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Comment
Top

Tags
ikea instructions

Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Category Comments Last Post
Tool Chests stacylu Chats 13 Aug 18th, 07 12:25 am
What power tool to buy? tudi66 Assembly and Installation 11 Aug 22nd, 06 5:31 pm
PAX Planner Tool climber_grrl Bedroom and Closet 4 Jun 8th, 06 4:43 pm
planning tool nightmare kuma Kitchen Planning 4 Apr 2nd, 06 11:39 pm
KItchen Planner Tool Tips and Tricks OR: GardenOfDarwin Kitchen Planning 6 Mar 23rd, 06 12:36 pm


Featured Article

IKEA Kitchen Planning

IKEAFANS is a trusted authority on the design of IKEA kitchens. From articles to get you started to tools and links designed to ease the way and special offers just for IKEAFANS, we've thought of everything to make designing your own IKEA kitchen a snap. Check out our Kitchen Planning Guide...

Kitchen Planning Resources

Support IKEAFANS - Click here to Shop our Store!

Kitchen Planning Articles: Make a suggestion

Please help us out by completing this anonymous survey. ~ Thanks!

The 30 most used thread tags:
Tag Cloud
abstrakt akurum besta billy billy bookcase bonde bookcase faktum google sketchup ikea ikea catalog ikea instructions ikea kitchen planner ikea spotting instructions island kitchenaid kitchen planner kitchen planning l-shaped malm markor miele nbb nexus pax rationell shelving tko tromso
Search by Tag