ᐅ Why does Ikea BRIMNES sometimes assemble so tightly?

Hello everyone,

I have a somewhat specific question that I’m sure some of you have encountered before: Why is it sometimes difficult to assemble the IKEA Brimnes wardrobe or furniture piece, meaning the individual parts don’t fit together smoothly or easily, even though everything is positioned correctly according to the instructions?

I get the impression that there could be several reasons, such as minor dimensional inaccuracies of the wooden parts, uneven pressure when joining pieces, or perhaps different material temperatures. However, I also wonder whether the connection points like dowels, screws, and tongue-and-groove joints in this model are generally not perfectly matched—or if these are just occasional issues related to manufacturing.

I’m interested to know if any of you have experience with the Brimnes and maybe have some tips or practical advice on how to make the assembly go more smoothly. Or do you think it comes down to design or production tolerances?

Looking forward to your opinions and suggestions.

Hey LEARNE,

Thanks for bringing up this topic so clearly and in detail! 😊 I’ve assembled the BRIMNES myself a few times, and yes – I know that "tight fitting" issue all too well.

In my experience, it’s often because the individual wooden parts are made a bit too precisely; IKEA produces in large quantities, so there are sometimes slight variations. But it also gives a good feeling of stability, at least until you almost break your fingers 😅.

A very important tip: a little patience and even pressure are key. If you push too hard or at an angle, it really gets stuck.

Also, it helps to roughly pre-drill the dowel holes, especially if the holes are slightly misaligned. I know it sounds like “DIY,” but it’s often a lifesaver.

And yes, temperature and humidity can also play a role – wood naturally expands and contracts. But this is usually only significant with solid wood, not with particleboard.

How has your experience been so far?

Hello everyone!

I love building furniture, so a question like this really gets me excited! 😃 I can confirm that the BRIMNES can sometimes be quite difficult to assemble, especially if you try to just put all the parts together without thinking it through.

My advice: always work methodically from one point to the next and don’t just force the side rails in. If the spring-loaded components (if present) are lightly lubricated beforehand or the dowels are gently sanded with fine sandpaper, the whole process becomes much easier. Give it a try!

And above all, don’t lose your patience! IKEA furniture sometimes requires real concentration 😉

Wishing all DIY enthusiasts continued success!

Hello LEARNE and everyone else interested,

I would like to approach the question from a technical perspective.

The BRIMNES is a piece of furniture mainly made from MDF or particleboard with a foil coating. These materials inherently have low elasticity, and manufacturing tolerances are determined by the mass production process. This results in connection points that are usually very precisely made, which ensures optimal stability but can also pose a challenge during assembly.

Especially with tongue and groove joints, small dust particles or uneven pressure at the connection point can make snapping the parts together difficult. The groove should also be free of glue residues and wood chips – this is where I have often seen problems.

A recurring cause is also that the drill holes for screws and dowels are slightly misaligned, leading to pressure points and stress. I would recommend assembling everything loosely first before final tightening, and if necessary, carefully refining the connection points with fine sandpaper or a thin chisel.

I also wonder: How have you been storing the components? If the material has been kept too long in a room that is too humid or too dry, slight warping can easily occur.

It would be interesting to hear more about your experience!

Karsten45 schrieb:
In my experience, this is often due to the individual wooden parts being manufactured slightly too tight; IKEA produces in large quantities, so minor deviations do occur.

I have to somewhat disagree with this. Yes, mass production tolerances are unavoidable, but the fit precision of BRIMNES is actually quite accurate—at least according to the technical specifications for series production.

What I doubt more is the combination of different causes under the general heading of "parts being too tight." In my view, the issue is more related to the assembly instructions and the handling during self-assembly.

For example, if the assembly is not done in the correct sequence, even the first incorrectly inserted element can cause later components to be difficult to fit. It would be interesting to know whether our original poster really followed the steps strictly or might have turned parts in between, which would have been better inserted the other way around.

Basically, I would also argue that the combination of manufacturing tolerances together with assembly mistakes and possibly incorrectly used tools (e.g., screwdrivers too large, applying too much force, or even too little) are the real causes.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that occasionally a defective part is involved—that happens everywhere. But I consider the narrative "BRIMNES is hard to assemble because everything is too tight" to be too general.

Hello everyone,

I would like to offer some simple tips to make assembling the BRIMNES easier and more manageable.

1. Preparation:
- Check all parts for damage and foreign objects
- Lightly sand edges and joints with sandpaper (e.g., grit 120 to 180)
- Especially clean the dowel holes before fitting the pieces together

2. Tools:
- Have a suitable Phillips and flathead screwdriver ready
- Optional: Carefully set an Allen key or cordless drill to avoid over-tightening

3. Assembly:
- Tighten only enough for the parts to hold firmly
- Slightly moisten connection points with assembly wax or soap—do not use oil or grease!

4. Common issues:
- If parts are joined crookedly, pressure marks can occur and the wood may get compressed, making assembly more difficult.

If by "hard to assemble," you mean getting stuck at a certain point and unable to proceed, uneven force distribution is often the cause.

If you like, I can also send you the exact step-by-step sketch I always use for these types of IKEA furniture. Just let me know!