Hello everyone, I’m about to assemble the IKEA Brimnes wardrobe and wanted to ask here in the forum: What do you think is the best tip for putting together the IKEA Brimnes? I’m especially interested in what I should pay attention to beforehand, the most efficient way to proceed step by step, and if there are common mistakes or pitfalls to avoid. It would also be helpful if you could share advice on which tools are absolutely necessary and whether you have any experience handling heavy furniture parts with the Brimnes. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hello baudan,
First of all, I think it’s great that you’re approaching this in such an organized way. Assembling the IKEA Brimnes is generally quite doable if you keep a few key points in mind.
- Preparation: Unpack and sort all the parts beforehand, and keep the instructions within reach. This is important because some parts can look very similar.
- Tools: A Phillips screwdriver (preferably with a long shaft) is essential, along with a hammer, and ideally a cordless drill with a torque limiter to avoid over-tightening the wooden connectors.
- Assembly: I recommend pre-drilling all the boards at their designated positions if the wood is very hard. This helps prevent splitting. A very important point is to attach the back panel last, as it provides significant stability to the entire structure.
- Be careful when assembling the drawers: misalignment can occur here, which can lead to a lot of additional adjustments.
- It’s best to work with two people, as some parts are quite wide and difficult to handle alone.
My question for you: Do you have any experience assembling similar furniture, or will this be your first larger DIY cabinet?
Best regards!
First of all, I think it’s great that you’re approaching this in such an organized way. Assembling the IKEA Brimnes is generally quite doable if you keep a few key points in mind.
- Preparation: Unpack and sort all the parts beforehand, and keep the instructions within reach. This is important because some parts can look very similar.
- Tools: A Phillips screwdriver (preferably with a long shaft) is essential, along with a hammer, and ideally a cordless drill with a torque limiter to avoid over-tightening the wooden connectors.
- Assembly: I recommend pre-drilling all the boards at their designated positions if the wood is very hard. This helps prevent splitting. A very important point is to attach the back panel last, as it provides significant stability to the entire structure.
- Be careful when assembling the drawers: misalignment can occur here, which can lead to a lot of additional adjustments.
- It’s best to work with two people, as some parts are quite wide and difficult to handle alone.
My question for you: Do you have any experience assembling similar furniture, or will this be your first larger DIY cabinet?
Best regards!
Thank you for the detailed advice, PLOMA. Yes, I do have a cordless screwdriver, but I will make sure not to set the torque too high. Regarding caution with the drawers: Are there specific misalignments or common mistakes I should particularly watch out for?
Further questions: Is it helpful to tighten all screws slightly first before fully tightening them? And how exactly did you do the pilot drilling, meaning what drill bit diameter did you use compared to the screw? Of course, I want to avoid any damage.
PLOMA schrieb:
Be careful when assembling the drawers: misalignments can occur here, which will require a lot of rework.
Further questions: Is it helpful to tighten all screws slightly first before fully tightening them? And how exactly did you do the pilot drilling, meaning what drill bit diameter did you use compared to the screw? Of course, I want to avoid any damage.
Hello baudan,
I’m sharing this because I recently assembled the Brimnes myself and know exactly where you need to take your time.
First of all: yes, the drawers can easily cause errors. The drawer slides really need to be installed perfectly straight – otherwise the drawer will stick and won’t function properly. A spirit level helps here, or at least careful alignment with the surrounding components.
It’s also important to tighten the screws ‘carefully,’ especially with Lamello or dowel joints.
- Loosely fasten screws first: Insert all screws without fully tightening them. This way, you can still make adjustments if something doesn’t fit perfectly.
- Then gradually and evenly tighten them.
For pre-drilling, use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw diameter (about 70-80% of the screw thickness). This reduces wood splitting and ensures better screw hold.
As for the back panel, install it last. Otherwise, you risk pulling out screws when adjusting the frame.
A small tip: place a soft mat under the large panels to avoid scratches.
If you want, I can send you some photos of my part arrangement during assembly that illustrate this well.
One more question from me: What are the room dimensions and how do you plan to transport or position the wardrobe? Some pathways can be quite narrow, which can complicate the assembly.
I’m sharing this because I recently assembled the Brimnes myself and know exactly where you need to take your time.
First of all: yes, the drawers can easily cause errors. The drawer slides really need to be installed perfectly straight – otherwise the drawer will stick and won’t function properly. A spirit level helps here, or at least careful alignment with the surrounding components.
It’s also important to tighten the screws ‘carefully,’ especially with Lamello or dowel joints.
- Loosely fasten screws first: Insert all screws without fully tightening them. This way, you can still make adjustments if something doesn’t fit perfectly.
- Then gradually and evenly tighten them.
For pre-drilling, use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw diameter (about 70-80% of the screw thickness). This reduces wood splitting and ensures better screw hold.
As for the back panel, install it last. Otherwise, you risk pulling out screws when adjusting the frame.
A small tip: place a soft mat under the large panels to avoid scratches.
If you want, I can send you some photos of my part arrangement during assembly that illustrate this well.
One more question from me: What are the room dimensions and how do you plan to transport or position the wardrobe? Some pathways can be quite narrow, which can complicate the assembly.
Thanks, Domau0, for the detailed tips.
That makes sense. I will definitely get a spirit level if available.
Regarding pre-drilling: I’m a bit concerned that the wood might split if I drill incorrectly. How deep should I drill? Exactly to the length of the screw or less?
My room is about 3x4 meters (10x13 feet) in size, and the cabinet will be placed in the corner and connected there. I have organized transport over stairs well, and we will keep the cabinet room empty so I can work comfortably.
Domau0 schrieb:
The drawer slides really need to be perfectly straight – otherwise, the drawer will get stuck and won’t function properly.
That makes sense. I will definitely get a spirit level if available.
Regarding pre-drilling: I’m a bit concerned that the wood might split if I drill incorrectly. How deep should I drill? Exactly to the length of the screw or less?
My room is about 3x4 meters (10x13 feet) in size, and the cabinet will be placed in the corner and connected there. I have organized transport over stairs well, and we will keep the cabinet room empty so I can work comfortably.
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