ᐅ How can you carry out repairs on IKEA Hemnes furniture yourself?

Created on: 21 Aug 2021 08:17
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Vinla
Hello everyone, some time ago I bought a Hemnes bed from IKEA and unfortunately noticed that one of the wooden dowels at the headboard joint has loosened, which makes the bed a bit unstable. Additionally, there is a drawer slide on the Hemnes chest of drawers that no longer closes reliably. My specific question is: How can you carry out these common repairs on IKEA Hemnes furniture yourself? What tools and replacement parts are needed, and are there any proven step-by-step guides to restore stability and functionality without much effort? I don’t have professional carpentry skills but do have basic DIY understanding. Looking forward to your tips and experiences!
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Henry
22 Aug 2021 11:37
I wanted to work on my Hemnes dresser myself, but I had a hard time removing the old wooden dowels because they were tightly fixed. A little trick: carefully pull the wood out with pliers, possibly use a screwdriver to gently pry it up, and then use sandpaper to clean the area. Then glue in new dowels and attach them. This gave me confidence, and I was truly satisfied afterward that I managed to do it myself.
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tarju41
23 Aug 2021 08:26
To remove the old wooden dowels, try carefully drilling them out with an 8mm (5/16 inch) drill bit without enlarging the hole. This often makes it easier to remove the remains. When inserting new dowels afterwards, be sure to use enough wood glue.
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Vinla
23 Aug 2021 14:19
Henry schrieb:
A small trick: Carefully pull out the wood with pliers, possibly pry it open a bit with a screwdriver, and then use sandpaper to clean the area.

Thanks for the tip. What do you do when the dowel holes become enlarged from frequent reglueing and no longer hold securely? Are there specific techniques or filler materials that can be used for Hemnes furniture without affecting the appearance? I’m still lacking the necessary know-how here.
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Timmyse36
24 Aug 2021 09:04
Vinla schrieb:
What do you do when dowel holes become too loose after repeated gluing and no longer hold securely?

If dowel holes get too large, I have fixed this by cutting beech wood sticks to size and gluing them into the hole with wood glue to reduce the hole diameter. After drying, everything is sanded smooth, and then a new dowel can be inserted. This acts as a filler material. It is important to prepare the surface cleanly to avoid any gaps.