Hello everyone,
I recently bought a MALM drawer chest set from IKEA and now I’m wondering: What is the most practical assembly sequence when putting the individual parts together?
The instructions do show an order to follow, but sometimes it seems more convenient to rearrange certain steps—especially when inserting the drawers or attaching the back panels.
I’m interested in your experience: Is there an optimal assembly order for MALM drawer chests, particularly regarding stability, time efficiency, and ease of handling? Do you have any useful tips that go beyond the official instructions?
Thanks in advance for your help!
I recently bought a MALM drawer chest set from IKEA and now I’m wondering: What is the most practical assembly sequence when putting the individual parts together?
The instructions do show an order to follow, but sometimes it seems more convenient to rearrange certain steps—especially when inserting the drawers or attaching the back panels.
I’m interested in your experience: Is there an optimal assembly order for MALM drawer chests, particularly regarding stability, time efficiency, and ease of handling? Do you have any useful tips that go beyond the official instructions?
Thanks in advance for your help!
About drawers: Ideally, you build them completely beforehand, meaning the side panels, bottom, front, and back together, before installing them into the cabinet.
Then you can insert them individually and check if the drawer slides run smoothly and without resistance. If necessary, make small adjustments to the screws of the slides.
To avoid misalignment, make sure that both the cabinet and drawers are perfectly square.
For the back panel, I recommend securing it not only by stapling but also fixing the edges with small screws, especially if the chest of drawers stands on a hardwood floor and is rarely moved.
Then you can insert them individually and check if the drawer slides run smoothly and without resistance. If necessary, make small adjustments to the screws of the slides.
To avoid misalignment, make sure that both the cabinet and drawers are perfectly square.
For the back panel, I recommend securing it not only by stapling but also fixing the edges with small screws, especially if the chest of drawers stands on a hardwood floor and is rarely moved.
Veitfar schrieb:
How can you best prevent the back panel from loosening or wobbling over time?The best approach is to use a combination of staples and additional nails or screws along the edges. For heavily used furniture, applying a precisely cut strip of wood glue behind the back panel can help stabilize it.
It is best to install drawers individually, as this makes it easier to adjust each pair of drawer slides; inserting fully assembled drawers at the end increases the risk of fitting issues.
A quick note on drawer installation:
I think it’s best to attach the drawer front only at the very end. This way, you have more tolerance when fitting the drawer and can make adjustments more easily without risking any damage to the surface finish.
However, be careful: with Malm drawers, the front is often already attached—so extra caution is needed when fitting them! 🙂
I think it’s best to attach the drawer front only at the very end. This way, you have more tolerance when fitting the drawer and can make adjustments more easily without risking any damage to the surface finish.
However, be careful: with Malm drawers, the front is often already attached—so extra caution is needed when fitting them! 🙂
I think the idea of attaching the front panel only at the end is brilliant!
I once had a drawer with the front already attached, and while installing it, the front nearly got scratched because I pushed the drawer without sliding it in properly.
Since then, I can only recommend: fully assemble the drawer (without the front), put it in place, check everything, and mount the front panel at the end. It makes the whole process much easier! 🙂
I once had a drawer with the front already attached, and while installing it, the front nearly got scratched because I pushed the drawer without sliding it in properly.
Since then, I can only recommend: fully assemble the drawer (without the front), put it in place, check everything, and mount the front panel at the end. It makes the whole process much easier! 🙂
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