6 ms·

Isn’t the issue the screws tearing through the soft wood and/or engineered wood?

VincentEvans 3y ago
Furniture made of soft wood is certainly more susceptible to damage and denting than if made from hardwood, sure. Personally I find the trade off acceptable - I have a narrow six foot book shelf that I can lift with one arm and a much smaller Ikea one that needs two people to move, but preferences are subjective. Regarding screws however, furniture made from wood using approaches traditional for wood-made furniture - don’t rely on screws all that much, but rather mortises, dados, and various other joints held by glue, dowels, and sometimes staples or furniture nails that assist holding joints together until glue dries. Once dried - glue is often stronger than the wood it holds together and attempting to separate the bonded pieces results in splitting the wood rather than breaking the bond.
evan_ 3y ago
Ikea furniture usually uses these funky cam lock nuts and bolts in particle board pieces, rather than screws: https://www.furnitureparts.com/products/cam-lock-nuts-ikea-part-102509?variant=31586981256 https://www.furnitureparts.com/products/cam-lock-nuts-ikea-p... These turn the force into compression over a larger diameter so it's less likely to cause a problem. I've actually had pretty good experiences with Ikea stuff holding up over time, even across multiple moves.
- deleted 3y ago
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- Gigachad 3y ago
  I had one of those plastic locks snap during a move. And found out Ikea will mail or provide one at the store for free. Repaired my item and it's as good as new.
  - neuronerdgirl 3y ago
    They used to just make them out of zinc so they wouldn't snap at the drop of a hat. Guess that $0.10 savings per unit was worth the shipping though
    - Gigachad 3y ago
      They still do for many of them, but it depends how much force is expected on the part. The one that broke on mine would normally see very little force, but it must have been hit on a weird angle while moving. Not a big deal since I just got a new one for free.
falcolas 3y ago
Yes, making wood glue even more valuable if you want it to last.

Furniture made of soft wood is certainly more susceptible to damage and denting than if made from hardwood, sure. Personally I find the trade off acceptable - I have a narrow six foot book shelf that I can lift with one arm and a much smaller Ikea one that needs two people to move, but preferences are subjective. Regarding screws however, furniture made from wood using approaches traditional for wood-made furniture - don’t rely on screws all that much, but rather mortises, dados, and various other joints held by glue, dowels, and sometimes staples or furniture nails that assist holding joints together until glue dries. Once dried - glue is often stronger than the wood it holds together and attempting to separate the bonded pieces results in splitting the wood rather than breaking the bond.

evan_ 3y ago

Ikea furniture usually uses these funky cam lock nuts and bolts in particle board pieces, rather than screws: https://www.furnitureparts.com/products/cam-lock-nuts-ikea-part-102509?variant=31586981256 https://www.furnitureparts.com/products/cam-lock-nuts-ikea-p... These turn the force into compression over a larger diameter so it's less likely to cause a problem. I've actually had pretty good experiences with Ikea stuff holding up over time, even across multiple moves.

deleted 3y ago
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Gigachad 3y ago
I had one of those plastic locks snap during a move. And found out Ikea will mail or provide one at the store for free. Repaired my item and it's as good as new.
- neuronerdgirl 3y ago
  They used to just make them out of zinc so they wouldn't snap at the drop of a hat. Guess that $0.10 savings per unit was worth the shipping though
  - Gigachad 3y ago
    They still do for many of them, but it depends how much force is expected on the part. The one that broke on mine would normally see very little force, but it must have been hit on a weird angle while moving. Not a big deal since I just got a new one for free.

falcolas 3y ago

Yes, making wood glue even more valuable if you want it to last.