IKEA cabinet parts.

[Dave Lehnert]

I read some time ago that woodworkers were buying cabinet case work at IKEA and building face frames, Doors, and drawer fronts in the wood shop.
I like to explore this idea. What exactly do I look or ask for at IKEA.
Any tips, tricks or advice?
Looking for ways to speed up projects in my hobby shop.

[Matt Meiser]

All of their cabinets are sold as components. You buy a basic box, drawers, drawer fronts, doors, etc all separate. You could buy everything but the doors and drawer fronts and just make those, or make your drawers too. They are euro-style cabinets so they don't have face frames but you could add them easily if you wanted to make your own drawers.

If you go with the white melamine boxes, it would be simple to make any custom boxes you need to match.

[Victor Robinson]

Dave,

I'm a strong advocate of this approach. My kitchen uses IKEA innards with custom mahogany fronts and for shop furniture and cabinetry, using IKEA frames saves me lots of time compared to obtaining plywood and building cabs.

The IKEA kitchen line (AKURUM) has base and wall frames in standard sizes. For example, base frames come in 12", 15", 18", 21", 24", 30", and 36". You can view these on their website. Head over to the IKEA kitchen section on their website, built-in kitchens, and then hit the button that says "base cabinets" to activate the drop-down menu where you'll also see "frames, legs, and plinths."

Let's say you were building a simple drill press stand, as I recently did. You would get a 15" base cabinet frame ($30), and if you wanted to save yourself a ton of work, get the BLUM drawers from Ikea also (sold in a set of 3 or 4 drawers) $70. All you would need to do is add your own fronts and drill them to fit into the Blum/Ikea drawer boxes you just bought. Cost $100. Time in the shop for cabinet/drawer assembly and making the fronts? Literally 45 minutes.

The way to order at an IKEA is to grab a kitchen person and say, "I need a 15" base cabinet frame only and a set of 4 drawers". They'll ask you if you want it in white or "birch effect", and whether you want fronts, and that's it. If you plan on doing this a good amount in the future, get a set of their cheapest drawer fronts (Arlig white). They will literally cost you $8 for a set. Then you will have drilling templates for ANY future drawer fronts you make. You can also grab an Arlig white door for a few bucks to have a template for the hinge cup for any custom door fronts you make.

You receive a printout in the kitchen department, take it to the register, and then pick up your order (do this on a weekday!!).

There's a ton more info I can give so feel free to drop me a PM. I know the Ikea kitchen system inside and out having used it for my own kitchen and for tons of shop furniture.

[Victor Robinson]

Also, as Matt pointed out, the Ikea line is a Euro, frameless style, aka 32mm. So you don't need to add face frames to the cabinets. You certainly could, if you wanted, but then it would add a lot more work since everything is predrilled for 32mm. And then you wouldn't be able to use the Blum tandembox drawers they sell, which is a huge part of the time-saving!

[Jon van der Linden]

It all depends on what you want to do. You won't be able to do the same work for less than Ikea no matter what. The problem comes in when you want something different.

For example, I have a strong preference for using plywood for cabinet boxes. They're much stronger and won't be destroyed if you have a leak in the kitchen. The main obstacle is drilling holes for hardware i.e. hinges and drawer runners. They have to be the correct size and location.

Even when building for myself, the time invested in building nice doors and drawer fronts is big enough that the box part is negligible. I want to complete the whole job at the same level of quality. For me buying boxes is out. If speed and low cost are your primary concerns, then you won't do better than Ikea.

[Victor Robinson]

Another tip - the sizes of all their cabinet doors and drawer fronts are on their website.

So if you were making custom drawer fronts for a 15" base cabinet, you'd make them 14-3/4" wide, as that's the width of their drawer front for a 15" cab. You could measure this all and figure it out yourself also, but it's faster knowing where to look up what you need...

[Dave Lehnert]

Thanks everyone. Just the info I was looking for.
I have an IKEA about 20min from the house so it would be handy.

[ian maybury]

I'm a bit of a closet fan of Ikea too, they recently opened up not too far from me.

You do have to do the research and figure if an item you are considering is of a high enough spec for your needs, but the one thing i can't criticise after buying several lots of cabinetry (bookcases, a bedroom wardrobe set and bathroom cabinets mostly) is their quality.

Don't forget there's essentially two quality levels in their cabinetry - melamine coated, and veneer covered.

I've never found an error, ever - and it all goes together very easily, and is in general well constructed. I've even cut down some cabinets to suit my layout without any problems.

ian

[Dan Karachio]

I'm toying with this too. Do they make a cabinet with wood veneer on the *inside* or is it all white? I can't seem to find anything like this on their site.

[Victor Robinson]

Dan - the Akurum cabinet system comes in white or "birch effect" which is a light birch/maple color. Looks fine in my shop when mixed with plywood. Yes, the birch effect is birch effect on the inside as well.

[Jay Radke]

IKEA is the equivalent of Walmart in my book.

About 10 years ago the Mrs and I bought a chair and matching bookcase from there and wanted the matching foot rest. They were out, complained that they didnt have enough warehouse space. So we had to keep coming back to see if they had any, wasnt tragic as we lived in the same suburb of Chicago that IKEA was in, just the other side of town.

About 8 years ago the Mrs and I decided we would get some 4 bookcases, large desk and large rolling printer/file unit. We had moved to our new house from the condo we had before but this was more of ways away. They had also just expanded their warehouse so we figured it would be eaiser this time. Well go figure one of the pieces we wanted they didnt have in stock. So we said can you estimate or call us when it comes in...the answer well we dont know and we cant call you. You will just have to keep checking in. Well I take the train every day to work 1+ hr each way, I wasnt to going to keep driving another 45 mins round trip just to see if it had arrived. So instead we ordered all the stuff and had it shipped. Good thing as all the boxes would have been quite heavy for my little Escort at the time (that thing could haul stuff though).

Well it all comes. Open the stuff up and take the corner bookcase unit upstairs first to assemble and install. Afterall, corner needs to go in first. So I start to assemble the unit. Guess what...low and behold there is no back. Thats right they forgot to include the back piece. At this moments the words start pouring out of my mouth and the Mrs runs upstairs figuring I had injured myself. See no blood she asks what the problem is. I explain adding that I will never step foot in the that piece of crap store again. We finally do get the back around a week later. I then finish the others.

Needless to say I havent been back since. The Mrs keeps asking and I just look at her and say what did I say before? Just last week when we got home and I got the mail. There wasnt much there but the IKEA catalog. I said well we got got crap for mail today and I hand her the mail. Then I say I mean we literally got crap today. She just laughed when she saw the catalog.

What I do remember, though is that they sell pieces of the cabinets as well. Probably left over from damaged boxes.

[Victor Robinson]

Didn't have so much as a missing screw on an entire kitchen's worth of cabinets, drawer boxes, hardware, etc.

The kitchen line is really well done and they are selling A LOT of kitchens - not just to consumers, but to contractors and designers. Ikea in general has gotten better in quality over the years. Though it's still particleboard/melamine, the quality is vastly superior to what it used to be 5-7 years ago.

[Jeff Gunter]

Inner surfaces are generally either white or "birch effect". I'm generally not an IKEA fan but we went with IKEA kitchen cabs recently --time or money constrained. Couldn't afford time to make my own from scratch; couldn't afford the money to get someone to make a set of cabinets that was sufficiently better to justify the cost difference. Once you get the hang of it, there are a lot of very well thought out components that play well together -- the whole system just works in an integrated manner. The cab's have been used everyday for six months (large family and we eat at home) -- so far no gotcha's. We'll see how things are in a few years.

[Dave Lehnert]

IKEA is the equivalent of Walmart in my book.

About 10 years ago the Mrs and I bought a chair and matching bookcase from there and wanted the matching foot rest. They were out, complained that they didnt have enough warehouse space. So we had to keep coming back to see if they had any, wasnt tragic as we lived in the same suburb of Chicago that IKEA was in, just the other side of town.

About 8 years ago the Mrs and I decided we would get some 4 bookcases, large desk and large rolling printer/file unit. We had moved to our new house from the condo we had before but this was more of ways away. They had also just expanded their warehouse so we figured it would be eaiser this time. Well go figure one of the pieces we wanted they didnt have in stock. So we said can you estimate or call us when it comes in...the answer well we dont know and we cant call you. You will just have to keep checking in. Well I take the train every day to work 1+ hr each way, I wasnt to going to keep driving another 45 mins round trip just to see if it had arrived. So instead we ordered all the stuff and had it shipped. Good thing as all the boxes would have been quite heavy for my little Escort at the time (that thing could haul stuff though).

Well it all comes. Open the stuff up and take the corner bookcase unit upstairs first to assemble and install. Afterall, corner needs to go in first. So I start to assemble the unit. Guess what...low and behold there is no back. Thats right they forgot to include the back piece. At this moments the words start pouring out of my mouth and the Mrs runs upstairs figuring I had injured myself. See no blood she asks what the problem is. I explain adding that I will never step foot in the that piece of crap store again. We finally do get the back around a week later. I then finish the others.

Needless to say I havent been back since. The Mrs keeps asking and I just look at her and say what did I say before? Just last week when we got home and I got the mail. There wasnt much there but the IKEA catalog. I said well we got got crap for mail today and I hand her the mail. Then I say I mean we literally got crap today. She just laughed when she saw the catalog.

What I do remember, though is that they sell pieces of the cabinets as well. Probably left over from damaged boxes.

I think the key is, if I am going to build cabinets with solid wood, I am not going to use IKEA. But if I am going to build cases with particle board with wood fronts then yes, I will use IKEA. Why not?

[Jim Becker]

IKEA is the equivalent of Walmart in my book...~snip~

Jay, there are absolutely some furniture that Ikea sells that is less than worthy. But there are other things that they sell that are better constructed and better values than what you'll find at most mass market furniture stores. One example is what is being discussed in this thread. The Ikea kitchen cabinet system is very well made relative to the cabinet boxes and they also utilize very nice Blum hardware...including the sturdy Blum metal drawer boxes and quiet close mechanisms as standard. Those of us who consider using them while building our own doors and drawer fronts do so to save time. It's an alternative to buying from places like CabParts.com and for those of us who live near an Ikea store, that means "pick it up" and get immediately to work and no shipping charges for heavy materials. I also love the track based upper cabinet hanging system. Very easy to work with and adjust...even with one person hanging them.

Some of their doors/drawer fronts are "ok", but the reason we consider making our own is that Ikea's product, like most mass produced doors and drawer fronts, their wood veneer and solid wood versions feature very little grain and color matching of materials. Since these are the parts you see, that has meaning to many of us and we choose to do our own.

Oh, and I have some Ikea leather couches that I purchased in about 1988 or 1989. Aside from a couple scratches, they almost look new...and yes, they have seen heavy use, cats and...kids. My kids sleep on Ikea mattresses...they are outstanding for the money. My home office desk system was purchased from Ikea in about 1994...it's held up better than the stuff I've seen in many offices. But again, "what" you buy does make a difference. I've had some duds, too...avoid the low-end for sure.

----------

For folks considering using the Blum metal drawer assemblies, I do recommend you buy one drawer front for each size drawer so you can template out the hole pattern you'll need to fasten your own drawer fronts. Just get a set of the least expensive white ones to use as templates.