IKEA Product Assembly Instructions

Every IKEA product that requires assembly has all required hardware included in the package. Special tools, like a metric hex or a flat wrench are also included. Standard household tools like a hammer or screwdriver are not included. If you do not have them at home, for about $8 you can get a set right at the IKEA store. Look for an orange box called FIXA. This 15 piece tool set includes hammer, adjustable wrench, pliers and screwdriver with bits for slotted, cross-headed and Allen screws.

Make sure you get the correct set, because there are two kinds. The other 4 piece tools set includes saw, rubber mallet, level and a tape measure. You may need it for installing shelves and only if you want to make shelves shorter.

Products like shelves or tall cabinets that have to be fastened to the wall do not include screws and plugs that have to be inserted into the wall. This is because there are different wall types like plaster, cement, brick or wood that require different fasteners. You can get the box of 72 fasteners for about $3 right at the IKEA store. They are also called FIXA.

All IKEA products requiring assembly have the white assembly instructions booklet packaged with the product. The instructions are extremely clear and easy to follow. This is because there are no words there, just drawings or pictures. It is smarter not to use written instructions because there is no need to translate them to multiple languages. We all know how difficult it is to read some technical lingo especially translated from another language. Follow the pictures carefully step by step and you get the product assembled correctly.

If you threw away the instructions that came with the product thinking that this was a packing material there is still hope for you!

How, where can I get assembly instructions?

My readers frequently ask this question. The answer is simple. Just search the web site ikea.com. It may be obvious, but little challenging if you are not an avid web user.

Here are the instructions on how to find them.

1. Go to website ikea.com and select your country and language.
ikea-main-page

2. Look to the left, middle of the page (notice a giant arrow pointing there)
ikea-assembly-full-point

Here is the enlargement of the section pointed to by a giant arrow.
3. Click on the link “Assembly Instructions”
ikea-assembly-blowup

4. Assembly Instruction page shows up.
ikea-assembly-instructions

Select the product by name and you will get the PDF version of the assembly instructions for your product. This is what you were looking for. Now you can save it and print it or better follow it on screen without wasting ink and paper.

Still have questions?
Just ask.

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Website design changed

Several things were changed. Immediately apparent is the different layout. The old site used to look like shown on the capture below.

old-semio

It was functional, but bland and constrained.
Well designed and supported Semiologic system was used. It consisted of modified WordPress software and multitude of plugins seamlessly integrated and preconfigured. Because of the modifications it was difficult to use templates or themes not specifically designed for it. Theme templates included with it were rather simple to be polite. New, more appealing themes and skins (modified colors and fonts) were added recently. At $295 initially and upgrades at about $170 per year it was relatively expensive for hobbyists. It is primarily used by people trying to sell or market their wares or ideas. You can try it by downloading the free Semiologic theme or purchase Semiologic Pro from semiologic.com site.

Current layout and design is possible by using the Hybrid theme and Life Collage child theme.
Hybrid is well designed semantically. It can be modified by using the basic structure of Hybrid theme and just adding the child theme which contains only the modifications. The Hybrid theme is free, but if you have questions the support is $20 per year. The price is right. After browsing the documentation and reading forums some changes were made to make the site looking the way I wanted it to look. I am tweaking it frequently because, as my niece says, I have OCD.

There are other less costly, like free or almost free, solutions. You can find them by browsing WordPress.org, not to be confused with WordPress.com which is a free web hosting service using WordPress software.

I have been using WordPress for a long time for several reasons. It is structurally well designed and easy to expand by using plugins. There are 7,185 official plugins as of this writing.

Layout and styling of the content is done by using themes. There are 1,042 free themes at this moment. All themes can be customized with choice of different colors, fonts and layout. For example you can chose to have your site with one, two or three columns, fixed or flexible width.

There are web site designers specializing in web templates for WordPress. Their well designed and good looking themes are offered for a fee.

Your friendly search engine will help you find what you are looking for. If you have specific questions, just ask. I will definitely have some answer for you.

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Autumn is welcomed here

Autumn

Here you have it!
The summer is gone already.

It is interesting that since 1997, Autumn has been one of the top 100 names for girls in the United States.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

From poem “To Autumn” by John Keats

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Summer is here

It is standard Florida weather – hot and humid. With all that heat and rain, I almost forgot to mention mosquitos.

Sitting inside with AC running without a break it is the only way to survive. Going out at night when it is cooler is pleasant until you discover that your uncovered body parts are suddenly having red, itching mosquito generated zits.

With all that time inside I am back at my blog experimenting with new software, web layout and colors. Posts are reorganized a bit. Hopefully my blog is not about everything and it is easier to find what you may be looking for.

I am going to write more about wine, food and iPhone, in that order.

Suggestions and comments are invited and encouraged.

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Richard Singer

Today is the day Rich would have celebrated his 56 birthday. Unfortunately he is no longer here. He died just three weeks ago in Naples, Florida.

Back in nineties I started helping Rich with his web sites. One of his first publications was ironically The Inventory of the Estate of Elvis Presley. Then came custom web sites for roofing supply businesses in New York, restaurant and real estate sites in Florida.

He was one of the clients that always paid his bills on time. Interestingly I have never sent him a bill in all 15 years we did the business together. He did have all of my phone numbers and would not hesitate to call with a question any time of day or night. He would always find me. Even when I was on vacation in California, Italy or Poland I would talk with him.

He was a great person and a friend.

We all will miss you Richard!

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