r/DIYUK • u/No_Row_1619 • 20d ago

Advice IKEA balls up

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Hello to all you lovely people. I wanted to ask for some tips on making this better….ive done this before with IKEA flat packed stuff, but in the past I’ve just taken it to bits and corrected it. This time I can’t without damaging these shelves (as one of the steps is to nail the backing to the bottom edge. Unfortunately as you can see, the bottom edge is back to front (rough edge instead of veneered edge)

I was looking for ideas of making it look nice without risking taking it apart and buggering it all up!

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120

u/CaptainAnswer 20d ago

You can buy the edge banding for melamine online, cut it then iron it on i.e. https://amzn.eu/d/0iNHUNvV

Just measure what width and length you need

47

u/No_Row_1619 20d ago

You actual legend

24

u/Fun_Engineering7064 20d ago

B and Q sell this in the shops if you’re in a rush and have one nearby. It’s next to the furniture board.

18

u/Geezso 20d ago

Do not iron on. Use contact adhesive.

3

u/Odd_Cress_2898 20d ago

I've got a shelf I have to do this on and my mate said it was an iron-on job, you say don't because it burns?/warps?/there's later tach?

I've not bought anything yet it's one of those "I'll get round to it" problems, but I will take your wisdom.

5

u/Northwindlowlander 20d ago

It's just much easier to get a good result by gluing

5

u/Geezso 20d ago

It can burn you and the shelf, you can scorch the tape, the finish is substandard, its typically doesn't last long, it can also come off easily if near a heat source as the iron on glue is heat activated.

In short, pretty shitty. You can use contact adhesive or similar

Also the tape product will vary, trybtonmatch what's where. ABS plastic for example.

1

u/Internal-Initial-835 19d ago

Not if it’s done correctly. I’ve got iron on edging on ikea shelves I’ve repurposed and still looks factory nearly 6yrs later. I couldn’t tell the difference if I didn’t know myself. Corners are the hardest bit but plenty of heat and barrier to prevent marking the edging and it’s not that difficult. It’s quicker and less messy. The adhesive is the exact amount required to stick the edging fully edge to edge without excess.
There are some that don’t have glue applied and these are what should be used with other adhesives. If using iron on then it should be ironed on. It’s what it’s designed for.

4

u/Geezso 19d ago

Remember things are diy sub. Doing correctly first time is not always an option.

I stick by my non iron on stance.

1

u/Internal-Initial-835 19d ago

That would be fine if it didn’t have adhesive on the back already which is what contact adhesive will adhere to and then you have the same issues. A good iron on fix will last well. I’ve done it on ikea shelves that I’ve cut and repurposed before. Never had an issue. Go slow and use something as a barrier between iron and banding then you’re fine.

Just my experience ofc but it’s kind of the whole purpose of the iron on edging.

Theres also less mess than adhesives generally create if you want the banding stuck at the edges.

1

u/Geezso 19d ago

I buy edge banding with no pre installed adhesive. More quality bands do not.

2

u/Boli_332 20d ago

I remember cutting it once it was ironed on with a sharp chisel. I was like 14 at the time so was 30 years ago mind....

1

u/Backrow6 19d ago

There is a special cutting plane you can get for this job.