Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [furniture]

furniture making, repair, and refinishing

380 questions
94
votes
18 answers

How do I make a height adjustable desk?

Has anyone made their own height adjustable desk? I'm interested in making a computer desk that can easily be adjusted for either standing or sitting. The lift mechanism could be electric or mechanical, as long as it is not too hard or…
Evan
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31
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11 answers

Should I tilt my DIY self-standing bookshelf backwards to prevent it falling down?

Context I intend to build a self-standing bookshelf using 18mm-thick, CNC-router-cut plywood. The bookshelf is made of nested planks, and entirely fits a 35cm-deep recess in my wall. Following pictures display first a sketch of the global design,…
ebosi
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30
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14 answers

What are cheap ways to build strong shelves with a large span?

I have removed several old and moisture damaged built in storage units from my house. I would like to replace them with shelving. There are a number of different sized gaps (width and depth to fill). I would like the shelves to hold quite alot of…
flamingpenguin
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22
votes
6 answers

How can I fix this gap between bookcases I made?

I just built two bookcases to line the wall of a room in my house and apparently didn't build them square enough so, when I put them next to each other, I get this giant gap. (I think the one on the right is pretty square but the one on the left…
jevron1984
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21
votes
7 answers

Disassembling IKEA furniture—how can I deal with broken dowels?

IKEA furniture often has wooden dowels that are used to hold pieces together. The problem is that these wooden dowels break easily when you're trying to disassemble IKEA furniture: In the first picture I could just use pliers to pull the broken…
neubert
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20
votes
4 answers

Make a built-in desk level with uneven floor, or true level

I'm making a 13 ft-long (4 m) built-in desk along one wall of a room. Adopting the engineer's creed that anything worth thinking is worth over-thinking, I used my neighbor's tripod-mounted optical level to make level marks on the wall. It turns…
RustyShackleford
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17
votes
6 answers

Painted desk is still tacky after two months

I am admittedly new to DIY and especially painting furniture, this being my first project. I put together a custom desk two months ago using a laminate IKEA countertop. I followed the instructions most often repeated for painting laminate pieces…
user-2147482428
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17
votes
5 answers

Is there an ideal height for a workbench?

Is there a universal standard height that people try to go for when building workbenches? Should DIY tabletops be tailor made to the height of the user and how does the ideal height of the tabletop correlate to the person?
Ambo100
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14
votes
7 answers

How do I stop a bed frame from squeaking?

I recently bought a second hand wooden bed frame. All is good except it squeaks quite a lot when I move around on it (ahem). Any advice on fixing the annoying squeak? EDIT :: photo of the joint
Tom Squires
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12
votes
1 answer

Is there a more rugged finish than Polyurethane for a heavy use table?

A few years go I sanded a stained table we had. Upon doing so, we discovered that it had really nice wood underneath. So instead of restaining, I applied about 4 coats of satin polyurethane. It looked nice. Since that time, a few small spots have…
DA01
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12
votes
10 answers

How can I turn these table leg attachment screws?

I bought a used table and the screws holding it together are of a kind that I've never seen before. Unfortunately, some of them are loose and I need to tighten them. They are impossible to turn with any of my tools. The problem is that when sticking…
B K
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11
votes
4 answers

What are these plastic rods and crimps under my couch cushion and can they be replaced?

One side of our couch sinks in way too much. I really don't want to fork a money for a new couch right now, so thought I'd see if I could fix it. I flipped it over and underneath I found that 3 plastic rods that run horizontally ( circled in red in…
Frank
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11
votes
5 answers

How do you screw in double-ended screws?

I have a flat pack shelving unit to put together. It has double ended screws. According to the instructions you just screw them in using your hands. This is impossible: the pre-drilled holes seem way too small for the screws. I am unable to screw a…
Jodie
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10
votes
2 answers

What does code say about powered semi-permanent furniture?

I like to build things, and I've been drafting up plans for a headboard for quite a while now. One of the things I want my headboard to have is a number of outlets, since laying on my bed is where I often realize I need to plug a device (charger…
Help-ful-less
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10
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2 answers

How can I remove a moisture mark from a wooden table?

I have a white mark on my wooden dining table that was caused by a potted plant sitting there for too long without a saucer. Attempts to clean it off have been futile because it seems not to be a mark on the surface, but a mark in the wood probably…
wim
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