It doesn't have to be good to be perfect

[muckefuck]

Lemme tell y'all, Ima think long and hard before I buy me another gruelling assembly project disguised as a piece of IKEA furniture. As welcomerain can tell you, the table was coming together pretty well until it came time to screw on the top. That was when we discovered how half-assed the pre-drilling was by failing to get any screw in more than halfway.

So monshu and I went out and bought a bit to ream out the holes. I don't remember what brand, but whatever it was, DON'T BUY IT! It broke off in one of the holes. Fortunately, it was one of the last ones and the broken piece came right out again. However, of the ones it reamed, several still stubbornly resisted screws. I used the drill as much as I could, but the brackets were too close to the crosspieces--e.'s right--I need an electric screwdriver for this kind of work. I ended up destroying the tip of my phillips by pushing as hard I could and turning it as slowly as it would go; I couldn't see the heads very well, so who knows how much stripping I did.

All I can say is, thank the good lord I didn't attempt this when I was sick! Then I'd decided I couldn't finish up before I had to give welcomerain back the tools. I was right that it was an hour-long project, but I didn't realise it would leave me so exhausted afterwards. I got it into the kitchen by myself, but it left me limp. Oiling it perked me up--after all that heavy lifting and strenuous screwing, it was a pleasure--but I think I stained a shirt in the process.

Still, it's done. I completely forgot to look at it this morning, when monshu promised it would look perfect. The important thing is that when he come over, we can get cooking. I'm beginning to see the fact that they didn't have the companion piece in stock as a small mercy.

Comments

Ikea Products

[darkphuque.livejournal.com]

Just remember that most Ikea products are made in 3rd world countries, and those NOT made in 3rd world countries are made by recent and ill trained immigrants from the 3rd world. So much for workmanship...

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I thought they were all made by computer-controlled robots!

Third-world does NOT equal "crap". After all, the cabinet in the room I was working was made in a third-world country and it's lasted a hundred years already. It also cost substantially more than anything I've ever gotten at IKEA.

[nibadi.livejournal.com]

Stimmt das wirklich mit der 3. Welt? Und sind es zwangsläufig unwürdige Arbeitsbedingungen? Ich habe noch nie etwas wirklich verwerfliches oder kritisches dazu gehört.

Ich habe selbst 4 Billi-Bücherregale von Ikea. Das älteste von ihnen ist über 20 Jahre alt. Bei Umzügen nehme ich nur die Bretter raus. Ich befürchte, ansonsten lassen sie sich nie wieder aufbauen. Als ich vor 4 Jahren 2 CD-Regale (robin) kaufte, habe ich nur Handreichungen gemacht und mich um die Dareichung von Getränken gekümmert. Meine geduldige Freundin Marita hatte die Hauptarbeit beim Aufbau. Alleine hätte ich vermutlich einen Ausbruch an Gewalt und Zerstörungswut an mir erlebt. Mein Unterschrank in der Küche hat beim Aufbau einen blutigen Daumen nach sich gezogen. Nicht bei mir, sondern ebenfalls bei Marita.

Ich wünschte, ich müsste nie wieder bei Ikea einkaufen. Aber manche Dinge sind eben so preiswert, dass es schwer ist, grundsätzlich zu widerstehen. Ohne meine Helferin würde ich allerdings Ikea meiden wie der Teufel das Weihwasser.

PS: Du wolltest mir noch den link zur homepage von monshu zukommen lassen, dass ich deine rote Wand bewundern kann. Erinnerst du dich?

[welcomerain.livejournal.com]

I'm just glad that we taped the lines to know where the screws should go.
Also, BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH Ginger BLAH BLAH BLAH.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Without that, there's no way I could've finished it myself last night. As I said before, pure genius on your part.

Wanna come over tonight and see how beautiful it looks? Oh, and, um, while you're there, you could help me polish the silver!