Thursday, June 19, 2008

Clip Lock Disaster

I'm not exactly a handy-type of person. My brain just doesn't work well in a puzzle solving capacity and so I've never been into making things and fixing things around the house.

So why on earth would I go out and buy a ready-to-assemble bookcase with the sole intent of putting it together myself???

Fucked if I know. But I did.

And it was an absolute disaster.

I wanted a shelving unit to put in the study so I can put my files and globe and other random junk on so I could clear off the desk and set up the printer/scanner/copier we got from my Dad but have never used. So when I saw a five tier bookcase on sale at K-Mart I thought 'Perfect! That will be a great fit.'
And so after work today I went out and bought it and then when I came home I was confident I could have it put together and in place all before Christian got home from soccer.

I started out fine, checked that I had all the pieces and figured out the general concept. The instructions were mainly illustration based and so I went along, having to backtrack after a while when I realised I'd forgotten to lock in some of the screws (it's all this clip lock technology which boasts that no tools are required. Apparently a brain is though...oops).

I got almost to the end and found that it was asking me for a part that I just didn't have. I searched all over, became slightly frantic and then finally I despaired and figured I'd plow onwards anyway. Turns out, the instructions mislabelled that part and I actually had the part I needed but it was called something else. So I was a little frazzled and in that state I kind of overlooked a tiny detail at that point which led me to clipping in most of the remaining screws without actually attaching the backing...

So what? Who needs a back on it anyway? I only want it as shelving, not an actual bookcase. It'll be fine!

I went to stand it up and then discovered another mistake. I'd put the shelves in the wrong way around and so they were upside down. For the wooden looking parts to be facing up and not the chipboard bits I would have to turn the entire bookcase upside down.

So Christian comes home, finds me in a very grumpy state because I have a very ricketty bookcase that is upside down, back to front and backless.

Needless to say he's going to fix it for me on the weekend. And I have been forbidden to ever attempt ready-to-assemble furniture ever again,

4 comments:

Shawna said...

*wryly chuckles and offers a big hug*

I've had days like that... :) At that point, all you can do is curl up with a good book or movie and call it a day. :)

Tah said...

*Tries not to laugh*

*Can't help it*


Bwahahaha! Thanks. That was a fun story. XD

Mouse said...

*pisses herself laughing*

Smerk said...

*makes a note never to let Nettie near Ikea*