The perils of on-line shopping
Now I like online shopping, no doubt about it.
I was perusing the Innovations catalogue (you know, the online store that sells all manner of crap you didn’t realise you needed - and probably didn’t, but you buy regardless) and saw a cabinet that would be perfect for my ensuite bathroom where I have a bit of a storage issue. So, I duly purchased it (along with the “Ultrasonic Jewellery Cleaner” and a shoe rack for my wardrobe) and, no thanks to Australia Post received the delivery on the second attempt, after they delivered the first to an address my mind only boggles as to HOW they came up with it.
Now, I’m a pretty self-sufficient gal, who changes her own tap washers, owns a soldering iron, and tinkers around in her computer’s insides as though she knew what she was doing (well, I’m a good actor anyway…), so I knew the cabinet would be delivered in a flat pack and I would need to put it together myself.
The reality was far harsher than I thought, with about a THOUSAND different pieces of wood of varying sizes and a MILLION different pegs, screws and fitting-type objects I’ve never seen before!
Grimly, not about to be beaten, I set about the task of putting it together, and I was doing fine, until I came across the thingies pictured to the right. What the HELL are they??!! Sure, I knew which hole they had to go into, but I simply wasn’t brave enough to do it! I SO need to know what they are before using them. They DO go in at 90 degrees to a weird screw thingy, so I suspect that they latch on somehow or SOMETHING.
Anyhow, to cut a long story short, I’ve prepared Dad for some extra-curricular activities when he and Mum visit on Mother’s Day. He’s gonna have to dance for his supper this year!
No Tags
Tone wrote,
The odd little thingie you have a photo of is called a cam lock (I wrote about them here). They attach to the cam studs. They also break if you beat on them with a hammer because you put the wrong cam stud into them (and then you have to call the company that made them, who will be very cheerful on the phone, and will mail out a new one in three days).
I guess that’s the perfect reason to RTFM :-)
Link | April 24th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Zipper wrote,
I bought 6 cabinets for a wall unit at Ikea a few years back. They all used these cam locks. I think I had a breakage ratio of around 20%. All I did was twist them with the screwdriver. The cool thing with Ikea stuff is that they pack everything with tons of extra hardware so it wasn’t a problem.
I still have a few lying around here somewhere.
Link | April 24th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
The Grumpy One wrote,
Cam locks, cam studs, crikey, men and women DO speak two different languages. Thanks guys!
Bio, I can’t believe I didn’t see that picture nor remember your mentioning the cam studs even though I read that article! I guess I got carried away with the discussion on the pink flamingos
Zipper, I am BETTING they have given EXACTLY the right number of parts, bastards.
I have to admit defeat on this for now, at least until Dad shows me what to do (not sure which way the cam studs go in). Does it make a difference as to which way is inserted? (ie: should the head be inserted or the screwy bit?)
Link | April 25th, 2006 at 12:00 am
zipper wrote,
On mine the knobby end screwed into the side panel and the cam went into the top piece. The phillips or cross-hair end of the cam would be exposed on the top side. In other words put the half open end into the hole first so that you can still see the phillips end (bottom in the pic). After you get all the hardware in place just put the two pieces together and “lightly” twist the cam lock into place with a screwdriver. Or just wait for Dad
Link | April 25th, 2006 at 10:32 am