04.03.2011 – IKEA hack: Lack table to floating shelves part 2

Right, then, let’s have another look at the IKEA Lack table. If you’ve watched the  video I posted in yesterday’s post, you know that the inside of a Lack table is honeycombed paper. Of course, being the kinaesthetic and visual learner AKA a hands-on sorta chapesse, I had to grab one of the tables and sew it in half with my trusty Scorpion. This is the result, it’s rather fascinating:

Of course, this also means that one can rip out the paper. It’s easiest to do with a screwdriver or something, and I wouldn’t recommend ripping it all out, because that obviously de-stabilises the construction, unless the support inside is going to be full-length.

Also, be aware of its load bearing capacity when opened up and de-stabilised. I measured a DVD and weighed it, and figured out that the weight won’t ever reach 5 kg.

The shelves are going to be custom made for DVD’s, that’s why they will be 15.5 cm deep, and the space between them will be 21 cm. The width of the Lack tables is 55 cm.

As for the construction, check my drawings numbers 4 and 5 on Wednesday’s post. I got inspiration from the following places that I found by Googling DIY floating shelves:

• How to build simple floating shelves (ignore the “studs in walls” thing if you live where I live, that seems to be an American something, my walls are certainly brick built)
• DIY floating shelves (this one is a very different construction to mine, but fascinating. It definitely holds more weight than mine ever would)
• This one is the best for my purposes, and the one I got my plan from: build it with Ana floating shelves (just don’t read the blog it’s on, you will have stomach cramps from over-saccharine mega-polished display of a picture perfect family life of successful, thin, permanently in love, well off, young and healthy (don’t forget the sparkly teeth!) good looking Americans with an equally perfect baby, hahaha. 😉  As a crusty old cynical European I find that much “perfection” unpalatable.)

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