Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

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Lynette
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Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

I would appreciate advice on assembling dressers/chest of drawers that you have ordered from places such as Walmart/Amazon etc. My church is working with an organization to resettle refugees. We are providing furniture for as many families as we can. We have received many donations of furniture but do not seem to receive donations of dressers. I have looked at furniture stores but the prices start seem to start at about $500 for a small dresser. I ordered a chest of drawers for about $200 from Amazon and tried to assemble it in my basement. It was slow and time-consuming and went well until I had to attach the second heavy side to the top and two boards. I could not get it to fit and all came tumbling down and tore a hole in one of the boards at the back.

Even if I had constructed it successfully, I am still concerned about its stability. I have put together many tables and bookcase that have metal frames with particle board. If one does not tighten screws till the end, all works out well. The better brands have metal frames and holes with metal in the wood to insert the screws.

Art Van used to be a store in this area where one could purchase items of varying quality but unfortunately they went out of business. I have looked at Thrift stores such as the Salvation Army but they have bad reviews because apparently they are really jacking up the prices. Also if one purchases from a store, one usually has to pay for transportation.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

Lynette
regularguy455
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by regularguy455 »

I am the chief furniture assembler in our house. I’ve put together probably 10-15 items over the years. What I’ve found is that the cheaper you go, the lower the material quality and (generally) the longer the assembly. The instructions overall have gotten better over the years but some are still difficult to follow.

If I were you, I’d look into purchasing existing furniture on Craigslist, Marketplace or Nextdoor. It’s assembled and likely cheaper with much higher quality. Better yet, can the church organize a call for furniture donations? Ours did this recently for immigrant families with success.
linuxizer
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by linuxizer »

- Buy some blue (the temporary) threadlok (generic works fine).
- Buy a set of metric hex bits with 4/5/6mm bits. Get a decent drill (Milwaukee, Bosch 12v), ideally a screwdriver style (no chuck) with a torque limiter dial. Should run you $70-100 for the drill on a decent sale and $10 for the bits.
Topic Author
Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

regularguy455 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:17 am I am the chief furniture assembler in our house. I’ve put together probably 10-15 items over the years. What I’ve found is that the cheaper you go, the lower the material quality and (generally) the longer the assembly. The instructions overall have gotten better over the years but some are still difficult to follow.

If I were you, I’d look into purchasing existing furniture on Craigslist, Marketplace or Nextdoor. It’s assembled and likely cheaper with much higher quality. Better yet, can the church organize a call for furniture donations? Ours did this recently for immigrant families with success.
I have already looked at Ebay. I am concerned about the security of Craigslist so am not willing to deal with them. I was a member of nextdoor but there were too many responses. My church did request donations for furniture. We received many donations and likely have enough for five houses but no dressers. This is why I am looking into dressers. I purchased many of these items myself and have spent a lot of money, I am trying to find items that are reasonable quality at a reasonable price.
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

Just an important FYI: If the furniture comes with brackets to attach it to a wall USE THE BRACKETS TO ATTACH IT TO A WALL.

Many newer dressers are easily toppled over by either heavy items in drawers (so you pull out a top drawer and the dresser may topple over) OR are a climbing hazard for children - and they topple over.

I have assembled an assortment of items from a tall TV stand with drawers and glass doors to Ikea shelves and bookcases.

I would suggest having a helper (an extra set of hands) and the right tools. I would also try to REVIEW and, preplan, see how things fit together, and then follow the instructions as best as possible - as you may find the "correct instructions" for the tricky parts - or some clue in another part of the instructions for a step that is currently unclear.

I have a habit of starting at step 1 without looking at the big picture. I assume this is ingrained from school - because that's the way one takes tests in school - start with question 1 and ignore the others until you are done with 1.
7eight9
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by 7eight9 »

I would consider skipping a traditional dresser and using plastic drawers to organize socks/sweaters, etc. No assembly required.

Examples - Sterilite Wide 3 Drawer Cart Black $20.48 at Walmart - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-Wi ... lsrc=aw.ds

Fancier example - Sterilite 3 Drawer Wide Weave Tower Plastic, Cement $28.98 at Walmart - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-3- ... lsrc=aw.ds
I guess it all could be much worse. | They could be warming up my hearse.
Topic Author
Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

linuxizer wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:21 am - Buy some blue (the temporary) threadlok (generic works fine).
- Buy a set of metric hex bits with 4/5/6mm bits. Get a decent drill (Milwaukee, Bosch 12v), ideally a screwdriver style (no chuck) with a torque limiter dial. Should run you $70-100 for the drill on a decent sale and $10 for the bits.
Thanks for the advice on blue threadlock. I will look into it. This is the product I purchased on Amazon:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

It says not to use a drill:) This is probably because it is wood/and or particle board. The instructions say to use a Philips screwdriver and a hammer. I have both of these as well as a drill with tons of bits.
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

To the OP: do your local or not so local charity re-sale shops have furniture? Many of them in my area have an online presence something thru Facebook Marketplace - sometimes thru their homepage, sometimes on Ebay.

Is there any chance you can find some volunteer(s) who will join you on an adventure with a rented moving truck to "road trip" picking up furniture? That would give you a wider range.

I suspect the resale stores will also be a little pricey - but perhaps you will get some sort of volume discount or a lead on other places that have the type of furniture you seek.
Topic Author
Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

7eight9 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:46 am I would consider skipping a traditional dresser and using plastic drawers to organize socks/sweaters, etc. No assembly required.

Examples - Sterilite Wide 3 Drawer Cart Black $20.48 at Walmart - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-Wi ... lsrc=aw.ds

Fancier example - Sterilite 3 Drawer Wide Weave Tower Plastic, Cement $28.98 at Walmart - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-3- ... lsrc=aw.ds
Yes, I use these myself but we are providing houses for refugees and I think we need to at least provide something a little more stable.
Ramjet
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Ramjet »

I don't have anything useful to add except that I feel your pain. I just finished putting together a nursery room and built 4-5 items including a dresser. Each one had missing or wrong sized hardware along with not very detailed directions in broken English
Last edited by Ramjet on Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
UpperNwGuy
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by UpperNwGuy »

For assemble-yourself furniture, I would choose Ikea over Amazon or Walmart.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

LittleMaggieMae wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:45 am Just an important FYI: If the furniture comes with brackets to attach it to a wall USE THE BRACKETS TO ATTACH IT TO A WALL.

Many newer dressers are easily toppled over by either heavy items in drawers (so you pull out a top drawer and the dresser may topple over) OR are a climbing hazard for children - and they topple over.

I have assembled an assortment of items from a tall TV stand with drawers and glass doors to Ikea shelves and bookcases.

I would suggest having a helper (an extra set of hands) and the right tools. I would also try to REVIEW and, preplan, see how things fit together, and then follow the instructions as best as possible - as you may find the "correct instructions" for the tricky parts - or some clue in another part of the instructions for a step that is currently unclear.

I have a habit of starting at step 1 without looking at the big picture. I assume this is ingrained from school - because that's the way one takes tests in school - start with question 1 and ignore the others until you are done with 1.
Indeed. The item I ordered weighs over 100 lbs and has some device that you cannot open more than one drawer at a time. In addition it has straps to achor it to a wall.

I looked at the big picture by watching Youtube videos such as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXMUGPPh1nA

In addition I followed the instructions meticulously. After about three hours at Step 9 out of 16, I got to the stage to put together one side with two boards with pins and achors onto the top and the other side. I turned it upside down to get the side into the top and the two boards came crashing down.

The guy is assembling a different Sauder 4-drawer - I think from Walmart.
runninginvestor
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by runninginvestor »

What about Ikea?

I'm not sure what their dressers cost. But they are generally easy to assemble , and if the dressers are too expensive, maybe you can just get a billy bookcase and couple it with bins for the drawers
bob60014
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by bob60014 »

For the Walmart/Amazon type products, once fit is ensured, drop a bead of wood glue (Elmer's is fine) along the joints and at the screws/swivel locks before tightening down. Once dried, it will help keeping it a bit more stable.
Last edited by bob60014 on Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Topic Author
Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

LittleMaggieMae wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:49 am To the OP: do your local or not so local charity re-sale shops have furniture? Many of them in my area have an online presence something thru Facebook Marketplace - sometimes thru their homepage, sometimes on Ebay.

Is there any chance you can find some volunteer(s) who will join you on an adventure with a rented moving truck to "road trip" picking up furniture? That would give you a wider range.

I suspect the resale stores will also be a little pricey - but perhaps you will get some sort of volume discount or a lead on other places that have the type of furniture you seek.
Hi, I have been looking for thrift stores in my area. As I mentioned, it seems that the Salvation Army have turned their stores into botiques and are competing to get the highest prices. I do not know any other thrift stores that have furniture. This is why I am asking on Bogleheads.

Thanks,

Lynette
Topic Author
Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

runninginvestor wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:00 am What about Ikea?

I'm not sure what their dressers cost. But they are generally easy to assemble , and if the dressers are too expensive, maybe you can just get a billy bookcase and couple it with bins for the drawers
The dressers from Ikea are similar to those of Sauder that are sold on Amazon and Walmart. Nowadays Ikea has many competitors such as Sauder that is advertising itself as an American company.
Topic Author
Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

bob60014 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:01 am For the Walmart/Amazon type products, once fit is ensured, drop a bead of wood glue (Elmer's is fine) along the joints and at the screws/swivel locks before tightening down. Once dried, it will help keeping it a bit more stable.
Thanks for the advice. I will order some Elmer glue.
CurlyDave
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by CurlyDave »

Lynette wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:03 am
LittleMaggieMae wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:49 am To the OP: do your local or not so local charity re-sale shops have furniture? Many of them in my area have an online presence something thru Facebook Marketplace - sometimes thru their homepage, sometimes on Ebay.

Is there any chance you can find some volunteer(s) who will join you on an adventure with a rented moving truck to "road trip" picking up furniture? That would give you a wider range.

I suspect the resale stores will also be a little pricey - but perhaps you will get some sort of volume discount or a lead on other places that have the type of furniture you seek.
Hi, I have been looking for thrift stores in my area. As I mentioned, it seems that the Salvation Army have turned their stores into botiques and are competing to get the highest prices. I do not know any other thrift stores that have furniture. This is why I am asking on Bogleheads.

Thanks,

Lynette
Talk to the managers of faith-based thrift stores. The Salvation Army is one example.

In our area they get more donations of "old brown furniture" than they know what to do with, so they reject a lot of it and it goes to the dump.

I suspect they would view your efforts as a "good cause" and possibly let you take some of the items they do not want for their store. You might need a volunteer with a pickup truck to go to homes of donating individuals.
Answering a question is easy -- asking the right question is the hard part.
Topic Author
Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

CurlyDave wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:15 am
Lynette wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:03 am
LittleMaggieMae wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:49 am To the OP: do your local or not so local charity re-sale shops have furniture? Many of them in my area have an online presence something thru Facebook Marketplace - sometimes thru their homepage, sometimes on Ebay.

Is there any chance you can find some volunteer(s) who will join you on an adventure with a rented moving truck to "road trip" picking up furniture? That would give you a wider range.

I suspect the resale stores will also be a little pricey - but perhaps you will get some sort of volume discount or a lead on other places that have the type of furniture you seek.
Hi, I have been looking for thrift stores in my area. As I mentioned, it seems that the Salvation Army have turned their stores into botiques and are competing to get the highest prices. I do not know any other thrift stores that have furniture. This is why I am asking on Bogleheads.

Thanks,

Lynette
Talk to the managers of faith-based thrift stores. The Salvation Army is one example.

In our area they get more donations of "old brown furniture" than they know what to do with, so they reject a lot of it and it goes to the dump.

I suspect they would view your efforts as a "good cause" and possibly let you take some of the items they do not want for their store. You might need a volunteer with a pickup truck to go to homes of donating individuals.
Thanks. I will do some scouting of some local thrift stores. I could likely organize a van if I knew what we were going to pick up. Another group in my denomination runs a community for homeless/at risk people and we use their van to take our donations to a warehouse that is owned by someone in my church.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:53 am For assemble-yourself furniture, I would choose Ikea over Amazon or Walmart.
Lol. Some of the reviewers say Sauder is a step-up on Ikea :) Maybe home bias as Sauder is an American company.
flyfishers83
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by flyfishers83 »

I would be shocked if you couldn't find some cheap dressers. I would not spend a couple hundred dollars on individual pieces of furniture, as that is just money that could go to other parts of the mission. If you do need to order furniture, I would look at Ikea. I would also assemble wherever the furniture is going, if possible. It's much easier to move boxes than assembled furniture. In general, as it relates to putting together furniture, follow the IKEA picture with their instructions...1 person sad, 2 people happy. My wife and laugh about that every time we see it...but it's true.
BobTexas
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by BobTexas »

Lynette wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:09 am I would appreciate advice on assembling dressers/chest of drawers that you have ordered from places such as Walmart/Amazon etc. My church is working with an organization to resettle refugees. We are providing furniture for as many families as we can. We have received many donations of furniture but do not seem to receive donations of dressers. I have looked at furniture stores but the prices start seem to start at about $500 for a small dresser. I ordered a chest of drawers for about $200 from Amazon and tried to assemble it in my basement. It was slow and time-consuming and went well until I had to attach the second heavy side to the top and two boards. I could not get it to fit and all came tumbling down and tore a hole in one of the boards at the back.

Even if I had constructed it successfully, I am still concerned about its stability. I have put together many tables and bookcase that have metal frames with particle board. If one does not tighten screws till the end, all works out well. The better brands have metal frames and holes with metal in the wood to insert the screws.

Art Van used to be a store in this area where one could purchase items of varying quality but unfortunately they went out of business. I have looked at Thrift stores such as the Salvation Army but they have bad reviews because apparently they are really jacking up the prices. Also if one purchases from a store, one usually has to pay for transportation.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

Lynette
How many dressers do you need? If you get IKEA dressers and assemble them correctly they will be stable and well built. If you buy multiples of the same dresser you will get better at it and they will go together easier. I find the ikea ones have better instructions that are easier to follow

Like others note, you should attach them to the wall

I’ve never seen the need to use glue or thread lock
mrb09
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by mrb09 »

I've found that for shelves without moving parts, you can go pretty cheap and with some brackets and glue generally make things stable. But once you add moving parts like drawers (with or without sliders), it is really hard to get particle board furniture stable. And as you found, it is really heavy and hard to move once assembled.

I've found that the cube shelves like Ikea "Kallax" work well with the associated boxes. Ikea has them of course, but stores like Target and Lowes have their own versions now.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

mrb09 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:34 am I've found that for shelves without moving parts, you can go pretty cheap and with some brackets and glue generally make things stable. But once you add moving parts like drawers (with or without sliders), it is really hard to get particle board furniture stable. And as you found, it is really heavy and hard to move once assembled.

I've found that the cube shelves like Ikea "Kallax" work well with the associated boxes. Ikea has them of course, but stores like Target and Lowes have their own versions now.
Thanks. As we do not know where the families will be placed we probably need to stick with dressers that are already assembled.

I notice that some of the furniture stores in my area have clearance warehouses. Does anyone know what they do with the furniture that does not sell?
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

To the OP: for some reason I'm thinking you are someplace less densely populated than were I live (in the land of steel and concrete and 6 million people)

If you are someplace less densely populated is there any chance you can "network" with other charity groups in another area that might have a surplus of the kinds of furniture you are looking for and who perhaps can help get a Uhaul filled with it it to your area?

Another thought would be to check for "estate sales" and "moving sales" in your area... again I'm in a densely populated area - there is almost always 2nd hand furniture to be had year round.
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

To the OP: for some reason I'm thinking you are someplace less densely populated than were I live (in the land of steel and concrete and 6 million people)

If you are someplace less densely populated is there any chance you can "network" with other charity groups in another area that might have a surplus of the kinds of furniture you are looking for and who perhaps can help get a Uhaul filled with it it to your area?

Another thought would be to check for "estate sales" and "moving sales" in your area... again I'm in a densely populated area - there is almost always 2nd hand furniture to be had year round.
THY4373
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by THY4373 »

LittleMaggieMae wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:52 am Another thought would be to check for "estate sales" and "moving sales" in your area... again I'm in a densely populated area - there is almost always 2nd hand furniture to be had year round.
Yeah and estate sales around me are half-price on the last day too. It is beyond easy in my moderately sized city to find all kinds of used furniture. Dressers should be easy. Bookshelves are the are the tougher nut to crack. There are also auction houses that auction off a lot of furniture.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

LittleMaggieMae wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:52 am To the OP: for some reason I'm thinking you are someplace less densely populated than were I live (in the land of steel and concrete and 6 million people)

If you are someplace less densely populated is there any chance you can "network" with other charity groups in another area that might have a surplus of the kinds of furniture you are looking for and who perhaps can help get a Uhaul filled with it it to your area?

Another thought would be to check for "estate sales" and "moving sales" in your area... again I'm in a densely populated area - there is almost always 2nd hand furniture to be had year round.
Thanks Maggie. That is a good idea to network with charities.

This area is extremely variable. I live in one of the suburbs surrounding Detroit so some areas are more densely populated than others. I have a smaller house older house. Many like mine are being being demolished and the new ones sell for well over one million.
Last edited by Lynette on Wed Jan 05, 2022 3:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

THY4373 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:58 am
LittleMaggieMae wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:52 am Another thought would be to check for "estate sales" and "moving sales" in your area... again I'm in a densely populated area - there is almost always 2nd hand furniture to be had year round.
Yeah and estate sales around me are half-price on the last day too. It is beyond easy in my moderately sized city to find all kinds of used furniture. Dressers should be easy. Bookshelves are the are the tougher nut to crack. There are also auction houses that auction off a lot of furniture.
I guess it all requires time and a van to collect the furniture.
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Sandtrap »

1 consider IKEA
2 cheap products with cheap vinyl over fiberboard can sometimes benefit with good quality wood glue full length on joints during assembly.
Sometimes poor products are so unsafe that bracing should be added.

j🌺
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davebo
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by davebo »

I've put together dressers from Amazon, Wayfair, Ikea, etc. I just recently put together a dresser for my son from Ikea, it did take me quite awhile to put together. When I finish I always say that I'd do the next one in 50% of the time, too bad I don't have another one!

With this dresser in particular, it can be done with 1 set of hands but it's ideal to have 2 people doing it and would go much faster. The drawers came in a separate box, so in a perfect world you have someone working on the main part and another person working on the drawers. As long as you bought the same set, you can knock them out pretty quick once you get used to it.
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Katietsu »

Unless you live in an unusual area, there are so many very functional, often solid wood, dressers out there that no one wants. They are called “ugly brown furniture.” When we had an estate sale, they went for so little. Have you put out a request to church members letting them know that you received sufficient donations but for dressers? Does anyone in your group participate in any FaceBook groups where people sell and buy used goods? If I put up a posting in “MY CITY Garage Sale” FaceBook group explaining the story and the specific need, I am confident that I would have dressers for 5 families by the end of the week, probably for free. At least some would be willing to drop them off to you or to hold for pickup on a set day. We also have several faith based resale/second hand shops around. If I called and gave them your story, I am sure that at least a couple would watch out for a dresser donation and set it aside.
Maybe there are other regions of the country that are quite different. But I have recent experience in multiple states at selling/buying/donating used furniture. (Estate, college student etc). If you are unfamiliar with this type “retail”, I would ask your church members, neighbors or friends for assistance. It will be easier if someone who is already active makes the request.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

Sandtrap wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 10:12 am 1 consider IKEA
2 cheap products with cheap vinyl over fiberboard can sometimes benefit with good quality wood glue full length on joints during assembly.
Sometimes poor products are so unsafe that bracing should be added.

j🌺
Thanks Sandtrap. I always appreciate your advice.

I have spent nearly a month researching and buying everything on Amazon from towels, sheets, bookcases, tables, chairs and sofas. A church van will come to pick up my latest acquisition that fill a large part of my garage some time this week. I have probably spent $30,000 on purchases from Amazon so far. In addition I have also made donations. This comes from my travel fund that has been building up as I am not traveling now.

Thanks for all of the advice. After my problematic experience with trying to assemble a dresser, I think I need to take a break from assembling stuff.

Now I can start to learn the Persian alphabet. This is used in both Iran and Afghanistan and known as Farsi or Dari. It is basically the Arabic alphabet. Persian is an Indo-European language like Spanish and English. Supposedly the grammar is quite easy as there is no gender. Of course, I need to learn the vocabulary.

Thanks for all of the advice. I will pass it onto our team.

Thanks,

Lynette
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lthenderson
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by lthenderson »

Lynette wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:09 am I would appreciate any advice.
I would suggest two routes I didn't see mentioned above but may have just missed.

A. Hire a local handyman to put them together for you... or a friend.
B. Offer to buy the demo models already assembled at stores. They often will give you a discount when selling those, especially if they are just about out of stock.
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by CAsage »

Try tapping local church groups or neighborhood facebook communities - we seem to be awash in "brown" furniture which people cannot give away. Lots of maple dressers from mid 20th century. We have a local facebook yardsale group where one can post ISO (in search of) productively.
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BatBuckeye
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by BatBuckeye »

Lynette,
I don't have much extra advice, sorry. But I certainly appreciate what you are doing.
If your church does not have handymen I suggest you partner with another church/organization and have a furniture assembly ministry/party.
Just advertise that you have the furniture you just need some handy people/guys to bring portable drills and assemble. Supply donuts.
I know people that could not afford to buy a bunch of furniture but have the time to donate. Great suggestion to use the hex keys in a drill at low power.
I agree, made to assemble furniture is fragile until the last nail is driven into the back piece.
Couple thoughts. Individually, I'd prefer to assemble the piece(s) where they will be used. It's easier to move the box than a large chest of drawers.
Would it be a good experience for the refugees to assemble the chest?

Good luck learning new grammar. I'm not going to learn anymore grammar.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

BatBuckeye wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:13 pm Lynette,
I don't have much extra advice, sorry. But I certainly appreciate what you are doing.
If your church does not have handymen I suggest you partner with another church/organization and have a furniture assembly ministry/party.
Just advertise that you have the furniture you just need some handy people/guys to bring portable drills and assemble. Supply donuts.
I know people that could not afford to buy a bunch of furniture but have the time to donate. Great suggestion to use the hex keys in a drill at low power.
I agree, made to assemble furniture is fragile until the last nail is driven into the back piece.
Couple thoughts. Individually, I'd prefer to assemble the piece(s) where they will be used. It's easier to move the box than a large chest of drawers.
Would it be a good experience for the refugees to assemble the chest?

Good luck learning new grammar. I'm not going to learn anymore grammar.

Would it be a good experience for the refugees to assemble the chest?

Timing is probably an issue. At the moment, a family we will be assisting is living in a hotel. They will be moving into a house soon and likely will be overwhelmed with a new language, children to send to school, looking for jobs etc.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I was trained as a Latin teacher so grammar is second nature to me. I am fluent in Afrikaans (dialect of Dutch) and have dabbled with learning Spanish, Italian, French and German. Strangely I made my career in accounting and IT. To me grammar is much, much easier than assembling dressers!
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JoeRetire
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by JoeRetire »

Lynette wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:09 am I would appreciate any advice.
I've had good luck with assembling furniture from Ikea, along with a few from Walmart, Wayfair, and The Christmas Tree Shop.

I'm usually able to get it assembled by myself. It always takes longer than expected. But if I did more than one, the second and subsequent pieces would always be much faster.

Sometimes, I need to enlist help. Usually to hold one piece in place while I attach another. Perhaps you need to enlist a helper?

Consider bringing all the furniture to a central location and having everyone help assemble all the pieces at the same time. Many hands make light work.
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tev9876
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by tev9876 »

I would not pre-build large RTA (Ready to Assemble) furniture with plans on moving it - particle board is heavy and fragile. The slightest twist or bang into a corner will damage it during transport. If you go the RTA route assemble it at the use site.

Are dressers really needed, or would cube organizers work? Something like this: https://www.target.com/p/11-8-cube-orga ... nk=sametab

Just leave folded clothes on the shelf and get some soft side cubes for the socks and smaller stuff. You can get three of these for the price of a cheap dresser of similar volume. Very easy to assemble on site with just a screwdriver and hammer usually.

You could also expand your thrift store, FB Marketplace, and curb on garbage night search to bookshelves, TV stands, etc.
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

tev9876 wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 7:59 am I would not pre-build large RTA (Ready to Assemble) furniture with plans on moving it - particle board is heavy and fragile. The slightest twist or bang into a corner will damage it during transport. If you go the RTA route assemble it at the use site.

Are dressers really needed, or would cube organizers work? Something like this: https://www.target.com/p/11-8-cube-orga ... nk=sametab

Just leave folded clothes on the shelf and get some soft side cubes for the socks and smaller stuff. You can get three of these for the price of a cheap dresser of similar volume. Very easy to assemble on site with just a screwdriver and hammer usually.

You could also expand your thrift store, FB Marketplace, and curb on garbage night search to bookshelves, TV stands, etc.
Thank you for the suggestion. This is a possibility. I am not in charge of the program and do not know how many more houses my church wants to furnish beyond the initial five they planned to furnish. I am a member who tried to find reasonably priced items from a list they provided to donate. We did not have donations of dressers which is why I focused on this item.

A few days ago, I received delivery of this item:

https://www.amazon.com/SONGMICS-Dresser ... d6e83b6876

The drawers are fabric but there is a metal frame and a board in front of each drawer. It took me about an hour to put together. I was so pleased with this item that I ordered another two of different sizes. I am very impressed by the items by SONGMICS and one of subidiaries called Vasagle. I have assembed bookcases and many end tables from them. I can assemble their end tables in less that 20 minutes as I have done so many. I have also assembled some products by a company call Bon Augure for my personal use.

But I got stumped by the Sauder dresser that fell apart after I had worked on it for many hours.

Thanks for all of the advice. I will pass it onto our team.

Lynette
tev9876
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by tev9876 »

Just noticed you are near Detroit. There is a Fred's used furniture store on the north side of Eight Mile in Warren that has a massive amount of used furniture. Lots of old and sturdy stuff, but not necessary current style. Also look at the Habitat for Humanity ReStores in the area.
southhavenjen
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by southhavenjen »

I live in SW Michigan (Kalamazoo) and there is a service that picks up and delivers orders from the IKEA near Detroit and delivers to our side of the state. They also offer assembly services. The cost is extremely reasonable and they do a good job.

They say they service the west side of the state, but maybe if you told them what you are doing, they would help.

https://hirehexi.com/
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

tev9876 wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 12:24 pm Just noticed you are near Detroit. There is a Fred's used furniture store on the north side of Eight Mile in Warren that has a massive amount of used furniture. Lots of old and sturdy stuff, but not necessary current style. Also look at the Habitat for Humanity ReStores in the area.
Thank you, yes, I am in this area. I will look into this. I browsed the Fred's Used furniture website and noticed that they also provide a delivery service. This might be an option.

Thank you,

Lynette
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Lynette
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Re: Experience assembling dressers ordered from Amazon/Walmart etc

Post by Lynette »

I want to thank everyone who gave me advice on this. I went to some thrift stores in my area and found great deals on dressers and other furniture. Some thrift stores provide a delivery service for a reasonable amount. Others have services with whom they have a relationship.

Basically it is a hit and miss shopping experience as far as quality is concerned. Thrift stores aim to sell as quickly so that they can restock with donations. I am very pleased with the dressers and sofas I purchased. Some of them have promotional days so at one store I got 50% off.

So now, I no longer need to try to put together dressers in my basement!

Thanks again.

Lynette
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