How to assemble a chest of drawers

• Allen key (supplied)
• Cross-head screwdriver
• Small hammer
• Tape measure
• Wall fixings to suit your wall

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Top, sides, base and plinth or rails
• Back panel
• Drawer fronts, sides, backs and bases
• Drawer runners (left and right), cam locks, dowels and screws
• Handles and anti-tip fitting

1. 1

   Step 1: Sort the drawer parts into one set per drawer; drawers often come in different depths.

2. 2

   Step 2: Screw the carcass runners to the inside of both side panels while they lie flat, checking left from right against the manual.

3. 3

   Step 3: Build the carcass on its back: fit the rails and base between the sides, then the top, locking each cam lock half a turn.

4. 4

   Step 4: Measure both diagonals across the back and adjust until equal, then fix the back panel along every edge.

5. 5

   Step 5: Build each drawer: join the sides to the front with cams or screws, slide the base into the grooves, then fit the back to trap the base.

6. 6

   Step 6: Screw the drawer runners to each drawer, check the drawer is square, and slide it into the carcass until it clicks or engages.

7. 7

   Step 7: Fit the handles, then stand the chest in place and adjust the drawer fronts if the gaps are uneven.

8. 8

   Step 8: Fix the chest to the wall with the anti-tip fitting before putting clothes in.

• Mixing up left and right runners so drawers will not slide in.
• Fitting drawer bases upside down, so the finished side faces down.
• Skipping the back panel or fixing only a few nails, which lets the carcass go out of square.