How to assemble a flat-pack bookcase

• Allen key (supplied)
• Cross-head (Phillips or Pozidriv) screwdriver
• Small hammer
• Tape measure
• Wall fixings to suit your wall (often not supplied)

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

• Two side panels, top, bottom and any fixed shelf
• Adjustable shelves and shelf pins
• Hardboard back panel and its nails or clips
• Cam locks, cam bolts and wooden dowels
• Anti-tip bracket or strap

1. 1

   Step 1: Lay one side panel flat with the pre-drilled holes facing up, on a rug or the flattened box so the finish does not get scratched.

2. 2

   Step 2: Screw the cam bolts into the side panels by hand until they stop, and tap the wooden dowels into their holes so they stand out evenly.

3. 3

   Step 3: Fit the top, bottom and any fixed shelf onto the dowels and bolts of the first side, with the cam lock holes facing outwards where you can reach them.

4. 4

   Step 4: Drop a cam lock into each hole with the arrow pointing at the bolt, then turn it clockwise about half a turn until it pulls the joint tight. Do not force it further.

5. 5

   Step 5: Lower the second side panel onto the free ends of the dowels and bolts, press it home and tighten its cam locks the same way.

6. 6

   Step 6: Stand the frame on its front edge and measure both diagonals of the back. Push the frame gently until the two measurements match, so the bookcase is square.

7. 7

   Step 7: Lay the back panel on, smooth side facing the front, line it up with one corner and nail or clip it every 10 to 15 cm, working around the edges. A square back is what keeps the bookcase rigid.

8. 8

   Step 8: Stand the bookcase up in its place, push the shelf pins in at the same height on all four corners and rest the shelves on them.

9. 9

   Step 9: Fix the anti-tip bracket or strap to the top of the bookcase and to the wall with fixings that suit your wall, then load the heaviest books on the lowest shelves.

• Nailing the back panel on before the frame is square, which locks in a lean that makes the shelves rock.
• Turning cam locks past their stop, which can crack the chipboard around the hole.
• Putting the back panel on with the rough side facing the room.
• Skipping the wall fixing because the bookcase feels steady when it is empty.