Hackers Help: Shortening Billy bookcases. Is it possible?

Ikea items used : 106 cm high Ikea Bookshelf (302.638.44)

I have 2 Billy bookshelves. I would like to shorten them, because they are too high. They are initially 106 cm high (41 3/4 “), which is 21 cm (8″) higher than my Ektorp couch. I would like to bring them down to 85 cm (33 1/2”).

Photo: IKEA.com

I am thinking of just sawing the side panels at the top, and drawing new holes for the wooden plugs, as well as the iron “screws”.

An Ikea representative told me that if I touch anything on the item, it won’t be stable anymore, because things are optimized for the specified layout, not for any change.

Thus I wanted to know whether anyone has experience trying this, or if anyone knows whether drawing holes at this point of the panels will be efficient, or whether the panels are hollow at this place.

Any general feedback is welcome.

~ by Victor

***

Hi Victor

Shortening BILLY bookcases has definitely been done before.

Take a look at this. See the shorter BILLY next to the “unhacked” one? Exactly what you want, right?

This hacker reduced the top section of the BILLY side panel. And later added a new top to cover the raw edges and complete the transformation.

See how it’s done.

Here is another example. Fentigger cut down a tall 80x200cm BILLY into 3 parts and reassembled them into a horizontal CD rack. Very nicely done, if I may say so.

See more the BILLY CD bookcase.

Shortening Billy bookcases, some quick tips

I believe the entire side panel is made of particleboard (unless they have changed their formula), without hollow honeycomb innards like the KALLAX. So you should be able to make new holes. Use the old cut-off pieces as a template.

Cutting particleboard is tricky and you may land in compressed wood chip splintersville. Always use a new sharp blade on your circular saw. To reduce splinter, you can try masking the cut area with painter’s tape. It’s probably the most common solution offered on the Internet but I’ve had partial success with it. My go-to method is to clamp the cut area tightly between two pieces of scrap wood (like a sandwich) and then cut all 3 pieces together. Usually works.

As for stability issues, it’s really hard to say. If it happens, brace the jiggly bits with brackets.

Good luck and do let us know how your project turns out.

Jules

The post Hackers Help: Shortening Billy bookcases. Is it possible? appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Hackers Help: How to attach headboard to ESPEVÄR mattress base?

I’m trying to figure out if a headboard can be attached to an Espevar Mattress Base , and how to accomplish that. I’m looking at a standard metal headboard (because I just prefer the look of curved metal to what IKEA offers) and am not interested in a slat base with just a mattress on top, and a wall mounted headboard is not an option due to renting. Thanks for any help! ~ Amy *** Hi Amy I’ve not seen the ESPEVÄR in person but I believe it is possible to attach a headboard to it. From the website, the ESPEVÄR looks like a regular wooden slatted mattress base under a bed base slipover. As to how to attach it, that will depend on the fittings on the metal headboard. So you will just need to get the right hardware to secure the metal headboard to the wooden frame. And make some small openings on the slipcover to let the fixtures to go through. Jules Photo: IKEA.com Try these free-standing headboards for size A lime green and white headboard that takes centerstage in the r

Should You Decorate for the Holidays If Your Home is on the Market?

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but should your home reflect the joy of the season if you’re also trying to sell it? If you love to decorate for the holidays, missing out on this once-a-year opportunity might sound like torture. On the other hand, you don’t want to miss the chance to sell your home because of your decorations. So, should you decorate for the holidays if your home is on the market? We’ve got some “nays,” “yeas,” and “other considerations.” No, Don’t Decorate An elaborately-decorated home in Houston. Image: Regina Gust Designs Our first two realtors are against decorating for the holidays if you’re trying to sell your home. According to Anita Springate-Renaud, licensed partner and broker at Engel & Völkers Toronto Central , your festive decor can distract buyers from looking at the home’s raw design. “Elaborate decorations can distract and shift a prospective buyer’s focus away from what they should be looking at when shopping for a property.” So what should they

Kitchen renovation reveal: Rhombus wall steals the show

It’s been a while since I did a home tour. If you’ve missed the previous reveals, you can catch up with my Master Bathroom remodel and Guest Bathroom reveal . Today, let’s focus on my kitchen renovation. Hands down, this is the most used room in my home. I spend crazy amounts of time in here, even when I’m not cooking. Just off to the side of the kitchen I converted an awkward space into a reading nook . In the mornings, I sit and read or pray and meditate, before it gets too warm. And on the other side, there’s a work-in-progress plant wall / indoor garden which also takes up a lot of my time. So, all in all, lots of traffic in here, and that’s not even counting cooking and eating time. The kitchen is definitely my favourite room, because the transformation is huge and I love how it turned out. Kitchen renovation: The before House 17 when I first got it, actually had 2 kitchens, which is a very common “Asian” home concept. First, the “dry kitchen”, which is where you make simp

Martin Cooper

Search This Blog