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Step 1 of 23 · IKEA manual page 5

ALEX drawer unit step 1 of 23: Screw the cam bolts into the sides

Lay both sides flat, runners up. With a cross-head screwdriver, screw 3 cam bolts (118331) into each side, along its back edge, until the collar meets the board.

6× Cam bolt 118331

Tools: Cross-head screwdriver

Common mistake: screwing a cam bolt in too far. A cam bolt goes in until its collar meets the board and no further, as the box in the manual shows. Driven deeper, its round head sits too low in the hole of the board it goes into: the cam lock turns past it, and the joint stays loose. The switch in the player shows what goes wrong.

All 23 steps

Parts and hardware checklist

1×	Back	about 65.8×32.8×1.6 cm
2×	Side	about 65.8×56.2×1.6 cm
1×	Top	about 56.2×36×1.6 cm
1×	Bottom	about 56.2×36×1.6 cm
5×	Drawer front	about 35.6×13×1.6 cm
4×	Drawer side	about 53.4×8×1.2 cm
5×	Drawer bottom	about 53.2×28.7×0.3 cm
2×	Drawer back	about 27.9×6.8×1.2 cm
6×	Drawer side	about 53.4×10.5×1.2 cm
3×	Drawer back	about 27.9×9.3×1.2 cm
34×	Cam bolt	`#118331` · 41 mm long
16×	Dowel	`#101345` · 30 mm long
18×	Cam lock	`#119251`
16×	Cam lock	`#103114`
20×	Plastic fastener	`#110519`
4×	Glide	`#10061614`
10×	Screw	`#105021`
4×	Screw	`#110907` not used standing on its own: for fixing a desk top
1×	Hex key	`#100001`

Tools you need

Hammer · Taps in the drawers’ 20 plastic fasteners.
Cross-head screwdriver · Screws in the 34 cam bolts, turns the drawers’ 16 cam locks, and drives the drawers’ 10 screws.
Flat screwdriver · Turns the frame’s 18 cam locks.

Questions

Which cam locks go where in ALEX?

The slotted ones (119251) hold the frame and are turned with a flat screwdriver; the ones with a cross (103114) hold the drawers and are turned with a cross-head screwdriver. The manual warns not to mix them up.

Why are there screws left over?

The 4 screws (110907) and the hex key are for fixing a desk top on the unit. Standing on its own, ALEX does not use them.

Which drawers go at the top?

The two small drawers go at the top and the three deep ones below, as the manual shows.

What tools do I need?

A cross-head screwdriver, a flat screwdriver and a hammer.

How much can the drawers hold?

IKEA gives 4 kg for each deep drawer, 2 kg for each small one and 12 kg for the whole unit.

Safety

Do not stand one ALEX on another, as the manual warns, and keep within the loads IKEA gives: 4 kg a deep drawer, 2 kg a small one, 12 kg in all.

About this guide

The steps, the part numbers, the counts and the order come from IKEA's assembly manual AA-2242840-5 (2022-10-27). The outer size, 36 × 58 × 70 cm, is IKEA's published size. Board thicknesses, the drawers’ boxes, the runners and the hole positions are read off the drawings and IKEA’s photos, so they are close, not measured. The 3D runs faster than real hands do.

IKEA gives its maximum load as 4 kg for each deep drawer, 2 kg for each small one and 12 kg in all; the drawers are 52 cm deep inside.

The manufacturer's instructions are on IKEA's product page (PDF). If something here differs from the manual in your box, follow the manual.

The 3D models, drawings and text are our own. IKEA and ALEX are named only to say which product this guide is for.