Step 18 of 23 · IKEA manual page 18
ALEX drawer unit step 18 of 23: Small drawers: lock the sides
Put a cross cam lock into the round hole outside each side of the small drawers and turn it clockwise until it is tight.
- 4× Cam lock
103114
Tools: Cross-head screwdriver
All 23 steps
- 1Screw the cam bolts into the sides common mistake
- 2Push in the dowels
- 3Stand the sides on the back
- 4Lock the sides to the back
- 5Screw the cam bolts into the top and bottom
- 6Push on the top and the bottom
- 7Lock the top and the bottom
- 8Stick on the glides and stand it up
- 9Deep drawers: screw the cam bolts into the fronts
- 10Deep drawers: stand the sides on the fronts common mistake
- 11Deep drawers: lock the sides
- 12Deep drawers: slide in the bottoms
- 13Deep drawers: slide in the backs
- 14Deep drawers: fasten the backs
- 15Small drawers: push the dowels into the sides
- 16Small drawers: screw the cam bolts into the fronts
- 17Small drawers: stand the sides on the fronts
- 18Small drawers: lock the sides
- 19Small drawers: slide in the bottoms
- 20Small drawers: slide in the backs
- 21Small drawers: fasten the backs
- 22Put the drawers in
- 23Screw each drawer to its runners
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.