3 steps · 5 parts · 12 pieces of hardware
IKEA FROSTA stool, birch plywood: interactive 3D assembly guide
Every step of IKEA's FROSTA stool manual, built in 3D. Press play to watch a step, drag to look around, or switch to Drawing to see it in the manual's black-line style.
What is in the box
The round seat, four bent legs, 12 bolts and a hex key (100006). The hex key is the only tool you need.
- Work on a rug or the flattened carton, as the manual shows, so the seat does not get scratched.
All 3 steps
- 1Bolt on the first leg common mistake
Lay the seat upside down on a rug. Set a leg on one line of three holes, its bend at the rim and its end towards the middle. Turn its 3 bolts in by hand a few turns, then tighten them with the hex key (100006). Common mistake: Drive the middle bolt home first and it pulls the leg tight a little out of line: the bolts at either end then miss their inserts, cross their threads and will not go in. Turn all three in by hand first, so the leg sits square on its holes, then tighten them one after another.
- 2Bolt on the other three legs
Fit the other three legs the same way: each on its line of holes, its 3 bolts turned in by hand, then tightened with the hex key.
- 3Turn the stool over
Turn the stool over and stand it on its legs. IKEA advises tightening the bolts again with the hex key about two weeks after assembly, and checking them now and then.
Parts and hardware checklist
| 1× | Seat | about 35×35×2.2 cm |
| 4× | Leg | about 42.8×18.4×3.6 cm |
| 1× | Hex key | #100006 · 3 mm |
| 12× | Bolt | no number in the manual |
Tools you need
None: it goes together by hand.
Questions
What tools do I need for the FROSTA stool?
Only the hex key (100006) that comes in the box.
How many bolts does each leg take?
Three: 12 in all, through the end of each bent leg into the threaded inserts under the seat.
A bolt will not go in. What do I do?
Loosen the leg’s other bolts, line the leg up on its holes, turn all three in by hand first, and only then tighten them with the hex key.
A leg wobbles. What do I do?
Tighten its three bolts with the hex key, and check them now and then.
How much weight does the FROSTA stool hold?
IKEA tested it for 100 kg.
Safety
IKEA says: for more stability, tighten the bolts again about two weeks after assembly, and whenever they work loose. The stool is tested for home use, to EN 12520 and EN 1022.
About this guide
The steps, the part numbers, the counts and the order come from IKEA's assembly manual AA-1131405-1 (2008). The outer size, 42 × 42 × 45 cm, is IKEA's published size. The height, the seat’s size and the 42 cm across the legs are IKEA’s, the hex key’s size a spare-parts seller’s; the seat’s thickness, the legs’ sections and where the holes are, are read off the manual’s drawings, so they are close, not measured. The 3D runs faster than real hands do.
IKEA tested the stool for 100 kg.
The manufacturer's instructions are in IKEA's assembly manual (PDF; the product is no longer sold). If something here differs from the manual in your box, follow the manual.
The 3D models, drawings and text are our own. IKEA and FROSTA are named only to say which product this guide is for.