Step 10 of 16
NORDLI chest step 10 of 16: Drawers: align the bottom grooves and stand the sides
Push 2 dowels (101350) into the front end of each drawer side. Stand a left and a right side on each drawer front over the cam bolts, making sure the bottom panel groove on every side faces inward.
- 6× Drawer side
- 12× Dowel
101350
Tools: none, just your hands
Common mistake: standing a drawer side with its bottom groove facing out. The left and right drawer sides share identical front dowel and cam-bolt spacing, so a side can easily be stood on the wrong end or turned around with its bottom groove facing out. Always verify that both lower grooves face each other across the inside of the drawer before locking the sides. The switch in the player shows what goes wrong.
All 16 steps
- 1 Screw the cam bolts into the sides
- 2 Lay the back down and push in the dowels
- 3 Stand the two sides on the back panel
- 4 Lock the sides to the back
- 5 Screw the cam bolts into the top and base
- 6 Fit the top and base panels
- 7 Lock the top and base panels
- 8 Fit the floor glides and stand the chest up
- 9 Drawers: screw the cam bolts into the fronts
- 10 Drawers: align the bottom grooves and stand the sides common mistake
- 11 Drawers: lock the sides to the fronts
- 12 Drawers: slide the bottoms into the grooves
- 13 Drawers: slide in the drawer backs
- 14 Drawers: hammer in the plastic fasteners
- 15 Drawers: screw on left and right runners flush
- 16 Slide the drawers into the chest
00Overall
The outer size is IKEA's published size.
01Elevations
Drawn from our 3D model, to scale. Point at a part to find it in the list below; click it to jump there.
02Parts / cut list
| Part | Name | Qty | T | W | L | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame | ||||||
| A | BackFull-thickness back panel that squares the NORDLI frame and supports the two side panels while lying flat.16 × 718 × 768 mm | ×1 | 16 mm | 718 mm | 768 mm | Particleboard, acrylic paint, paper foil, plastic edging |
| B | SideSide panel with three factory-aligned cabinet channels. It takes its cam bolts and dowels flat on the floor before standing on the back panel.16 × 452 × 718 mm | ×2 | 16 mm | 452 mm | 718 mm | Particleboard, acrylic paint, paper foil, plastic edging |
| C | TopOverhangs and caps the top of the side and back panels.16 × 452 × 800 mm | ×1 | 16 mm | 452 mm | 800 mm | Particleboard, acrylic paint, paper foil, plastic edging |
| D | BottomForms the base plinth of the NORDLI chest and carries the 4 floor glides.16 × 452 × 800 mm | ×1 | 16 mm | 452 mm | 800 mm | Particleboard, acrylic paint, paper foil, plastic edging |
| Drawers | ||||||
| E | Drawer front18 × 232 × 796 mm | ×3 | 18 mm | 232 mm | 796 mm | Particleboard, acrylic paint, paper foil, plastic edging |
| F | Drawer sideDrawer side with an internal groove along the lower edge that receives the drawer bottom.14 × 160 × 402 mm | ×6 | 14 mm | 160 mm | 402 mm | Particleboard, paper foil |
| G | Drawer bottomWhite-faced fibreboard panel that slides along the grooves of both drawer sides into the front recess.3 × 400 × 728 mm | ×3 | 3 mm | 400 mm | 728 mm | Fibreboard, acrylic paint |
| H | Drawer backCloses the back of the drawer box directly over the rear edge of the drawer bottom.12 × 146 × 720 mm | ×3 | 12 mm | 146 mm | 720 mm | Particleboard, paper foil |
The parts' sizes are our 3D model's own estimates: close, not measured. Panel thicknesses, runner positions and hole coordinates are our own estimates from IKEA’s assembly drawings. IKEA publishes only the outer size.
03Tools & materials
| Tools | ||
|---|---|---|
| HammerTaps the 12 plastic knock-down fasteners through the drawer sides into the drawer backs. | You need it | |
| Cross-head screwdriverScrews in the 30 cam bolts, turns the 12 cross-slotted drawer cam locks, and drives the 18 countersunk runner screws flush. | You need it | |
| Flat screwdriverTurns the 18 frame cam locks. | You need it | |
| Materials | ||
| Particleboard, acrylic paint, paper foil, plastic edging | ABCDE | |
| Particleboard, paper foil | FH | |
| Fibreboard, acrylic paint | G | |
04Hardware
| ×30 | Cam bolt | 118331 | 41 mm long | Zinc-plated steel, grey polypropylene sleeve |
| ×24 | Dowel | 101350 | 8 × 30 mm | Birch, beech or rubberwood |
| ×18 | Cam lock | 119081 | 15 mm across | Grey composite |
| ×12 | Drawer cam lock | 103114 | Zinc alloy | |
| ×12 | Plastic fastener | 110519 | 6.9 × 40 mm, 12 mm head | Nylon (PA6) |
| ×6 | Drawer runner3 left-hand and 3 right-hand drawer slides | 118790 | ||
| ×18 | Countersunk screw | 100365 | 14 mm flat-head | Zinc-plated steel |
| ×4 | Floor glide | 10061614 |
Questions
Why is my drawer jamming or catching halfway in?
Two things cause drawer jams: swapping the left and right drawer runners (118790), or leaving a countersunk runner screw (100365) slightly proud instead of driving its flat head completely flush with the steel runner.
Which way do the drawer sides go?
Stand each drawer side on the drawer front so the lower groove faces inward toward the middle of the drawer. If a side is flipped, the groove faces out and the drawer bottom cannot slide in.
What is the difference between the two cam locks in the box?
The 18 grey composite cam locks (119081) lock the main chest frame with a flat screwdriver, while the 12 metal cross-slotted cam locks (103114) lock the three drawer boxes with a cross-head screwdriver.
How many screws hold each drawer runner?
Three flat-head countersunk screws (100365) per runner (18 in all): two into the underside of the drawer side and one through the front tab into the back of the drawer front.
Safety
Never let children climb or hang on open drawers. Anchor modular chests to the wall to prevent tip-over accidents.
About this guide
The part numbers and counts match IKEA's assembly instructions, so you can check each piece against your box. The outer size, 80 × 47 × 76 cm, is IKEA's published size. Panel thicknesses, runner positions and hole coordinates are our own estimates from IKEA’s assembly drawings. The 3D runs faster than real hands do.
Each drawer holds up to 15 kg and measures 72 × 40 cm 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 NORDLI are named only to say which product this guide is for.