# IKEA \- ALEX Drawer Unit Assemble an IKEA ALEX drawer unit with five drawers step by step, following manual AA\-2242840 By Numa Topic: Home & DIY [Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/1qDLhdWWmNxN) ## Guide ### 1. Parts and Tools Five panels with their drawer rails already fitted, the boards for three deep and two shallow drawers, and the fittings, laid out on a rug\. You need a flat screwdriver and a hammer\. Tap a part to see its name\. Work on a rug or the flattened box, not a bare floor\. The hex key and the four long screws are for the desk option only\. ### 2. 1 · First Cam Dowel Lay both side panels flat, rails up\. Screw a cam dowel by hand into the first hole along the back edge, clockwise, until its collar sits on the panel\. Screw it all the way down\. A dowel left standing proud splits the hole\. ### 3. 1 · Other Five Screw in the other five cam dowels the same way: three along the back edge of each side panel\. ### 4. 2 · First Wood Dowel Lay the back panel between the sides\. Push a wood dowel into a hole in its long edge until half of it is in\. ### 5. 2 · Other Eleven Push in the other eleven: one more in this edge and two in the other edge of the back panel, and two in each end of both side panels\. ### 6. 3 · Raise the Sides Stand both side panels up on the long edges of the back panel, rails inwards, and push them on so the dowels go into its holes\. ### 7. 4 · First Cam Lock Drop a large grey cam lock into a hole in the back panel\. Turn it clockwise with the flat screwdriver until it grips the cam dowel\. Use the large grey cam locks here\. The small metal ones are for the drawers\. ### 8. 4 · Other Five Fit and tighten the other five cam locks in the back panel the same way\. ### 9. 5 · Six in the Top Lay the top panel flat, inner face up, and screw six cam dowels by hand into the holes along its ends\. ### 10. 5 · Six in the Bottom Screw six more cam dowels into the bottom panel the same way\. ### 11. 6 · Top and Bottom On Push the top and the bottom panels onto the ends of the sides, so the cam dowels and wood dowels go into the holes\. For a freestanding unit, turn the face with the small dots at the corners outwards\. Used as a desk pedestal, the manual turns the panels the other way\. ### 12. 7 · First Cam Lock in a Side Drop a grey cam lock into a hole near the end of a side panel and turn it clockwise with the flat screwdriver until it grips\. ### 13. 7 · Rest of This Side Fit and tighten the other five cam locks in this side panel\. ### 14. 7 · The Other Side Fit and tighten the six cam locks in the other side panel the same way\. ### 15. 8 · First Foot Peel the paper off an adhesive foot and press it onto the dot near a corner of the bottom panel\. No dot to be seen? Cut a 20 mm paper square and use it at the corner to place the foot\. ### 16. 8 · Other Three Feet Stick the other three feet on the dots near the other corners\. ### 17. 8 · Stand It Up Tip the unit up onto its feet and stand it where it will go\. Castors are sold separately and come with their own instructions\. ### 18. 9 · Lay Out a Deep Front Take one of the three deep drawer fronts and lay it face down, with the grip edge away from you\. ### 19. 9 · First Cam Dowel Screw a cam dowel by hand into a hole in the front's inner face, clockwise, until its collar sits on the board\. ### 20. 9 · Other Three Screw in the other three cam dowels: two near each end of the front\. ### 21. 10 · Stand the Sides On Stand the two drawer sides on the cam dowels, runners facing outwards and the grooves facing each other\. ### 22. 11 · First Cam Lock Put a small metal cam lock into the hole in a side near the front\. Turn it clockwise with the flat screwdriver until it grips the dowel\. ### 23. 11 · Other Three Fit and tighten the other three cam locks the same way, two in each side\. ### 24. 12 · Slide In the Bottom Slide the hardboard bottom down the grooves in the sides until it sits in the groove in the front\. ### 25. 13 · Lower the Back In Lower the back board between the sides, onto the bottom\. ### 26. 14 · First Dowel, Hammered Push a long plastic dowel through a side into the end of the back board, then tap it home with a hammer\. ### 27. 14 · Other Three Hammer in the other three dowels the same way, two through each side\. ### 28. 14 · Turn the Drawer Over Turn the drawer over onto its bottom\. The first deep drawer is done\. ### 29. 9–14 · Two More Deep Drawers Build the other two deep drawers in the same way: front, cam dowels, sides, cam locks, bottom, back and hammered dowels\. ### 30. 15 · Lay Out Two Shallow Sides Lay the two sides of a shallow drawer flat, runners up, with their front ends towards you\. ### 31. 15 · First Wood Dowel Push a wood dowel into the hole in the front end of a side until half of it is in\. ### 32. 15 · The Other One Push a wood dowel into the front end of the other side\. ### 33. 16 · Lay Out a Shallow Front Lay a shallow drawer front face down, with the grip edge away from you\. ### 34. 16 · First Cam Dowel Screw a cam dowel by hand into a hole in the front's inner face, clockwise\. ### 35. 16 · The Other One Screw the second cam dowel into the hole at the other end\. ### 36. 17 · Stand the Sides On Stand the two sides on the front, over its cam dowels and holes, runners facing outwards\. ### 37. 18 · First Cam Lock Put a small metal cam lock into the hole in a side near the front and turn it clockwise with the flat screwdriver\. ### 38. 18 · The Other One Fit and tighten the cam lock in the other side\. ### 39. 19 · Slide In the Bottom Slide the hardboard bottom down the grooves until it sits in the front\. ### 40. 20 · Lower the Back In Lower the back board between the sides, onto the bottom\. ### 41. 21 · First Dowel, Hammered Push a long plastic dowel through a side into the back board and tap it home with the hammer\. ### 42. 21 · Other Three Hammer in the other three dowels, two through each side\. ### 43. 21 · Turn the Drawer Over Turn the drawer over onto its bottom\. ### 44. 15–21 · The Second Shallow Drawer Build the second shallow drawer in the same way\. ### 45. 22 · Desk Option Only Step 22 fixes a desk top on the unit with the hex key and four long screws\. For a freestanding unit, skip it\. ### 46. 23 · Fit the Top Drawer Hold a shallow drawer level, line its runners up with the top rails and push it in\. Press down on the front to catch the runners, then pull it out a little to check it runs\. The two shallow drawers go at the top, the three deep ones below\. ### 47. 23 · Fit the Other Four Push the other four drawers onto their rails the same way: the second shallow one, then the three deep ones below\. ### 48. 23 · First Screw Pull the top drawer out as far as it goes\. Drive a short screw into the hole near the back of its runner, clockwise, with the flat screwdriver\. ### 49. 23 · Second Screw Drive the second screw into the runner on the other side, then push the drawer in\. ### 50. 23 · Next Two Drawers Pull out the second shallow drawer and the deep drawer below it\. Fit two screws in each the same way, then push them in\. ### 51. 23 · Last Two Drawers Do the same for the two bottom drawers: pull them out, fit two screws in each and push them in\. Your ALEX drawer unit is ready\. Never stack one ALEX unit on top of another\.