HELP ikea bed frame

Submitted by a_literal_throwaway t3_z8hqio in DIY

Okay so I have an ikea bed frame that I’m trying to take apart so I can move it to another room. I somehow lost the instructions and specific tools that it came with, and I’ve hit a MASSIVE snag.

There’s these pinwheel looking things that hold the screws that keep the sides of the bed and the ends of the bed together. In the center is a pentagon shaped “hole”, PROBABLY designed for whatever pentagon shaped tool came with this thing at some point.

I cannot get these out. I don’t have any pentagon shaped drill bits (do those even exist?) and pliers and willpower aren’t doing it either. HELP! How can I get this bed apart?!

ETA: I’m an idiot and it’s a HEXAGON, not a pentagon, and I guess I’ll be heading to Lowe’s in the morning for an Allen wrench set. Thank you kind strangers!

0

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

ddmazza t1_iybope4 wrote

They sell these pentagon shaped tools at home depot and lowes. I think it's called an Allen key and they come in a set.

3

[deleted] t1_iybot30 wrote

[deleted]

2

a_literal_throwaway OP t1_iybragh wrote

Is it a whole set or am I gonna have to guess a size? I’m only handy to a certain degree, and furniture/carpentry/anything that isn’t painting or general maintenance is NOT my strong suit.

Used to paint professionally, never used an Allen wrench in my life.

1

djq_ t1_iybozzk wrote

On the Ikea website, you can find the manual for most of the products they carry, and quite some they do not carry anymore. The special tool is a very common Allen key you can pick up at any hardware store. If you have a larger Phillips head screwdriver, a flat-head screwdriver, and a set of Allen keys you can take pretty much all Ikea furniture apart.

2

a_literal_throwaway OP t1_iybr1lj wrote

So I can get this weird pentagon shaped thing (I always thought “Allen keys” were the star shaped ones but I’m also an idiot, so….) at like Lowe’s? I’m on kind of a time crunch so even if I could find and order the correct tool from ikea, it wouldn’t be here in time.

0

69Dankdaddy69 t1_iybrued wrote

Hexagonal star shaped bits are torx bits. If they have a little point in the center of the hole, thats torx tamperproof.

I have a torx kit for both, but i try to avoid anything that uses torx, its usually some overengineered german monstrosity.

1

69Dankdaddy69 t1_iybrml6 wrote

Sure its a pentagon and not a hexagonal allen key? Ive never heard of a pentagonal bit.

Regardless, if you have some flat head screwdrivers, you can try wedging one of them in to unscrew them. Ive done that a couple of times in a pinch.

Although, if its a regular allen key, these are cheap and you should have a set in your tool kit, so it would be worth buying.

1

a_literal_throwaway OP t1_iybsob9 wrote

Jesus Christ you’re right, it’s a fucking hexagon and I don’t know my shapes. (It’s been a rough and frustrating night honestly, I literally COUNTED how many sides are on this stupid hole and still got it wrong Lmao)

1

thebluelunarmonkey t1_iyc2w1b wrote

IKEA uses the METRIC sizes, not the standard SAE sized allen keys. Likely 5mm or 6mm, I have never seen 8mm or larger for IKEA furniture.

And next time you buy IKEA furniture, tape the included allen key hidden away underneath the furniture where you can find it later!

1

Jaffacakereddit t1_iycmhpr wrote

I've built this kind of furniture before; in the box it comes in you are supplied with the correct hex key to put it together. I always duct tape the key to an unobtrusive part of the furniture in case of need for disassembly.

1

a_literal_throwaway OP t1_iydwksv wrote

Yea I know I specifically saved the instructions and tools after I put it together a couple years ago, I literally just saw them somewhere a few weeks ago, but now I can’t find them! Agh!

2