Tool Library Board Member Dylan Burns may live an ocean away in Edinburgh, Scotland, but he’s still very much part of the tool-sharing movement. While he doesn’t borrow much from our Buffalo shop these days, he’s a proud member of the Edinburgh Tool Library, where he recently borrowed tools to help bring a major DIY project to life.
IKEA built-in hacks have become very popular with DIY influencers recently. After seeing many examples, Dylan and his partner decided to try it themselves.
However, it becomes more complicated when the house isn’t a new build, where everything is simple, plumb and square. Dylan encountered a 105-degree corner in one spot and a drop of almost an inch across the width of the space. He also needed to hide a series of access hatches for the boiler flue running behind the wall.
Fortunately, the width and height of the space were compatible with the IKEA bookcases he wanted to use as a shell. After completing the prep work, it was clear that some customization to the shelves was required.
Dylan replaced the fiberboard backs with plywood to enhance sturdiness. Additionally, he permanently screwed the shelves in place and drilled many holes to accommodate the light strip. Flexible MDF was used to create the arches on the top shelf.
After placing all the shelves, making them plumb, and securing them to the base and wall, the last challenging part involved scribing all the trim pieces to fit cleanly against the walls, ceiling and floor. A shellac-based primer was used before painting to ensure proper adhesion and durability.
The month-long effort involved 25-30 tools in total, making it a true celebration of tool libraries on both sides of the Atlantic.
