I Broke My Rib(ba)

Shucks, if this is a problem I had, maybe it’s a problem you’ve had too.

My precious IKEA RIBBA frame is shot. Or is it?

Brought home all the way from Canada (eh), I unwrapped it from it’s plastic encasement with snug cardboard corners. It was devastating to realize that the corner was shattered. More specifically, the metal v-nail had become unglued, and however it was warped in transit, managed to break a bit of the frame with it.

Bummer. Didn’t help that in a fit of “I can fix this easily by popping it right back in here,” I tweaked the glass that was still in the frame and shattered it.

I’ll be picking up a new piece of plexiglass this week to stand as a fill-in, but in the meantime, I repaired the frame itself.

Simple:

1. Assess the severity of the fracture. X-rays. Held still with clamps. Or just really up close with your eyeballs. See here how the v-nail just lifted out of place, cracking the surrounding frame?

2. Call in the medics. E-6000 is a favorite around this house. It fixes nearly everything, and tends to work exceptionally well with the IKEA-quality products I bring home (like these shelves). I gloss the adhesive over the mitered surface, also trying to get it into the small incision that the v-nail is supposed to slide back into. Not too much, or it’ll ooze everywhere and you don’t want to mess up the front of your frame, right? Use your fingers and create a nice even coat.

3. Set when wet. Glue still wet, but frame reassembled, I brace the severed edge with blue painter’s tape until it dries. Tight. Try and get it as clamped as possible (and if you have real picture frame clamps, try them – mine happen to be a little too small for the size of this frame).

4. I hope that worked as well for you as it did for me. When all’s said and done (and you get around to picking up new plexiglass for your glassless frame), it should now be strong enough to be hung with care. Although, with all precautions in place, I’ll probably still defer to letting the weight of the frame rest on sides that aren’t so fragile (because the frame itself is still a wee bit cracked).

Good luck + keep those IKEA frames alive a little longer.