Earthquake proof IKEA IVAR shelves

thingiverse

IKEA Ivar shelves are incredibly adaptable and durable shelves that can handle almost any situation: whether it's a student room or a kitchen - and usually, after about a decade, they still remain useful in the basement or garage. Surprisingly, IKEA dedicates a lot of time to explaining how to secure furniture to walls to prevent accidents, but doesn't offer any accessories (e.g. shelf lips) that would help keep the contents of the shelf safe during earthquakes or similar shake-like events - even in California. Here's the simple IKEA hack to change this: the cheap metal cross OBSERVATÖR Cross-brace) included with the IVAR kit can be repurposed into a metal railing, which is securely fastened to the front of each shelf, preventing items from sliding off and falling (during shaking). So just purchase an extra cross brace ($5 in the US), cut it to size and insert the printer holders into the pre-drilled holes normally used for placing individual shelves. There are two distinct designs for the holders: one uses a dead-end hole, is likely more robust but requires more precise cutting of the cross-brace. The second design resembles a hanger, and probably more delicate - but if the metal rod is too long, it doesn't matter. The small holes on the printed parts can be used to screw them into the shelf for added strength. Some helpful tips: - The two parts of the cross-brace are riveted together. The metal is extremely soft - any electric drill will make short work of it. Refer to pictures for details. - For the wider 30"+ shelves, the central part of the cross-brace remains present and can be a bit of an unsightly weak spot. You can't do much about this weak spot but the clip-on label is perfect for concealing it. Generally, the clip-on label holder that comes with this set is convenient for labeling the shelves. As a reminder, make sure the shelves are securely attached to the wall - otherwise these won't be of much help - and if things shake enough, these won't be effective either. Stay safe. Next step, figure out how to make these bottle holders more secure.