IKEA desk chipping :(

[ShadySocks]

I bought an IKEA KLIMPEN a few years ago and now the corner is chipping. What can I do to repair/prevent it? I would like a permanent-ish fix, but the odd shape of the edge is making it difficult to find what to do.

[kirashi]

6 minutes ago, ShadySocks said:

I bought an IKEA KLIMPEN a few years ago and now the corner is chipping. What can I do to repair/prevent it?

I would like a permanent-ish fix, but the odd shape of the edge is making it difficult to find what to do.

 

A permanent fix would involve either not using the desk ever again after you fix it, or replacing the desk with a material that doesn't wear down over time. What I'm saying is that ANY wood material will wear down over time with use, so you can't really permanently fix it.

 

What you can do though is sand down the edge that's wearing down, then paint over it to repair that section. If you want to go the extra mile, you could sand down the entire tabletop, then prime, paint, and seal it using a clearcoat.

[DigitalGoat]

Try filling the chip with a two part epoxy or wood filler specifically for chipboard use, may need to build up layers depending on depth of chips, sand to shape, paint then varnish for stability.

[Fasauceome]

superglue and baking soda makes a good filler, which you can sand with a file or sandpaper. then you can use a varnish to cover the exterior to protect against some damage, but depending on what's been wearing it down, you might not really have a good physical buffer from this.

[TetraSky]

Sand it down, epoxy if it's a part that's coming off or wood filler such as  LePage Plastic Wood to fill up the gap, let dry, sand it to a smooth surface with a size 200 or higher, paint it (If you want to paint the rest of the desk, sand the entire desk, otherwise the paint won't stay and will peel), or a slight varnish.

 

Honestly, these sort of desks are not great as far as longevity goes. They will always end up breaking sooner, rather than later.

 

[PineyCreek]

For future consideration you can somewhat make low-end desk surfaces last longer by coating the surfaces with a protective coating, which usually ends up being some type of epoxy coating on its own...but that adds a bit of cost as well (though possibly not as much as a higher-end desk).  Assuming you're not dropping stuff on top of the desk or using it as a crafts table, it's always the edges and corners that get banged up first.

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to Off Topic

 

Please don't post non-tech stuff to General Discussion, and don't dump anything to GD that has specified subforum.

[ShadySocks]

But it has RGB

[kelvinhall05]

On 9/27/2020 at 8:02 PM, Fasauceome said:

superglue and baking soda makes a good filler, which you can sand with a file or sandpaper. then you can use a varnish to cover the exterior to protect against some damage, but depending on what's been wearing it down, you might not really have a good physical buffer from this.

superglue and crushed instant ramen*

[Sarra]

IKEA uses a really soft wood, I believe a Pine that is native to... Where's IKEA from? I'm not dissing, I'm just tired and I can't remember.

 

Anyway, the only thing you COULD do, is to use some wood filler, to repair the chips, repaint the touch-up areas, and then make a mold, and use Epoxy to coat it. While this is possible, it would be really expensive, and sadly, not really worth the time.

 

My suggestion is to buy a new desk, one that isn't made from really soft Pine wood, and either donate, burn, or re-purpose your old desk.