Step One Reassembling

Set your base about two feet from the wall before you start. This will make it easier to set the back in place. When the armoire is fully assembled you can then slide it back into place.

Find your wedges, there should be four of them, two of each type.

See the post standing up out of the base. It is a slot cut into it. In the next step, you will place the side then put one of the triangular wedges through this slot.

Assembling the left side.

Step Two Reassembling

You will place and affix one side at a time.

Place a side into its slot. The edge that faces front is waxed and has metal hinge pins. The pins must face UP.

And the right side will look like this...

Step Three Reassembling

First place a side, then put the triangular shaped wedge piece through each post but do not tighten at this time.

Repeat on the opposite side.

We usually mark your wedges L for left and R for right hand side.

Place at an angle at first then straighten.

Tap into place gently.

Gently push into slot on side if there is one.

Step Four Reassembling

Find the pieces that make up the back. There can be any number of pieces but they will all be marked up and down and also interior and exterior.

Generally there is a narrower center piece.

Start at one side and angle the bottom of the back panel into the slot, do not try to force it straight down. Continue panel by panel.

Slide the last panel down and in, you may have to move the side piece slightly out to do this, which is why you do not tighten the bottom wedge yet!

Tap the pieces gently into the sides if there is a groove. Don't worry if you can see through them. We will adjust them later.

The exterior part often looks like a raised panel....

The exterior of the back is facing away from Borge.

Start at one corner.

Work your way around.

You will see some gaps at first, not a problem, just keep pushing gently until all the pieces go into the slots on the top.

Apply a bit of pressure on the inside while you push on the outside.

And the last corner is in.

Step Five Reassembling

Now for the top. This is the only tricky part. Lift the top straight up over your head if you are one person or take hold of the short sides with a partner and lift up and let it rest unsecured on the sides and back.

Start at one corner, doesn't matter which and carefully push the ends of the side pieces and back into the slots in the top.

Do NOT bang, just tap and push gently. It helps if your partner holds the side still while you work on this. Use a bit of pressure on the inside, ask your partner to do this while you stand on the outside. Work your way around.

On the right side.

On the left side.

Step Six Reassembling
Place the top wedges on lightly at first.

Do NOT tighten. First you need to put in your center post if you have one and you need to adjust the back. Wait until step NINE to tighten please.

Step Seven Reassembling

Now check your back. If there are vertical gaps, find a broad headed screwdriver or a blunt chisel and gently push the pieces around until the gap disappears. The back was made this way on purpose so that it could move in wet and dry weather without cracking.

SHELVING....

Place unstained edges towards the back of your armoire.

Look for UP arrows on an edge.

Step Eight Reassembling

If you have shelving AND a centerpiece, you need to load in your shelving now, before you put in the centerpiece. Wait until you get in the centerpiece and tighten the top wedges before you put the shelving in place. Go on to Step Nine right now.

If you do not have a centerpiece then go ahead and tighten your top wedges by tapping gently, they don't need much, just a tap with a hammer or a rubber mallet or the side of your hand. Gently!

Put in all shelves at an angle, then push up the top shelf first, working your way to the bottom shelf.

Skip Step Nine and go on to Step Ten.

If you ever need to move a shelf, unscrew the wood strips, redrill and move them.

The shelves are supported on these wood strips.

see how Borge is standing with his shoulder under the armoire? He is tapping with his right hand and putting the centerpiece in with his left. There is a gap of course forming at the corner, but it will be easy to put together again. Really!

Step Nine Reassembling

If you have a center piece you need to put it in now. Make sure that you have loaded your shelving into the armoire BEFORE you insert the center piece. Or it will be very difficult to angle the shelving around the center piece!

The piece will be marked up and down. Put the down part in the slot in the base and then gently oh so gently tap tap the top up again (sorry but this is how it is done!) just enough to sneak in the edge of the centerpiece into the slot in the top. Then tap the top down into place again. Check all around.

Everything look good? Then tighten the top wedges by tapping with a hammer and a block of wood, a rubber mallet or the side of your hand. You do not need to tighten overmuch.

Sometimes there are little washers for the hinges. Please make sure you put them on!

If there was a washer for the bottom pin, place it on the body pin at this time.Stand holding the door on the outside! It is easiest to place the door back on if you have a partner who will look at the bottom pin while you look at the top.

And do the left door too!

Step Ten Reassembling

In this step we will hang the doors. Each door will have hinge pins on the outer edges. The hinges will have holes that go down onto the pins on the side pieces.

If you have little washers that we have given you, make sure you put them on the pins before you put on the door.

Step Eleven Reassembling

Close the left door and latch it. Generally there is a slide at the bottom and one at the top which fits into respective slots in the base and top.

Keep the left door latched and the right door locked or your doors may warp!

If you have a centerpiece, you will need to use your key to lock the door. See Step Twelve.

Press lightly with your right hand while you push the latch down with your left hand.....

Step Twelve Reassembling

Lock your right hand door by turning the key counterclockwise. Lock your left hand door if you have a centerpiece by turning the key clockwise! The lock should close with a distinct snap after about a quarter turn. Be gentle, wait for the snap and do not force the lock.

You may have to put one hand on the upper edge of each door to keep it in while you turn the key with your other hand. Antique cabinets are quirky!

Congratulations, all assembled! Thank you!

Troubleshooting....

Remember, you can always go back and tighten wedges as needed and move the back a bit if required.

If your doors are NOT closing easily you almost always need to put a bit of cardboard under the hind left block foot. This should fix the problem.

If you can see this kind of hardware in the top edge and the bottom edge, then your armoire has interior pin hinges. You will also see a pin sticking out of the top and bottom edge of each door like so...

Generally you will have metal bolts that will secure the top and bottom to the sides as well.

You will need two pairs of pliers to assemble this kind of armoire and a medium sized regular screwdriver for the screws on the back.

Step One Reassembling

Place the base about 2 feet from the wall so you can easily get to the back.

Step Two Reassembling

Place your sides into their slots on the base, one side at a time and insert the bolt but do NOT tighten.

Step Three Reassembling

Often you will have a back that is affixed with screws. Place this back into its slots in the base. If you have shelving you can NOT screw the back into the sides at this time.

If you do NOT have shelving, go ahead and screw the back into the sides.

Step Four Reassembling

If you have shelving AND a center piece, you must get the shelving put in place now. It helps to have a friend hold the sides since nothing is affixed at this point. It is crucial to get this done if you are putting in a tv swivel because the shelf must slide between the two wooden supports OR you can unscrew the top support and replace it after the shelf is in place. (I prefer to do this! Borge likes to struggle!)

It will only look like this if there is a swivel mechanism for a tv to be attached to this shelf. The extra strip on top keeps the shelf from popping up when the swivel gets pulled out!

Lift the top onto the back and sides.

Installing a clothing rod? It may look just like this and be attached to the original wedges...

If so, please look for markings such as these on each wedge

See the little arrow? It should point upwards on each wedge. Also each wedge will be marked L for left and R for right...

Here is a left side wedge.

You need to center your rod too of course. In order to do that my husband has penciled a dark area onto the cabinet. Place the wedge to the far side of this shaded area so that it still shows...

Do this on both sides and your rod will be centered.

Inserting the rod...

Place the rod into the fully circular holder then lift into the open holder!

If you look down in your armoire and see these little openings...well they were for a nail or a pin to lock the drawer. This way you could save on buying a drawer lock and key!

Borge makes these little dividers which also provide support. You can put them in as a last step.

1. Place base a few feet from the wall so that you can get around the back of it.

2. Place the right hand side. Put one of the smaller bolts through and tighten. Use a nail to tighten.

Use the smaller set on the bottom and the larger set on the top.

3. Place the left side and insert then tighten the bolt.

4. Place the back and screw in the 6 screws...

5. Loosely place the right hand stile...

There is a notch in the stile which goes upwards.

6. Place the top. The top will fit into the notch loosely at this point.

7. Place the larger bolts in the top section but do not tighten.

8. The only tricky part! Place the door with the mirror. Whoever is holding the door must old it from the back side....

First you place the little metal pin on the door into the receptable on the base. Very easy!

Pin receptacle on base

ok here is the tricky part -don't lose your grip on the lovely door. You lift the top just a smidge, ever so slightly and slip the top pin into the top receptacle and THEN you can bring the top down firmly and tighten the bolts. Borge can do this by himself but I suggest two people. One to hold the door and the other to tighten the bolts. The photo to the left shows Borge just moving the top a little tiny bit to slip the pin in.

top receptacle Pin is slipped in.

Whew!

9. Easy part...place the shelving.

The shelves on the right slide in.

The shelves in the middle and the left are placed....

Middle shelves have a notch to the right to allow the door to swing.

Voila!

All done. Here are instructions on closing the armoire.

Left hand door has a slide that shuts the door. You must use this or the middle door will not lock...

see the slide on the door? You push it down by sliding down with your right hand while you push lightly on the outside with your left like so...

The right hand door, turn the key and at the same time give a push at the top of the door and it will lock. Your keys will lock counterclockwise and open clockwise, just a quarter of a turn Photo to the left shows locked position. These locks snap back and forth a quarter of a turn each way. Please keep the keys safe they are unique to this armoire.