DETOLF Build and Custom LED Setup Instructions

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xipotec

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Well, I am done with my Custom Display Cases, based on the DETOLF AND KALLAX line from IKEA. I wanted to Give back to the forum which helped me during my quest to build the display cases these figures deserve! So here we go!

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PART I : HELP BUILDING A DETOLF AND BASE, VISUAL GUIDE.

Parts needed
1.DETOLF Glass-door cabinet, black-brown $69.99 Article Number: 101.192.06 ( TWO PACKAGES)
DETOLF Glass-door cabinet - IKEA
2. KALLAX Shelving unit, black-brown $59.99 Article Number: 402.758.46
KALLAX Shelving unit - birch effect - IKEA
3. KALLAX Insert with door, black-brown $15.00 Article Number: 602.781.70
KALLAX Insert with door - birch effect - IKEA

Tools needed:
IKEA Crank tool (included in KIT)
Screwdriver, Phillips and standard
A extra set of hands

To Start, you will need a large area to work in. Better to move the final piece than try to assemble this in a closed area. The glass panels are large and need to be moved with freedom.
You will begin with TWO boxes...repeat TWO boxes. Each DETOLF will have a very similar BOX one Labeled "1" and another "2". Do not rely on IKEA staff to tell you this. The Kallax comes in a single box, and 4 single boxes for the doors.

Open each BOX and Identify the parts.

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We will start with the KALLAX, Lay each side piece out. Identify the top of each piece and be sure to line them up correctly.

The post Screw placement is important to make sure to count the holes they go into, and that they line up. Building the KALLAX is very straight forward. You have a long top and bottom piece, 2 sides and 3 interior pieces to create the box shapes. Tips for building are as follows. MAKE SURE the cams are lined up correctly when you tighten them, its critical. also to do be to aggressive with tightening the screw post or cams, snug is good.

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The Doors are comprised of a simple hing set, in this case the instruction are pretty good. Fold the thin card board and screw the form into the KALLAX. Again , do not over do it here, flush is fine. MAKE SURE you use the measuring plastic piece they provide to line up this part. It is critical that the interior board in set far enough back into the KALLAX to allow the doors to sit flush and close correctly.

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Loosely connect the door to the hinges and take you time aligning the doors. This is more of an art then instruction. But get this right and the KALLAX will look awesome!

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As I said earlier , the KALLAX is pretty straight forward, So lets move to the DETOLF build and the possible snafus with them....
Begin by pulling out the base and lining up the channels so they make a "U" shape and that the two holes are at the top. Each side rail will be placed into the Smaller of the two holes. It does not matter which side of the rails you use, the are equal. IT IS VERY important that you make sure the cross bars on the rails are on the inside. These will act as the shelf rest, so both side rails need to be on the inside..NOT outside. Make this mistake and you will have to rebuild the entire cabinet.


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The rails will go though the base entirely, screw in the lag screws to tightness on all four rails. As this point you have to choose if you want the "feet". I did not like the plastic feet that came with the DETOLF. Screwing them in is delicate and if you over do it they will be loose. I recommend using custom feet if you want them. For this build the DETOLFS will sit on top of the KALLAX and the feet are unneeded and will actually make the build look awkward. This is a good time to mention if you plan on doing the custom LED's later in this , you might want to drill the holes into the base needed. (see later in the post).

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After this its time to stand up the DETOLF and add the Channel strips. This is a good time to start working with the DETOLF on top of the KALLAX, or you will have to lift them later. It is possible to do this, but you will need help. The orientation of the strips is important. Make sure you align them so the rear glass will fit flush and make the correct corner. Each glass piece is a different size so its important you use the correct ones. The rear piece we will start with has a green sticker on it. TWO side pieces are the same size and the last one will serve as the door.

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Here is where you need the extra hands. Line the back glass up first. Place the glass in the channel on the base, then take the channel and run it along the glass. With your helper holding the rear glass, angle the side glass gently into the base of the channel, then slide it along the channel to the top. Push each glass side into the channel as far as they will go. The corner should be very tight with the base, this is important to assure the other side is flush and the overall build is tight.

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If you have done this step correctly you will actually see the rails and glass and channel strips will be uneven, this is normal. Next , have your helper stabilize the cabinet while you place the top. The fit her will need some finesse, to align the glass, strips and rails. Once the are aligned it will fall into place easily. Use the lag screws , as you did with the base, for the rails on the top of the cabinet.

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Do not tighten these , just put them on until they are secure. When you do do the finally tighten them , its important to note that you do not have to screw them down all the way. The DETOLF is a compression cabinet, as the top and bottom pieces squeeze together to secure the entire cabinet. If you over do it when you tighten, you risk putting too much stress on the cabinet and warping and stressing the side glass.

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Next , add the metal tab with the sticker to the door glass , this serves as the base for the hinges. Check and recheck the door orientation to be sure its correct. The doors can be mounted in either direction. You will have to make a decision how you want the doors to open. Remember to consider how they will open once placed on the KALLAX. Screw in the metal hinge over the metal contact. DO NOT over tighten this or you risk breaking the glass, tighten till snug. You will also want to be sure the position of the screws will be on the INSIDE of the door after it is mounted.

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Place the Hinge supports into the large holes in the base and top. First put the Bottom hinge into the hole, then angle the door up toward the top hole. Remember we did not tighten the top all the way, so you can now lift it up bit to fit the top hinge into the top hole. Once that is in place you can tighten the top Lag screws. Again DO NOT over do it. The glass will warp if you do. You want to examine the glass to be sure it is now bowing in either directions, but it straight.

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Attach the magnet catch for the door to the top and bottem. Then add the foam sticker to the door for the magnetic plates, and slip the plates over.

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Finally , place the rubber shelf supports into the rails, and lay the shelves on top.

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Your DEOLF is finished!!!!

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Custom led setup

MANY people have been waiting for this , I hope it helps people out. It will take some time do do this setup , but the end results are really spectacular.

Tools:

1. Wire strippers
2. Scissors
3. Shrink wrap Various sizes
4. Black Electrical tape
5. Small Screw Driver.
6. Grey cable ties.
7. Drill and Bits
8. Hot Glue gun

Items:

1.LE Lampux 12V Flexible LED Strip Lights, Daylight White, Super Bright 300 Units 5050 LEDs, Non-waterproof, Light Strips, Pack of 16.4ft/5m
Amazon.com: LE Lampux 12V Flexible LED Strip Lights, Daylight White, Super Bright 300 Units 5050 LEDs, Non-waterproof, Light Strips, Pack of 16.4ft/5m: Musical Instruments
2.HitLights UL-Listed 60 Watt Power Supply, 110V AC to 12V DC, 5A (LED Light Strip Transformer)
Amazon.com: HitLights UL-Listed 60 Watt Power Supply, 110V AC to 12V DC, 5A (LED Light Strip Transformer): Musical Instruments
3.lederTEK RF Wireless Remote Control Mini Dimmer 12V-24V For Single Color LED Light Strip RGBCTRRFMini-Single
lederTEK RF Wireless Remote Control Mini Dimmer 12V-24V For Single Color LED Light Strip RGBCTRRFMini-Single - Led Household Light Bulbs - Amazon.com
4. 10m 33ft 20awg Extension Cable Wire Cord for Led Strips Single Colour 3528 5050
10m 33ft 20awg Extension Cable Wire Cord for Led Strips Single Colour 3528 5050 - - Amazon.com
5. ZITRADES 10x 10mm Wide Dual End Connector 2-Conductor Cable, Any Angle Twistable Wire for LED Single Color Strip Light by ZITRADES
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A7M1PYG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s03
6. JACKY LED 10 Pcs 5.5mm x 2.1mm DC Power Cable Male Connector Plug for CCTV Camera
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JNJXY7A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02

Before we begin, I want to stress the concern that if you feel this is out of your ability do not proceed. We will be working with electrical currents. There is always a possibility of doing something wrong that could cause a fire. The items listed were chosen as they are the safest available ALWAYS use UL listed products whenever possible. And do everything you can to keep our hobby safe!

OK LETS BEGIN!

We start by creating a hole for the wires to leave the cabinet. Drill a hole into the back of one side of the bottom base about 1/2 inch under the glass next to one rail. Be careful to make sure you do not hit the glass. I used a 5/16. the hole will need to be large enough to fit 2 wires through, but not to big to damage the cabinet base. Make sure to use wood bits. Next , drill a hole downward into the base above the hole you drilled under the glass, the two holes will connect and you now have a channel to run the wires out of the cabinet. As stated in the Build thread, this may be easier to do before the DETOLF is built.

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We will be running the wires up each rail in the back of the cabinet. One wire will cross along the back of the cabinet to the other rail. Alternatively , you could drill two hole , one on each side> I chose to use the single hole setup. You will need to be careful about how yout create your wire harness. Measure twice, cut once.

The wire harness will consist of 4 conductor connectors. I cut each connector in half so that we have a clip connector on one end and a clean wire on the other.

I began with the top of the cabinet. The first splice is the easiest. Use one of the cut clip connectors, and splice the wires to the extension cable.

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NOTE: After you strip each wire, make sure to twist the cleaned wires into a braid, THEN twist the two clean wires together. RED TO RED (+ to +) and Black and Red to Black and red (black) (- to -). Shrink Wrap, them closed

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The next splice is more challenging. Begin with the trailing wire from the last splice. Measure out enough wire to reach the bottom of the next shelf rail. Place a shrink wrap (SR) large enough to cover 3 wires over the trailing extension, and another 2 SR over the separated wires...Shrink each individual wire, then pull down the larger wrap and SR over both wires for a clean finished look.

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You will have to repeat this process at total of 2 more time. In the end you harness will have 4 connectors. Leave the trailing extension wire long enough to reach out the hole on the bottom of the cabinet to the floor, you can extend it longer should you need to position the power supply in a further spot. However, be aware the longer the wire the more possible voltage drop is, and you could get poor performance from the LEDS.

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If you have done you measuring correctly , you now have a wire harness that will have a connector at the bottom of every rail. The final connector will end in the top of the cabinet. There should be enough lead extension to go out the hole. Use the grey cable ties to secure the wire harness to the rails. I put one tie at each shelf rail, one in the middle of each rail. You can pull the wires tight against the rail as you put on the ties, this will cause the wire to hug the rail, and virtually disappear. Clip the excess cable ties.

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Next step, Cut the LED strips. Measure a length of LED strip, long enough to reach the end of the shelf rail from the connector. Since you can only cut the LED at specific areas it may not reach the entire rail. Do not worry, these LEDS are BRIGHT, and since you are doing them on both sides, you will have way more light than you need. ( Which is why we have a dimmer.) Cut the LED strip as straight as possible.. The clip opens from one side to reveal 2 internal clips to grasp the strip but the copper contacts. Slide the strip into the channels in the clip, then under the to retaining clips to form a contact. Remember +to+ and - to -. You can add some hot glue to the strip before closing the clip, but I recommend you wait to do this until all connections are and you are happy with the lights.

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Now peal the wax paper from the back of the LED strip and attach it to the shelf rails (remove the rubber feet from the rails). I put mine on an angle rather than directly on the bottom to place more light toward the center of the cabinet. Push firmly between each LED to secure it to the rail. If needed Hot glue or cable tie the strip to the rail. I only had one strip fail to secure, and it was handled too much before attaching. So handle the adhesive as little as possible. Re attach the rubber shelf feet but be sure to place them between the LED's

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Run the wires from the bottom through the holes and place electrical tap over the wires in the back of the cabinet. If you wanted you could color the wires black, run small conduit , or use other methods to hid these wires, but I feel the electrical tape works perfectly.

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The final part of the puzzle is to strip the extension wires and attach them to the Power adapter. This is a simple matter of placing the stripped wires into the adapter, and screwing them down. I added some Shrink wrap to secure the connection.

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The adapter plugs into the dimmer and the dimmer plugs into the power supply. A note on the power supply. It is rated 75 Watts, my calculations yielded a needed wattage of about 50 watts for the length of strips used, with a 20% overhead. this should be more than a safe amount of power and reduce any excess heat. These LED's are some of the best to be had, so they do yield some heat. But the output is very very small.

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The final product is a very strong light source, that is adjustable to very very dime to super bright. The Wires are totally concealed from straight on , ( they can be seen from the sides, but if you wanted to you could add cable wraps to hide that too). My cabinets cannot be viewed from the sides so its a non-issue.

Below are a few shots of the cabinets, with a ISO of 400. They are indeed that bright (brighter in real life actually). I did shots of each standard level of brightness (25% 50% 100%). I have since added a color RBG LED to the base to add flowing colors to the bottom rear edge, simply for a coolness factor. Ill update some more pics after I have added some of the figure to the case.

Feel free to ask questions or comments. I hope this helps or inspires someone to try our these LED's , they are amazing. Best of Luck and happy collecting!

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Im debating what i want to do with DETOLF. I purchased lights from Ikea but i may choose a different option
 
I started to undertake this project today and I got to ask how long did it take? I took me 4 hours to set up 1 rig granted I was watching Wild with Reese Witherspoon and was distracted
 
It gets faster for each Detolf. By the time I did the last one , I took maybe an hour.
 
I just finished doing this. Everything wasn't too difficult. Just the cable management cause I ordered the wrong cable ties. Used tape for now. Took me around 7 hours :|

The end result though is real clean. so worth it. Thank you so much man! Will post images later
 
so that kallax can take the weight of all three detolfs? i went to ikea today and i couldnt find a weight on the detolfs, do you know what they come in at? i think the Kallax can only take 66lbs by frame from what i saw?

your display looks great!
 
I really wish I had an Ikea closer than four hours from me. I either have to drive to get a Detolf or pay crazy shipping.
 
Wow thank you for this. Trying to figure out what i want to do with my display area and it's nice to see other options and a nice alternative to BESTA too :)
 
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