Do you know the measurements for Ikea Billy shelf support pins?

August 15, 2010 7:14 PM

We recently moved and I've misplaced the metal shelf support pins for our Ikea Billy bookcases, so I'm trying to order replacements. Does anyone know the diameter and length of the pins (they look like this image.) Thanks!
posted by apennington to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

If you have an Ikea nearby, they should have a "replacement hardware" section near the front of the store.. you can get the exact part you need.
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:15 PM on August 15, 2010

Lowes also has bookshelf replacement parts in the hardware (nails, screws, etc.) section. Can't guarantee they'll have the exact match, but it might be worth a check if there's one nearby.
posted by puritycontrol at 7:19 PM on August 15, 2010

I was in this boat recently and must warn you that it was nigh impossible to find anything suitable outside of an Ikea. My mom ended up running over to her local Ikea and scoring me some pins from the replacement hardware section and mailing them to me. (If your bookshelves are new-ish and you have the receipt, I think they'll send some to you for free -- you can ask the chat-bot on their website and she will set you up.)

That said, my pins are 3/16" or 4mm in diameter (on the end, not the center) and 5/8" or 16mm long!
posted by hansbrough at 7:21 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

When I was too lazy to go into our closest big city to the Ikea to get replacement pins for my Billys, I just went to the local hardware store and eyeballed them (or if you're more organized than I was take one in or a pencil rubbing of the hole) and just bought what looked close. There were not many options. They worked just fine.
posted by kch at 7:21 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

And in the future, put your hardware in a ziploc and masking-tape it to the shelves. I like to tape it to the top side of the topmost part of the case, in case the tape leaves any residue that can't be scrubbed off or pulls off any of the coating of the shelf, so it won't be noticed (with a short set of shelves, tape it to the underside of a shelf).
posted by padraigin at 7:33 PM on August 15, 2010

I just bought replacements for my bookshelf from lowes, look in the hardware section and seconding a pencil rubbing of the hole to get the size.
posted by VickyR at 7:41 PM on August 15, 2010

most european shelf pin holes are 5 mm. a skoshe bigger than 3/16
posted by Redhush at 8:07 PM on August 15, 2010

If you don't mind registering, there's a site, Ikeafans.com, that has bookcase instructions for registered users. If the instructions are for a model similar to yours, they should have a description of all of the pins, including part numbers.
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:44 PM on August 15, 2010

Those 5mm pins are common in European bookcases and many local hardware stores in the US stock them. Take one of the pins that you have to a nearby hardware store and you may be pleasantly surprised.
posted by X4ster at 9:08 PM on August 15, 2010

I believe these is them. But try the Ikea hardware section first, they should have drawers full.
posted by Marky at 9:41 PM on August 15, 2010

The pins I have are 5mm wide and 17mm long.
posted by skilar at 12:36 AM on August 16, 2010

I once lost a single pin; I bought a wooden dowel at the hardware store that was about the same diameter and sawed off a pin. Worked well.
posted by massysett at 4:11 AM on August 16, 2010

I used a piece of paper and pencil to make a rubbing the hole size; went to HomeDespot and was able to find replacements.
posted by theora55 at 10:53 AM on August 16, 2010