Getting ready to build up

No framing today, but there is now a big pile o' lumber and scaffolding in the driveway.

 
Lumber, not from Ikea

There were no trips to Preston Hardware or tile places on the weekend.  Instead, we concentrated on cleaning out and organizing the basement.  We moved all the Ikea "Sten" shelves from the workshop into the storage area, and filled them up with boxes, etc.

After we got the shelves installed, it became evident that the storage area could do with some additional Sten shelves, so it was off to Ikea to get more.

If you've been to Ikea lately, you may know what comes next in the story.

Ikea no longer sells Sten shelves.  Though they were made from crooked, knotty lumber, there was a certain utilitarian aspect to them that was hard to beat.  Sure, you had to be careful to make sure to not crack the cross-pieces when attaching the screw fasteners, but after wrecking a couple of shelves, you'd get the hang of things. 

When you go to the "Sten" aisle at Ikea, you now find the new "Gorm" shelves.

At first, we thought that Sten had been simply renamed to be Gorm, since the shelves looked the same, and came in all the same configurations.  An Ikea employee assured Jane there were "some differences" without getting into all the details.

After we bring home the load of Gorm, I set out to figure out what the difference is from the Sten of old.  The shelves are shorter, and the lumber is yet thinner, more crooked, and more knotty, but otherwise things look to be compatible at first blush.

Upon closer inspection the truth is revealed.  Gorm is probably one of those idiomatic Swedish words that can't really be translated into English.  Despite having no facility whatsoever with the language, I'm going to give it the college try:

Gorm is a Swedish word that roughly means we used smaller and cheaper fasteners, so there's no way you'll be able to join these onto your Sten shelves.

And of course, the new smaller wood screws mate into yet more anaemic cross pieces that are way more prone to splitting.  Now, after you wreck a couple of shelves, you don't really have the hang of things after all.

With some flat washers, a bunch of cursing, plus swapping back and forth of sockets on the socket wrench, these new shelves may yet be joined to the Sten shelves one day.  But that day is not today.  For now, Gorm and Sten sit side by side and never the twain shall meet.