DIY IKEA Pedal Board

As a beginner guitarist just getting into using pedals, I was looking for a simple pedal board. Since I also like to get hands on with crafting and woodworking, I thought it would be a great idea to create my own board. After a bit of research I found a few projects where they convert an IKEA Gorm shelf to a pedal board, but I found these to be just a tad too big for my liking. After walking around at IKEA however, I found this KNAGGLIG crate-like item, which forms the basis of my pedal board. In total this project cost me less than 20€ to put together and I even have more than enough materials to make and paint a second one.

Materials

• KNAGGLIG crate (the bigger of the two, product number 702.923.59)
• GUBBARP handles (two in a pack, product number 003.364.32)
• 2x L-bracket
• 4x rubber feet
• Small screws (or longer ones and the necessary spacers, I used two nuts as spacers)
• Sandpaper
• Wood filler
• Paint (primer, color and a protection layer)

Tools

• A drill
• A screwdriver
• A saw

Cutting frame to length

First of all we need to build the frame itself. I used one of the sides of the IKEA crate as the base of the pedal board. Then I cut one third of the second side of the crate and used this as a stand-off for the board.

Plotting out the holes

After having cut off the back piece of the board, it’s time to draw out where we want the holes for the L-brackets and the handles to go. In my case the L-brackets fit over the holes of the handles to they’re less visible, but this depends on the brackets you use. With everything plotted out I drilled pilot holes for the L-brackets and drilled through the board for the handle holes.

Test fitting everything

With everything out of the way, it was time to test fit everything to make sure it works before moving on to finishing the piece.

Preparing for painting

First part of finishing consisted of me disassembling everything and giving every piece a thorough sanding job. I also sanded the metal brackets, but I don’t know if this was really necessary. After sanding, I filled all the pre-made holes in the board and any imperfections the wood may contain.

Painting

I don’t know if this is necessary, but I firstly primed everything, then sanded the pieces lightly and primed then again. When I thought the pieces looked primed enough, I moved on to painting them in multiple thin layers of matt black paint. I finished the painting job using a transparent protective spray. (Note: I didn’t paint the handles since I was going for a black and white theme)

The final steps that still needed to happen after all of the paint dried were putting on some non-slip rubber feet and applying velcro tape to the piece (PS: At the time of making this Instructable, my velcro tape hadn't been delivered yet, which means it's not in the pictures).