Pro Handyman Blog

This is a carpentry job that is more of a band-aid approach that a permanent repair. If you look at the desk you are sitting behind, chances are it’s made of particle board and laminate (unless you really forked over some money). This furniture usually needs to be assembled in steps. It goes together simply using a cam system that fits into a small hole. When you turn the cam, it causes pressure to be exerted inside the hole to hold the two pieces together. Moving the piece of furniture can cause some problems. Occasionally, the parts will separate and leave the cam system broken.

Without the cams to hold the pieces together, I’ve found that angle brackets work pretty well. If the desktop separates from the side, use a 90-degree bracket and some screws with large threads. The large threads are important as they will bite into the particle board better than those with small threads. Just make sure the length of the screws aren’t so large that they poke through the surface on the other side.

Clamp the two pieces together and hold the bracket into position. Pre-drill small holes and then install the screws to hold everything together. Tighten the screws until snug only. If you over tighten the screws, they may destroy the particle board that the threads are biting into.