Ikea Besta TV unit - remove back panel?

Scam

Scam

Scam

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I reckon this is the best place for this question. Does anyone know if you can remove the flimsy back from a Besta unit easily? IE without having to take the whole thing apart?

My new AVR has arrived and I'd like to remove the back for better cooling, but more importantly I'm not entirely convinced it'll fit depth-wise once I have cables sticking out the back :(

My Google-fu is failing. Surely with all the Ikea hacks out there someone has done this?
 
Don't have one, but looking at the images on the Ikea website, it looks like you might be able to just pop the top off and lift the back panels out.
 
The back panel is slotted into a groove in the bottom, sides and top, so you couldn't remove it without taking it apart. Taking the top off is only a case of turning 4 cam locks though and then the back panel can slide out for surgery. I've had to make a hole in the back panel of ours because of a deep power amp.
 
Hmn. I did find the instructions which suggested it might need taking apart. Looked like the bottom that needed to come off rather than the top though. If it's just the top I might not need to move everything (apart from the telly :p). Any reason to make a hole in it rather than just take it out?

Having said that I'm still hopeful I might be able to slide it out towards the centre by just removing the plastic tidy thing in the top and bottom centre? Unclear if the vertical groove on the sides are in a sort of hook shape and holding it there..
 
I think you're right that the edges of the back panels are grooved and have to be slid vertically into channels in the side panels. It's been a while though...
I made an amp sized hole as I wanted to keep the rest to hide cables etc. (no doors on mine). The back panel will also have some structural role in keeping the unit square and upright.
 
wonko said:
The back panel will also have some structural role in keeping the unit square and upright.
Click to expand...
I was wondering about that but if I give them a wiggle they move pretty easily. So I don't think so. Agh this is such a pain :(
 
Scam said:
I was wondering about that but if I give them a wiggle they move pretty easily. So I don't think so. Agh this is such a pain :(
Click to expand...
It might be OK but I'd be a bit worried about it collapsing if it had a sideways load... the back panel sections might only seem loose when you don't need them!
You don't have to take both sections out of course - leaving one side in at least would seem sensible, but it shouldn't take too long to mark up and make a cutout.
 
is it a full height besta? the back panel on them comes in 3 seperate pieces, the middle bit slides in after you build the unit. I got my panel out by removing the centre piece and sliding each side section away from the side of the unit. Then they just pop out with a bit of a push.

I had to cut a hole in mine, the perils of owning a ~460mm deep reciever lol. IF yours is full height i wouldnt leave a section out, it's not sturdy enough without them. Cutting it works, though. I've cut a hole for the amp and will install some 120mm fans above it at some point, just need to decide where to put them.
 
james.miller said:
is it a full height besta? the back panel on them comes in 3 seperate pieces, the middle bit slides in after you build the unit. I got my panel out by removing the centre piece and sliding each side section away from the side of the unit. Then they just pop out with a bit of a push.
Click to expand...
It is basically this one with nicer metal feet and doors on the front. Is that "full height"? Because as I said I really don't think they're integral to the structure..

You're correct that it has 3 sections for the back, we didn't actually slide the middle bit in -- because of airflow but also to make it easier for cable management. It's only about the size of an a4 sheet of paper I believe.

It really feels like they'd slide out (towards the middle) but judging from the pictures online it seems the vertical groove at either end of the unit is a sort-of L-shape and is holding it in place (i.e. can't slide away, only upwards). I might give it a yank tonight..

signs said:
is the back just hardboard ?
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Yep. Well "fibreboard" according to the link above^.

EDIT: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/doc/assembly_instructions/bestå__aa-1402060-6_pub.pdf pt9 seems to suggest they slot in from the base :(
 
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james.miller said:
is it a full height besta? the back panel on them comes in 3 seperate pieces, the middle bit slides in after you build the unit. I got my panel out by removing the centre piece and sliding each side section away from the side of the unit. Then they just pop out with a bit of a push.

I had to cut a hole in mine, the perils of owning a ~460mm deep reciever lol. IF yours is full height i wouldnt leave a section out, it's not sturdy enough without them. Cutting it works, though. I've cut a hole for the amp and will install some 120mm fans above it at some point, just need to decide where to put them.
Click to expand...

You're right - I've just had a look at mine and had forgotton that the back had a third narrow middle section. I'm assuming Scam's is like this.
 
We've got the 180x64cm unit, with 38cm high doors on the bottom and centre speaker, Yamaha amp, SkyQ and Bluray in the top part.

We cut a rectangular hole in the back behind the amp, slightly larger than the amp and a round hole behind the bluray and SkyQ box. Still allows the bottom sections to be used as cupboards. Although I did cut a couple of inches off the centre section at the bottom to make it easier to feed the Xbox and Wii cables in there.
 
Isn't this always the way with the internet. I start off thinking about taking the back off, now I'm making holes... no I'm very tempted to buy a couple fans to put in the back. Reckon it's necessary? Don't know if they'd mount ok on the cheap fibreboard to be honest :confused:
 
Scam said:
Isn't this always the way with the internet. I start off thinking about taking the back off, now I'm making holes... no I'm very tempted to buy a couple fans to put in the back. Reckon it's necessary? Don't know if they'd mount ok on the cheap fibreboard to be honest :confused:
Click to expand...

I have a 120mm fan in mine (X1X on a top shelf with a glass door), fits securely to the back board and have fed the usb cable along the back and up to the tv so that the fan turns on and off with that.
 
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