The day before the temperature dropped thirty degrees declaring it was still winter, a new chair for our deck arrived. I had ordered it on a sunny spring day, certain that when it arrived we could put it out next to its twin and enjoy the weather. The rain began to come down so hard my husband had to haul the box inside for me to assemble. In my imagination the chair arrived put together, but I hadn’t read the description carefully enough.
As I looked at the flat carton, wondering how a swivel rocker could possibly fit inside it, I saw a note directing me to BILT, a phone app promising help putting the parts together. Dubious, I downloaded the app and watched the video, complete with audio, that had been produced to help someone make the chair. Usually the directions from purchases from China(as was this chair it turned out)are in pictures and arrows and leave me completely confused. Apparently I am not the only one who has had this experience. Hence the BILT app.
Sure enough the video was clear and the pictures were provided for each step. A friendly sounding woman narrated the process. Three times she cautioned to not cut the strings holding the swivel device in place. Thankfully I had not opened the carton because I am certain my first impulse would have been to cut the strings.
So the box is in the living room. The instructions are on my IPad. But it is winter outside and my incentive to assemble the chair has disappeared. Maybe tomorrow!
Saved By Words 
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That sounds like real progress in build-it-yourself products. Mind you, I bought a log store a few years ago. That came flat packed, with similar ‘image and arrow’ instructions. It only had a back panel, two side panels, a small roof, and a slatted floor. How hard could it be? After over an hour, I enlisted the help of a very ‘handy’ neighbour. When he was equally flummoxed, I felt rather relieved. So I went inside and Googled the name of the product, with how to assemble it. Voila! A You Tube video appeared.
It seemed we had both been trying to fix the back panel on the wrong way round! Once I watched the video, it was erected in five minutes flat. There is not much you cannot find on You Tube now. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I went to video for a recent IKEA purchase and was relieved to find all sorts of videos of how hard it was to assemble before I found a helpful one. My grandkids learn everything from You Tube.
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I have struggled with picture-only instructions, feeling much more at home with plain English. The new videos are quite helpful, as I found out while getting my new cell phone up and running. I hope you will soon have your chair put together and outside where it belongs, in warm weather, of course.
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Thankfully Charlie put it together just in time for a little more warmth outside.
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My handy help is named Bob. 😄
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I followed your suggestion and asked Charlie!
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How nice! Now that my vision is so poor putting things together from manuals with tiny pictures and even smaller print makes the task near impossible.
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It was really very clear.
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Oh my goodness…I hope you eventually feel inspired to assemble it!
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I “allowed” my husband to make it.
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😄
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I struggled to put my mower together when it arrived. It wasn’t just the inadequacy of the drawings provided… I now struggle to find the strength needed to lock certain parts against the spring-loaded joints (to close it for storage). Oh, for the days when mowers arrived ready-assembled!
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I thought lawn furniture came put together too.
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Those were the days… 😦
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I have tried unsuccessfully to assemble things made in China. This app sounds like a dream! Let us know how you make out, if the weather ever returns to normal spring. 🙂
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I followed another blogger’s suggestion and had Charlie assemble it.
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Great plan!
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An instruction video does sound like progress, Elizabeth. Spring will come. It just seems to take a long time in your neck of the world.
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As I wrote today, it finally showed up!
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