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I messed up trying to assemble an IKEA bed. I accidentally pushed the cam lock with the smooth side facing out. Now I have no way to rotate it to tighten the cam lock and bolt to secure the two pieces of wood. How do I remove it? I have attached some images.enter image description here

The part numbered 104895 is facing the wrong way at one location. Is there a way I can extract it?

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Sometimes you can knock them out by striking the wood furniture next to the hole, either with your hand or with a hammer. If using a hammer, put a small piece of wood (like, a chunk of 2x4) against your furniture, then strike this wood. That way it won't mess up the finish on your furniture.

Just a few taps. Don't hit it so hard that you break your other connections! :)

Sometimes it works to hit the same face of the wood which has the hole drilled into it (right next to the hole). Other times it works if works if you tap the furniture directly behind the hole where the nut is buried. Give them both a try.

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You can try a really strong magnet. If that doesn't work you can try drilling it. If it starts spinning then reduce the speed of the drill and try to insert your screw while its spinning. If it doesn't spin and you drill through to the open area then you should be able to pull it out with a coat hanger with the end bent.

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  • If it starts to spin, walk it out! Or stick a coat hanger in the bolt hole and stop its rotation. Then, bend the very end of the coat hanger a bit, and use that to push it out enough to grab it. – Harper - Reinstate Monica May 23 '18 at 2:28
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I'd start with Platinum Goose's drilling suggestion. Otherwise, a drop of super glue on the end of a steel dowel with a very flat surface would do well.

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  • Cyanoacrylate based glues have the additional benefit of dissolving easily with nail polish remover. I doubt you'd need a steel dowel, wooden or even kitchen skewers would work. – Matthew Gauthier May 21 '18 at 22:17
  • Since the piece probably fits loosely into its hole you could even use the CA glue to attach a piece of string to the part to pull it out. – Michael Karas♦ May 22 '18 at 5:19
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Stick a piece of double-sided mounting tape on the end of a dowel or large-headed nail and press it against the cam lock. Pull it out. If you don't have ready access to mounting tape, use a small dot of hot melt glue in the center of the dowel end (if the cam lock is buried inside a hole, hot melt glue could spread out when you press the dowel, and glue in the dowel, so not the best solution in that case).

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Use a Dremel moto-tool with a cutting disc to cut a slot in the blank face.

DONE.

Now the cam lock is double faced.

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