Not sure what everyone who gave this 1 star was boo hooing about. I didn't experience the same issues they did. This is by far those most intricate piece if furniture I've built thus far and everything fits and goes where it's supposed to if you have patience and take the time to do it right and follow the instructions. Took me several hours by myself and I'm a 5'2" little woman. Unless you're going at this like some sort of barbarian, the wood should not split. It didn't split once for me. Overall beautiful piece. Sturdy. Recommend purchasing.