Mini Fablab Meets IKEA - Legs for the SLADDA Trailer

New at IKEA is their bike trailer SLADDA. Minifablab has used it as a basis for a mobile fablab/makerspace, that can go to schools, libraries, events or wherever a pop-op fablab is needed. The FABSLADDA. Four wheels are fine on the road, but you need four legs anywhere else.

Step 1: The SLADDA Legs

If you get an IKEA SLADDA bike trailer at your local IKEA also pick up KLAMTARE container.
Assemble the trailer except for the rear panel.

It will carry 43 kgms of makergear and should be stable when deployed in a school etc.

So I cut retractable legs from 6 mm plywood. All bolts are M5. I had wheelnuts, but wingnuts are fine too. Bolts through the top holes attach directly to the cart, fill up with rings. For the lower holes I used a tie wrap. Then there was no need to modify the cart at all and it can easily be undone.

That is it.

If you want to make a FABSLADDA, then go to the next (and last) step.

Step 2: The FABSLADDA

The size of the box and the cover depend on the equipment you want to carry.

The only constraint for the FABSLADDA is the 57,5 cm inside width of the SLADDA trailer.

Length and height depend on what you want to carry, so create your specific cutting file with boxdesigner. Very convenient. At 'advanced options' enter a notch length of 2 cm.

I made the box from 6 mm plywood, fitting tight at 57,5 cm. My dimensions for the box are 96 x 57 x 45 as 96 will fit between the wheelarches of my car and 45 cms height is abundant for most 3D printers.

As I wanted the back panel removable, I removed the corresponding notches on the drawing. And I added an extra cutting line on the top panel about 45 cm from the end for top loading.

The cover is made from 4 mm plywood and dimensioned so that it can (just) slide inside the main box for storage if required. My dimensions 56 x 90 x 29,5 for a Full Spectrum 5Gen laser cutter. For the cover we need only the top panel so remove the notches from the bottom sides.

The cover doubles as a working table, having four legs of 74 cms length. I made them from 17x17 mm hardwood that was laying around, but any size would do for the legs. When glueing and screwing the 27 cm long sliders, use a leg as a jig, but wrap some plastic foil around the leg. It is an old carpenters trick to prevent glueing the legs too.

This FABSLADDA is a first prototype (the back panel should be better), I will post updates on minifablab.nl