Makerkar – Library Makercart – INSTRUCTABLE

Building a MAKERKAR consists of 4 steps:

Step 1 - Lasercutting the plywood panels
Step 2 - Constructing the alu frames
Step 3 - Assembling the frames into a cart on wheels
Step 4 - Adding components like the banner and snaplocks.

Choice of equipment is up to the user.

The frame is constructed out of common 30x30 extruded aluminum profiles, bolted together with external corner connectors.
Building the frame requires no welding, drilling or gluing, just bolting with 3/4/5 mm hex keys.
Only the banner needs some holes drilled.

The Bill of Materials is further down this page.

The MAKERKAR is dimensioned on the following:
- length: largest desktop lasercutter (Glowforge 96,5 cm); use of a commercial banner of 101,5 cm; resulting in a total length of 117 cm.
- width:  should pass though any door 72 cm or more.
- height: should fit in a van like the VW Transporter, so max 128 cms high.

Joris van Tubergen of ProtoSpace made a CAD-drawing in Onshape and measurements are precise.

Building the MAKERKAR

Step 1 - Lasercut the plywood panels and 3D print the handles.

All panels are cut from 9 mm plywood (Hornbach Powerplex)
Requires a lasercutter of at least 1200 x 900 mm.
MK-cutfiles1 gives you all their .dxf cutting files.

Start with cutting two 600 x 135 mm Makerkar templates, then the panels. Give them one coat of Glitsa. When the panels are dry, insert cheeseheads M6x16 with a hammernut loosely in all the perimeter holes of the back-, lower-, mid- and upperpanels.

On a 3D printer print six handles, the .stl file is in the zip MK-3Dprintfiles

 

Step 2 - Build the aluminium frames

First identify the four 1060 mm risers.
Mount a 3D printed handle 50 mm from the top [M6x20]
Then put them aside.

We recommend you make a 70 cm squaring jig from some scrapwood, it will save you a lot of time to get the frames square and everything aligned.

 

The bottom shelf frame is built from 2 1075 mm beams and 5 640 girders. Bolt the corners with M6x12.

In the two end girders insert 2 nuts (for the risers later), then turn the girder upside down and insert  4 nuts for the wheels.
On the two other girders at the end also insert 4 nuts for the wheels.

Now assemble the frame in the jig.
Use a wheelplate of a wheel for the distance between the outer girders (probably 80 mm). Do not mount the wheels yet, that will be done later on.

Turn the frame upside again and fasten the bottom panel with its cheeseheads M6x16 and hammernuts.
That completes the bottom shelf.

The middle shelf frame (on which the drawers will go) is from 2 1015 beams 1015 and 2 640 mm girders.
Fasten the middle panel on it with its cheeseheads M6x16
[The box for the vinylcutter will be added later]

The upper shelf frame (on which the laser will go) also from 2 1015 beams and 2 640 mm girders.
Fasten the upper panel with its cheeseheads M6x16

Before you go to Step 3 decide whether you want to build the cart at the current location or somewhere else
Because you will end up with an object of 112x72x128 cms.

Step 3 - Assembling the frames into a cart on wheels

Put the bottom shelf frame on a flat floor and mount the four 1060 risers.
Bolt the cheesehead nut middle under in the rearpanel to the bottom fame.
Then bolt the back panel to the risers. Hammernuts are preferred here for later removal.

Attach 4 corners, visible in front and rear, on the risers, about 60 cm from the bottom. Then lower the middle shelf frame on top of them. Use the MAKERKAR-templates to put the space to the bottom shelf to exactly 60 cms, measured between the alu profiles.

Screw the four sliders for the drawers on top with M4x20 (recess the hole) and round the corners a bit for the drawers.

Now add the clamps for the power sockets (caution: they are sharp) M4x16

Attach 4 corners, visible from the sides, on the risers, 13,5 cm from the middle shelf profile. Lower the upper shelf frame on them. Check with the template that free space to the middle shelf is exactly 13.5 cms.

At the top of the risers mount two 640 girders, corners visible from the side.

The long 1075 beams must be removable, so put 2 internal corners AHS1-28 in them. Fasten with 3mm hex key. Ensure that the bar can be inserted and lifted from the risers smoothly.

Now add the vinyl box. Bolt two 300 mm on the panel, then the 640 girder and the 200 verticals. Hole on the rear, the hole is for the water tubes.
Mount the assembly: the girder between the left risers, the verticals inside the middle frame. As this is an unusual angle, insert a few washers for spacing.

Attach a length of 680 mm of 110 mm plastic tube that will store the vinyl, with two hammernuts. Not critical, just fasten.

And now the wheels
Check that the top bars are fastened (3 mm hex).
Turn the whole frame upside down and mount the wheels.
Some swivelwheel brands accept only one washer and no spring ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Then put the frame upright again.
You're done with the frame.
Give it a spin!

Step 4 - Adding the banner, doors and snaplocks

Shorten the front feet of the banner so it can be flush with the front. Drill two 4 mm holes in the center of the feet to the rear.
Drill two 4 mm holes in the 3D printed grips and in the bannertop and bolt the grips

Prepare the doors, with M6x16 and a capnut for the hinges and small M3x12 flathead (or M3x16 flathead with washer) and capnut  for the male snaplocks.

Now mount the doors loosely in the risers with M6x12 and hammernuts .
Prepare the folding panels in the same way and mount on the middle shelf girder.

Prepare all 3D printed snaplock holders with M4x12. <.stl>
Insert female snaplock assemblies and mount loosely with M6x12 and hammernut in the girders.

Move the doors up till they support the folding panel horizontally.
Slide the snaplocks into position and fasten. Do not overtighten.
That's it !
Congratulations !

Bill of Materials  

LC Aluminum T-slot profile 30x30

* beams horizontal 1075 mm 4 pcs
* risers vertical 1060 mm 4 pcs
* shelves horizontal 1015 mm 4 pcs
* girders all 640 mm 12 pcs
* box side 300 mm 2 pcs
* box vertical 260 mm 2 pcs
* external corners AHS1-28 44
* internal corners IHS1-90-8 4 pcs
* T-slotted nut SLM1-M6-8 120 pcs
* hammernuts HM1-M6-8 100 pcs
* endcap kap1-3030 10 pcs

Our supplier Stappenmotor.nl cuts profile to size and ships international.

Bolts:  [recount req'd]

* 24 M6x10 + 24 hammernuts for snaplocks
* 84 M6x12 for corners
* 24 M6x12 for hinges in profile
* 8 M6x16 for handles in risers
* 24 M6x16 for hinges in doors + 24 M6 cap nuts
* 4 M6x20 for handles on drawers
* 1 M6x30 for between sockets
* 30 cheesehead M6x16 for shelves and back panel
* assorted flathead M4x16/20/25

Sources for bolts and nuts are Motedis.nl and RVSpaleis.nl, snaplocks via Onlinedeurbeslagshop.nl

Other:

2 Swivel Wheels 125 mm
* 2 Braked Swivel Wheels 125 mm
* a commercial 100 cm roll-up banner, cassette length 1015 mm, with your own  design
* two 4x8 sheets of 9 mm plywood for panels <see .dxf cutfile>
* 12 Dresselhaus 3030 hinges
* 4 Conrad clamps for sockets 613468
* 2 sockets 230V 6-fold
* 2 sockets 230V 3-fold
* 12 brass snaplocks 43x8mm for the panels and doors.
* 6 3Dprinted handles Ultimaker style
* 2 3Dprinted grips for the  banner top
* 68 cm length plastic tube 110mm diameter, 1 endcap
* zipped files MK-cutfiles1  MK-3Dprintfiles

 

Extras

  • The drawers are two standard Euronorm boxes 60x40x12 (e.g. Kruizinga 38-NG64-12-S) with 3Printed handles. <.stl> We call the left one the 'clean drawer' as it holds electronic stuff like Makeymakey, Micro:bit and Arduinos. The right one the 'messy drawer' as is holds supplies and scraps for the laser cutter.
  • Two 6-outlet socket bars with switch plus mounting clips.
    In my cart the left one powers the laser, chiller, rightsocketbar and the uppershelf sockets. The right one powers the noisy things which are only required when you are actually cutting: air assist compressor and air filter.
  • Two 3-outlet sockets for laptops etc.
  • For mounting clips I used Swedish Gren-Fix (Conrad 613468).
  • An IKEA Lennart 303.261.77 can be a useful drawerset  for tools. This €10 option fits perfect, though one could build something better. I glued magnets on the rear cross so drawers will not move during transport. A power drill case will fit underneath.
  • A lasercut 4mm plywood box for a laptop, same height at the banner, so an Ultimaker2Go box will fit on top. <.dxf>
  • The front topbar can be removed for better access to the laser; with a 3 mm hex key, which resides in the orange holder on the left. Also a 4 and 5 mm key for periodic tightening of bolts.
  • The rear topbar can also be removed and the risers will accept a max 8 mm thick panel, for instructions, tools or a whiteboard.
  • You could adapt the cart for a 40W MetaQuip CO2 laser machine LITE, which is 73 cms deep: add 3 cm to the girders and doors. The problem with deeper lasers is the exhaust tube to bend downwards, but the tube could be made removable.
  • Rijnbrink Library required a real traveling Makerkar, so it was put on 200 mm swivelwheels with pneumatic tires. Height is then 135 cms.