Introduction: IKEA Hack-a-Lack
The IKEA Hack-a-Lack is a screwing-device for those who need to assemble a large number of IKEA Lack coffeetables. It saves time, energy and painful wrists. It's very easy to make and the best part is that it is actually made from a Lack table itself. It works like a very big screwdriver but instead of screws it fits tablelegs. For the exhibition Platform21=Hacking IKEA we had to assemble some 1000 LACK's so you may imagine we needed all the help we can invent. The principle of the whole thing is best explained through the instruction of IKEA itself.
Step 1: Ingredients
The first thing you need is a Lack tableleg. If you have to assemble a lot of tables just get one extra. It never hurts to have spareparts, and you can actually assemble 4 Hack-a-Lacks from one extra table bringing the costs down to about 2,50 each. The other ingredients are a saw, strong glue (I used polyurethan), a wrench and something to rough up the surface of the tableleg. The IKEA Hack-a-Lack is actually a drillpart so a drill is needed to use it.
Step 2: Sawing the Leg.
Take one Lack table leg and saw it into 5 equal parts. This is easily done as the legs of the LACK are hollow. However the parts are still surprisingly strong.
Step 3: The Center of the IKEA Hack-a-Lack
You end up with 2 parts that have a piece of wood at the end and 3 parts that are completely hollow at both ends. One of the parts with a piece of wood has a hole for the screw. This will be the middle part of your IKEA Hack-a-Lack. Put the screw in with a wrench, and make sure it is straight. In this image the screw is not yet fully screwed in!
Step 4: Roughing It Up and Putting the Glue.
The LACK is made of very slippery material so it is very important to rough up the surface before you glue. Rough up all 4 sides of the middle part, and one side of the other 4 parts. Then put on the glue (strong stuff!) according to the instructions on the bottle. Keep one centimeter free on the top of the middle part. The sideparts are glues 1 centimeter lower then the top of the middle part!
Step 5: Finishing Up & Putting Some Pressure.
Now glue the 4 parts on the middle part, remembering that the 4 sideparts of the IKEA Hack-a-Lack protrude 1 centimeter from the bottom of the middle part. This way you create a hollow space that fits around the table leg exactly. To keep it all together during drying I used stretchy string but I'm sure there's better alternatives.
Step 6: Putting the Legs on the Beast
Insert your IKEA Hack-a-Lack into your drill and carefully screw the legs on the table. I haven't tried electric screwdrivers but I think it should work also. Obviously t's only worth going through all this if you need to assemble more them 25 tables.
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91 Comments
on my gosh there's so few comments on here.
I wish I had this in my toolbox at least 3+ times, and i have also told 5+ people about it. at least it's in my favorites now.
I'm am peculiar if this IKEA hack was durable in the long term?
I'm really only interested in neutrinos. Anyone hear about that sphere of "heavy water" they've got miles underground to try and sense neutrinos passing through the earth?
yes, i've heard of them but i don't know what they are
The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. It's like a mile underground and they have a huge bubble of sensors filled with Deuterium aka "heavy water" to sense the occasion collision of a neutrino with the nucleus of the Deuterium. Neutrinos have a neglibible mass and no charge, they travel at near the speed of light and pass through matter so easily that they fly straight through the earth undisturbed everyday.
What happens to deuterium when it is hit with Neutrinos?
It causes a "charged current reaction" when the neutrino collides with a proton, basically just a slight flash of light. The whole sphere of deuterium is kept in total darkness and surrounded in photomultiplier tubes. They make the labs underground because the earth filters out a lot of excess background radiation from the surface, otherwise I think the ball would light up like the fourth of july haha.
I was wondering what happens to the atom of deuterium,does it get destroyed? or what?
Eventually, because of radiometric decay, but not immediately.
i still say dot