Customizable Ikea Runnen Mini Tile

Description

This is a smaller version of the IKEA click tile for your balcony. They are essentially a forth of the original tile with a dimension of 15 cm x 15 cm and fully compatible to the original ones.

I used the model to fill in the small and cricked corners of my balcony as I didn't want it to have any gaps between, but you can use it in full! I would be really curious how they turn out as I only printed the parts I really need.

Available versions

1. The regular version: It is used if you want to print full tile or custom tile that are at least as wide as one wood piece (roughly 5 cm).
2. The detailed version: This is for really thin custom tile so you can fit two screws on this.

There are also some simple stencils to drill into your (customized) wood pieces: one for each tile version. These are simply placed on the on the bottomside of end of the piece. Drilling is ne

Some hints for printing

• I strongly advice some tough and UV-resistant filament like PETG.
• You can print it fast(er) with thick layers. I used 0.3 mm with a 0.4 nozzle as I don't have a wider nozzle yet. Let me know if you got it thicker.
• It can be printed with minimal support. Place it on the flat side and add support for the female connectors. I prepared the some tiny elevated squares on them. Using the Prusa Slicers smart fill paint on support you can simply add support for the tiny squares.
• If bed adhesion is a problem, use a brim. This worked for me.
• If you you only print a part of the tile and want to use a brim: Add a box from the gallery and form it to a small line (wide as the part, but only 0,2 wide and thick). Place it at the side where the inner structure is open and fuse the parts together. This way you reduce the brim removal by a ton.
• If you use the full mini tile, you might add a negative volume to cut out the middle part as you only need two screws per wood piece. I did not try this (as I only needed the custom tile) so I am not sure about the stability of that.

Some hints for printing custom tile

Before you start: You need some wood pieces to put on here. There are roughly 146 mm x 45 mm x 12 mm. Either you make them on your own or you buy the original ones and remove the plastic from it.

1. After laying the first and most parts of the area with the original ones, you can measure the width of the gaps between the wall and the tile edge. Always measure to the upper square. Don't include the boxy female connectors. These will be covered by the next plate. I will upload some hints, if needed. Note: Keep in mind that it is a good practice to keep at least 5 mm distance to the wall.
2. Choose the right version: regular or detailed. If you have really smaller gaps than 5 cm use the detailed version, otherwise you can use the regular one. This is important so you can fit two screws per wood piece.
3. Add the chosen STL to the slicer of your choice and cut the model to your desired dimensions. Pay attention to the right orientation so you end up with the right combination of male and female connectors.
4. Print the part!
5. Get your wood:
   • Cut your own! or
   • Remove the plastic from the wooden IKEA Runnen slabs. I used a wire cutter cut the plastic connections and some pliers to pull the remaining pins out of the wood.
6. Cut the wood to your desired shape!
7. Drill the holes to mount the wood on your custom Runnen mini tile. You should use at least two screws per pieces so it won't move. Also make sure that you drill in the bottom of your pieces. It sounds obvious but I did it wrong several times.
8. Add the custom tile to your balcony and you are done! Enjoy your gap free floor!

Something else on my mind: 

Using this tile model (along with no other hobbies, a ton offilament and a lot of spare time), you should be able to fully customize your balcony using ony kind of wood or even differentmaterial. Unfortunately, I don't have a quick printer or enough spare time, but let me know if you did something crazy!