Boom Slide with overhead guide rail storage

Warrior

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I am just getting the new shop set up. I decided I didnt want to step on the hose anymore or just rig a rope from the ceiling. Yet I still cant open the wallet for the boomarm. I also didnt want the boom arm connected to the vac and have to break down every time I had some work on site. I wanted something permanant in the shop that i could easily hook and un hook the vac hose and cord to when setting up. I also only have one wall tall enough to lean up my 2 fs3000 rails and it is not near the workstation.

Cost- about 60.00 in hardware and 1/3 to 1/2 sheet of 3/4 whatever you have lying around. I already had the light.

material list
3/4" 20" x 96" melamine. I wanted it a bit wider but that is what I had kickin around.
2- 96" pocket door track
2- pr. pocket door rollers

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BOOM Boom-slide 8)
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rollers
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I have 2 fs300o rails up top each oriented oppositely so I don't have to flip the rail to cut the other direction. 8)
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You can just see the splinter strip of the 95"LR-32 rail sticking out the other side.
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Check out the reach. I can cut/rout/sand/domino in a path of about 8 x 15' 8)
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Overhead support structure. I plan to swap the light out with an 8' strip a little later. 8)

 
Very smart and simple !! Why nobody already thought of it ?

you should make it an entry for the appropriate contest category.
as it will likely inspire a lot of us, me included
 
I just added some quick draw overhead holsters for the shorties.

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LR32 rail

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FS1400

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  8)    Ya feelin lucky? Well do ya?....Punk? ;D ;D ;D
 
Eiji,

Very smart indeed, I would like that, but what do you suggest I do with my 17 foot ceilings? @&%$  :-[

Mirko

PS... who's palm did you grease to get that Kapex!!
 
Eiji, you cease to amaze.  What are you planning on doing for the rest of the shop.  I'm excited to see what you come up with.  Eric
 
Mirko said:
Eiji,

Very smart indeed, I would like that, but what do you suggest I do with my 17 foot ceilings? @&%$  :-[

Mirko

I guess you will have to get buy with the boom arms.  ;) Or you could hang a trapeze swing or something ;D ;D  That is funny. but you could actually lower it and raise it up when not needed with a remote operated retractable shade motor. DUDE that would be cool. Two motors and you can drop down the whole platform, rails, light,  hose and all.
I like the way I think. hehe
 
Eiji,

Great idea! this contraption could also be used for changing the florescent bulbs  ;D I'll get right on it ::)

Mirko
 
Eiji, that really is genius!

I've recently made my own boom arm for my shop, but nothing like that. How do you come up with these things?
 
Very nice setup. I have been trying to come up with solution for guide rail storage for months. Thanks for sharing.
 
jonny round boy said:
I've recently made my own boom arm for my shop, but nothing like that. How do you come up with these things?

Well, I wanted alot of travel without a large swing/arc that an arm would create. In came the tracks. Once I decided that I was going with the tracks that opened up the guide rail shelf and lighting(it had to have a light because it would create a shadow over the bench otherwise). The hard part was installing after assembling on the bench. :D
 
Very cool Eiji!

You don't leave the guide rail cantilevered and angled do you?
The end of the rubber strip will peel away if you do, at the corner pressing against the "ceiling'.

Could have used those shade motors to get your contraption in position to install  :)

Exposed joists and sky hooks are very handy in a shop. I hang a Fein vac in a central location and have several bungees hanging to support/cord the hose in different locations. I have a Performax sander I don't use much so I park it on a tall rolling cabinet and use a small block and tackle to lower it to the floor. The joists are also a great place to park clamps. Sorry Mirko  ;)
 
The rubber never touches. they cantilever against the hat channel and the ply holster.

Eiji
 
Hey Eiji - really nice set up with the hose. And I love your Kapex work station. Nice design - clearly well thought out. Now I know what you were referring to about taking a new tool for a ride. And I thought it was your MFK!

Your shop looks amazing - congratulations on the move. What projects do you have lined up?

I like your lift system idea for Mirko - they make those for overhead storage in garages, both motorized and hand-powered. Or maybe he needs a long arm at, say, 8 ft high that could arc over the workspace, with a track along the underside of the boom that would hold the glides attached to the hose (like your track). That would give 100% coverage underneath the arc of the boom (radially along the boom, and tangentially as the boom swings). I think someone else (mhch maybe?) posted something like that, but without the track that would allow the hose to move along the boom. Easy to put a light onto the boom...

Fun to see some creative ideas here. Nice work!
 
Eiji,

Too clever as usual. What size is/are your hose(s)? Diameter and length.
 
what you see there is a 36mm x 5m non AS hose. I think I will upgrade to 1- 50mm x 2.5m and 1- 36mm x 2.5m. That way I'll have 2.5m of the 36mm hose I can dedicate to the Kapex.
 
Hi,

  Pretty  slick, Eiji.   Being able to move the hose to different areas.

          I store my 3000 on a shelf about 5" below my long cutting table top.  Makes it easy to put out of the way between each cut.    

       Of course I now need top come up with something for the second one I have ordered to use with the Panther blade. ::)  

Seth
 
poto said:
I think someone else (mhch maybe?) posted something like that, but without the track that would allow the hose to move along the boom. Easy to put a light onto the boom...

May be what poto refers to is http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=1719.msg31622#msg31622
Since that post, I extended this boom arm design to be "movable", by simply installing another vertical
post screwed to  the wall in my shop at another location. This way, the rotating part, nothing else than
a large wooden square, can be installed on either post, one near my MFT, one near my cut table.

I really like the glide idea, and I'll certainly enhance my home made boom arm to use it.
Thanks to Eiji for the original idea and to Poto for suggesting its use in a different way.

The collective creative power of the forum members really impresses me.
One more evidence that the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.
 
Great idea Eiji. I've been wanting a solution like this since before I knew I wanted it.  ;D
 
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