Boom Slide with overhead guide rail storage

[festoolfan1000]

Great idea. I had originally purchased a couple of those pocket door tracks but my implementation was a bit more cumbersome. I finally manufactured a grossly over built boom arm. I think I will use your idea instead and retire the current unit. How did you attach the platform to the "joist mounting bracket"?

Forgot to ask. It would seem in this configuration that your hose would not be able to rotate and would eventually twist and bind. Have you had a chance to run the design through its paces yet? My current boom suffers from this problem to a certain degree and while it is fairly minor at times it can be annoying, particularly when I'm on a deadline and have another 13 sheets of plywood to get through...

Thanks,

M

 

[butzla]

Eiji, Great post!  Off topic,  Is that a Fein vac attached to your Kapex?  If I ever got a  Kapex,  I was thinking of doing the same thing, buy a Fein instead of a CT and use as a dedicated vac system for it.   A lot less chingo.  Does it work well?

 

[Warrior]

I have not had any binding of the hose. the plywood brackets are attached to the melamine shelf with pocket screws.

The fein vac I have attached to the Kapex is the TurboIII. It works fein. I prefer the CTvacs, they have more suction and are easier to transport ( dont tip over in the truck) and are shorter in height. If you compare the price vs features I think the CT vacs are a better value.

 

[butzla]

I'll keep that in mind...thanks.  If you did it over, which CT would you get for a dedicated Kapexer?

 

[Warrior]

I'll keep that in mind...thanks.  If you did it over, which CT would you get for a dedicated Kapexer?

Well Brice seems to like his midi vac. I think for field work I would like to have 2 midi vacs. I like things to match. I will probably just add another CT22 to the mix. I would sometimes just cary one vac and for that I would go with the CT22. It is so powerful. Great for general cleanup and much quieter than a shopvac.

 

[conduitguy]

I'm amazed at your creativity. Keep up the posts. find them inspiring.

I would just like to make one suggestion about the 8' stip fixture you want to put up. Go with 2 4' fixtures instead. They're generally quieter and they start up better in the colder weather. Even in So Cal I've seen 8 footers take a long time to warm up.

Anyway, thanks for the amazing posts!

 

[monte]

Eiji.....

The overhead rollers/track is a great solution!

Bravo! 

Roger

 

[Warrior]

Thanks for the comments. The eight foot lights that I have in the shop start up instantly and are silent. They use 4' T8 bulbs and have magnetic balasts.

I learned my lesson about cheap lighting in my old space. I had to wear earplugs to get rid of the annoying buzz.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Thanks for the comments. The eight foot lights that I have in the shop start up instantly and are silent. They use 4' T8 bulbs and have magnetic balasts.

I learned my lesson about cheap lighting in my old space. I had to wear earplugs to get rid of the annoying buzz.

Are they really magnetic? I would think electronic for T8 lamps.

All ballasts buzz but the old magnetic ballasts chug along at 60 hertz and the electronic are sorta supersonic (as in quiet) at 10,000 hertz.

 

[Warrior]

I was wrong, electronic balasts is correct. I dont hear them at all and my hearing is very sensitive.

Eiji

 

[Frank Pellow]

Eiji, I just came across this and I particulary like the hose support portion of it.  I already have good storage for my rails, but the hose is always getting in the way.  Each November, I spend a week working on shop enhancements (and clean up ) and a similar way to manage a Festool hose is now high on the cantidate list for that week.  Thanks for the idea!

 

[Warrior]

Frank,
let us know how your version turns out.

Eiji

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Eiji,

Your boom arm substitute and Guide Rail storage ideas are ingenious!!  I look forward to learning more as you continue to refine your shop

Re the fluorescent lamp ballasts, my experience is exactly opposite.  The 4ft long twin tube T8 fixtures with electronic ballasts that I installed in my garage shop about 6 years ago are audibly noisy and create a lot of RFI on any radio or antenna coupled TV in my house.  In contrast the ~50 year old 8ft twin tube T12 fluorescent lamps in my older garage section are much quieter and do not create any stray RFI.  The newer fixtures came from HD and were made in China.

Mirko,

I'm envious of those 17 ft ceilings.  I'm am constantly struggling not to hit anything when maneuvering lumber and guide rails in my 8ft ceiling workspace.  But I wouldn't want to pay to heat that much volume!  10 to 12 ft would be perfect.

Dave R.