Festool CSC Mobile Cart

[Michael Kellough]

You’ve created a very nice shop!

I’d like to know more about the interlocking floor tiles that are hard enough to allow things with small wheels to roll.

 

[John Hand]

You’ve created a very nice shop!

I’d like to know more about the interlocking floor tiles that are hard enough to allow things with small wheels to roll.

The tiles are from a company called KlikFlor they are made from PVC specifically designed for garage floors, they work great , I can run the car on them no issue and the castors from the carts work well. Also good on your feet not standing on concrete ….. give a little insulation , easy to sweep sawdust and mop out once in a while. Would highly recommend website is www.klikflor.com you can also buy in Costco in the UK don’t know if available in USA they have some YouTube Videos about how to install. I bought the 500mm tiles which clip together easily which are 7mm thick.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Thanks John, that brand isn’t available in the states. I’ve seen similar but not sure if it’s as good.

 

[John Hand]

Thanks John, that brand isn’t available in the states. I’ve seen similar but not sure if it’s as good.

I found them as I’d seen their floor in a car tyre workshop and asked where they had sourced the floor which gave me a contact. So a search for floors for car garages might open up other local manufacturers in USA … you find something … it’s definitely better than a concrete floor

 

[ElectricFeet]

Beautiful trolley John. I’m envious of the space and the sense of calm and order that you’ve created in there.

Could you tell me about the wheels? Are they swivel-locks? Brand?

I work on an outside (sloping!) balcony, moving carts in and out, so wheels are a constant source of frustration and research for me.

 

[John Hand]

Thanks , workshop is my happy place I must admit and the new cart is working out great

The front wheels swivel and lock the rear are fixed as easier to manoeuvre back into the bays when not in use ….. I bought from First Castors details below of the swivel version they are made by Coldene

Blue Elastic Rubber - Swivel Lock Castor | CDSTPB100BER
Product Code: CDSTPB100BER
Diameter: 100MM
Top Plate: 105x80
Hole Centre: 80x60
Overall Height: 125MM
Load Rating: 140kgs

Having mobile carts is key for me to be able to configure what I want based on the project I’m working on ….. been really pleased with this brand who were recommended by Peter at the New Brit Workshop

 

[Packard]

When I had my picture framing business back in the early 80s, I borrowed a video camera to tape myself to determine where I was being inefficient.

I had several work stations for different processes and I learned I spent too much time going looking for hand tools that I shared with the various work stations. I built a cart with those tools and that boosted efficiency, but later I replaced the cart by buying a full set of tools for each work station. That was vastly more efficient. Also, I bought a dozen utility knives and at the start of each day I made sure all had a fresh blade.

Note: I went through 8 - 12 blades a day, typically replacing the blade (or breaking off the tip) for each new process. A poor cut would mean an extra hour of labor to correct it. Note: I cut on a glass surface (48” x 48”) for the cleanest cuts, and that helped dull blades quickly.

In any case, carts are nice. But evaluate. Am I better served with a cart, or with duplicate tools? If you are in a cart-only mindset you can end up with the less efficient solution.

And a wide angle selfie showing you at work can teach you a lot about your processes.

 

[John Hand]

Good points and insight, I do where I can group tools with carts for the job ie all the router stuff is with the router cart and the new table saw cart is holding feather boards etc but at the end of day as now retired its more about the enjoyment of pottering than process efficiency.

But I do try to make sure everything has its place and home to reduce the time it takes to find what I need.

 

[Packard]

Good points and insight, I do where I can group tools with carts for the job ie all the router stuff is with the router cart and the new table saw cart is holding feather boards etc but at the end of day as now retired its more about the enjoyment of pottering than process efficiency.

But I do try to make sure everything has its place and home to reduce the time it takes to find what I need.

It was not just finding the tool. I had to walk to another workstation to get it and then replace it.

A funny thing happened when all the required tools were suddenly right at hand. My work picked up a rhythm, which not only sped up the work, but improved the quality of the work. I found that I had a natural rhythm at a very specific speed. Either speeding up or slowing down adversely affected quality. I suspect that every worker has a natural rhythm and speed. Anything that causes a deviation from that natural speed should be avoided.

 

[Mini Me]

Fine Woodworking did a video and a printed article many years ago which was called the Roll Away workshop showing a similar style of how to have a workshop in a garage and it was very clever. I built cabinets and storage based on it and used it for many years. It should be in the FWW archives if anyone wants to do a search. One of their readers had built his workshop and it was featured in the article and video.

 

[Leadfoot]

Thanks

Yes the only table saw, I do have the Kapex and the track saw to break the big stuff down and the other year splashed out on a bandsaw so have everything I need now I think

Not sure how we would do a shop tour it’s evolved over the 10 years since I retired ? I have lots of pictures along the way to record how it evolved, anything specific you would like to see?

The garage is also the utility room and we still put a car in every so often hence the need for it to be mobile and packable so to speak. The multiple carts were a practical way of creating more workspace when I needed and yet slot back under the bench along the back of the garage when not in use. The Paulk bench also on wheels so can move it easily. Also lots of dust extraction to keep it a clean space , the bench has it plumbed in with multiple blast gate ports to connect tools as and when.
View attachment 381072

In this photo, are we looking most of your woodworking area and tools?
Or is there another wall of equipment?

 

[John Hand]

No this is the main area , the garage is 6 x 8 meters …… the view below looks the other way which is a row of cupboards to house other stuff that needs to be in the garage but not involved in woodworking. The Bandsaw is on a mobile base so can be moved to support projects as needed. As is the planer / thicknesses which is mobile , in this picture I’d moved it to get some plywood out of my sheet wood rack which is hidden behind the cupboards on the other side of the shop. The bays under the cupboards along the back and right of this picture is where I store my carts when garage is not configured as a workshop so I can get the car in when I need to.

 

[onocoffee]

Not sure how we would do a shop tour

One feature I'm interested to see is your bandsaw.

I've got a 2004 Stomana B35 14" and on its stand and casters, the table is at 48" and I've been thinking about building a base to drop the table height to match my workbench at 36".

 

[John Hand]

Mine is floor standing model so couldn’t bring it down , I had thought of getting a smaller one but the price difference wasn’t huge so went for the bigger table size and stability, plus I had room to park it when not in use. The mobile base give me the flexibility I need to move round the garage and I quite like the table height , it’s only 70mm higher than my Paulk bench so easy to use it as an out-feed when needed depending on the project. The BOW fences and support also make it a whole safer for me to mill stock. The plywood top in the picture is my circle making jig which seems to live on the saw most of the time and gives me a bigger table size.