Home made Sysports
- Thread starter Paul Franklin
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Frank Pellow
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I used 14 inch self closing slides -these ones:http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=50508&cat=3,43614,43616mkenn710 said:
I was going with 14" slides as well.
I am trying to design one and hope to publish it to this forum.
Tell me what you think, but here are my current thoughts.
Material for sysport sides, top and bottom:
I've considered using Baltic Birch and making the cabinet 60" tall.
I've also considered using the white melamine shelf material from Home Depot/Lowes. It comes in 16" widths for the sides top and bottom. The shelves are 96" long they could be cut down to about any height you wanted. The advantage of Melamine is that I wouldn't have to paint or finish it.
For the back of the unit I'm considering using 1/4 material either baltic birch or melamine hard board in a 1/4 dado set 1/4" in from the edge.
For the top I'm thinking about having the side extend about 1/4" up past the top shelf to prevent items from rolling off the edge. I'm also considering putting some rubber mat on top.
I'm trying to decide how to build the drawers so that they least amount of room is lost. What about 3/4 inch sides, fronts, and backs with a 1/4 hardboard bottom dadoed in say 1/4 high. That would only lose 1/2 per shelf as the units are stacked up.
How could I make the shelves adjustable, should I use a 32mm system? I have the OF1000 router and am thinking about the hole drilling kit.
Any suggestions?
I am trying to design one and hope to publish it to this forum.
Tell me what you think, but here are my current thoughts.
Material for sysport sides, top and bottom:
I've considered using Baltic Birch and making the cabinet 60" tall.
I've also considered using the white melamine shelf material from Home Depot/Lowes. It comes in 16" widths for the sides top and bottom. The shelves are 96" long they could be cut down to about any height you wanted. The advantage of Melamine is that I wouldn't have to paint or finish it.
For the back of the unit I'm considering using 1/4 material either baltic birch or melamine hard board in a 1/4 dado set 1/4" in from the edge.
For the top I'm thinking about having the side extend about 1/4" up past the top shelf to prevent items from rolling off the edge. I'm also considering putting some rubber mat on top.
I'm trying to decide how to build the drawers so that they least amount of room is lost. What about 3/4 inch sides, fronts, and backs with a 1/4 hardboard bottom dadoed in say 1/4 high. That would only lose 1/2 per shelf as the units are stacked up.
How could I make the shelves adjustable, should I use a 32mm system? I have the OF1000 router and am thinking about the hole drilling kit.
Any suggestions?
If you use the 32mm system you use it as a template for your shelf screws. Then when you want to move a shelf you already have the holes marked. I believe that 1/2" shelves will allow you to use the 32mm spacing and not have to always move up to the next set of holes...as I mentioned in a previous post.
Don't feel that you need to use the 32mm system either. I ended up just mounting the drawers one at a time, Mount the first drawer at the bottom then, systainer and 1/4" spacer and the next drawer...then mark and screw that one in and repeat the process. It went very fast for me and how often will you need to adjust your shelf positions anyway.
I think you could do the hardboard or even just 3/8 or 1/2" ply without the dado, just screwed or nailed to the bottom of a 3/4" thick side which are tall enough to handle your slides. I did that but I used all 3/4" ply except for the back which was 1/4".
Don't feel that you need to use the 32mm system either. I ended up just mounting the drawers one at a time, Mount the first drawer at the bottom then, systainer and 1/4" spacer and the next drawer...then mark and screw that one in and repeat the process. It went very fast for me and how often will you need to adjust your shelf positions anyway.
I think you could do the hardboard or even just 3/8 or 1/2" ply without the dado, just screwed or nailed to the bottom of a 3/4" thick side which are tall enough to handle your slides. I did that but I used all 3/4" ply except for the back which was 1/4".
Daviddubya
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bill-e said:
Bill - I purchased from GlideRite twice. No problem getting the order in a reasonable time frame. Shipping charges were about what you would expect for a heavy box. The final cost including shipping was about $5 per pair, as I recall. The only hitch is you must but a carton of slides - which is 10 pair in 14" full extension slides.
Look here:
http://storesense.megawebservers.com/HS1283/Search.bok?category=Drawer+Slides%3ASide+Mount+Ball+Bearing%3AFull+Extension+%28%2370+Series%29
Daviddubya
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sroxberg - I built my home-made Systainer Port using 3/4" white melamine from Home Depot with butt joints and confirmat screws from McFeely's. The back is 1/4" white MDF nailed on. The drawers are 1/2" baltic birch with 1/4" MDF bottoms. I used a drawer lock bit for the drawer corner joints. The slides are full extension 14" GlideRite. Casters are from Lee Valley. It is holding up just fine. Looks pretty good too.
I've been following the thread on sysports and am going to build one.
I thought this would be a great trial for my new Domino! Should make for sturdy joints.
I'm planing on using 3/4" melamine for the case, 1/4" melamine for drawer bottoms and 1/2 " baltic ply for drawer sides and front.
I have two questions for you guys:
1. Since I haven't used melamine much can I use the standard screws that come with the drawer glides to attach them to the sides? If not, what kind of short screws should I use.
2. Would you recommend making the drawers longer to store accessories behind the systainers? I'm thinking of using 16" glides but I'm not sure an extra 2" will buy me much storage.
Appreciate any help you can give me.
One more thing: I saw a Festool folding carpenters rule with metric being used on the Domino promo vides. I contacted Bob Marino and he said he can't get them. A folding rule like that would sure come in handy. Anybody know how to get one?
Ken
I thought this would be a great trial for my new Domino! Should make for sturdy joints.
I'm planing on using 3/4" melamine for the case, 1/4" melamine for drawer bottoms and 1/2 " baltic ply for drawer sides and front.
I have two questions for you guys:
1. Since I haven't used melamine much can I use the standard screws that come with the drawer glides to attach them to the sides? If not, what kind of short screws should I use.
2. Would you recommend making the drawers longer to store accessories behind the systainers? I'm thinking of using 16" glides but I'm not sure an extra 2" will buy me much storage.
Appreciate any help you can give me.
One more thing: I saw a Festool folding carpenters rule with metric being used on the Domino promo vides. I contacted Bob Marino and he said he can't get them. A folding rule like that would sure come in handy. Anybody know how to get one?
Ken
Daviddubya
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kenmaven said:
I have made and bought lots of melamine cabinets. For full extension slides, which is what I assume you will use, the standard screws work fine in melamine. Since virtually all of the stress is straight down, there is minimal tendency for the screws to pull out of the cabinet carcass. Don't overtighten them, as they can be stripped out rather easily.
I cannot imagine what you would use the extra 2" of drawer space to hold??? I put everything that goes with a tool in the Systainer for that tool. I bought a couple of empty Systainers, one to hold sandpaper and another to hold clamps, stops and do-dads that are used with the MFT and/or the guide rails.
James Metcalf
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- Jan 22, 2007
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Ken
I made mine out of 3/4 inch Melamine --sides, top and back, even the slide part. I edged it all with oak, no open edge anywhere. I made it 52" tall with locking casters. It is 22" deep,using 3/4 open, slides, with slides fastened on edge of 3/4 Melamine. Frank P. had made his about the same time and had put counter weight on back to keep it from turning over, when too many drawers are open at same time. This is what made me go with extra depth and use some 3/4 slides I already had.I use the term drawer for lack of a better term,they have no sides,no back.apart from slides. Each front has one handle in the center.it' more like a lip with handle and two shelf pins just behind systainer. This design gave me the option of putting counter weight inside at bottom. I built two and should have built four. With all drawers open and no counter weight, I have had no problem because of extra rearward mass. I could always add counter weight if needed. On the next two I build I am thinking of adding a door at the back with shelves, with the back just behind the slides for strength,and so it could not rack.
I made mine out of 3/4 inch Melamine --sides, top and back, even the slide part. I edged it all with oak, no open edge anywhere. I made it 52" tall with locking casters. It is 22" deep,using 3/4 open, slides, with slides fastened on edge of 3/4 Melamine. Frank P. had made his about the same time and had put counter weight on back to keep it from turning over, when too many drawers are open at same time. This is what made me go with extra depth and use some 3/4 slides I already had.I use the term drawer for lack of a better term,they have no sides,no back.apart from slides. Each front has one handle in the center.it' more like a lip with handle and two shelf pins just behind systainer. This design gave me the option of putting counter weight inside at bottom. I built two and should have built four. With all drawers open and no counter weight, I have had no problem because of extra rearward mass. I could always add counter weight if needed. On the next two I build I am thinking of adding a door at the back with shelves, with the back just behind the slides for strength,and so it could not rack.
cdconey
Member
Here are some photos of my sys-carts. I made them out of 3/4" white melamine using blind dados. The drawers are 1/2" pre finished maple with 1/4" mdf bottoms and splines dadoed in to hold the systainer in place. The top shelf has a 3/8 recess to avoid anything rolling off. It is 19" deep, which gives me 6 extra inches past the systainer. I bored the 32mm system holes using the LR32-SYS and system screws to mount the glides. I used 18" glides with 1" over travel. The casters are from Hartville Tool, 2 locking swivel and two swivel. I put doors on mine to keep my festool 'out of sight' using institutional hinges that open 270 degrees. I haven't had any issues with them tipping over. Without the doors I was able to get 2 carts out of one sheet of melamine. I would make it a couple of inches deeper next time so I could fit the 6" discs behing the systainers better.
sroxberg said:I like this thread and am waiting for my Domino to get started on mine. I really like the door idea. I had been trying to think of a way to lock the drawers, but that may be easier, and harder for my wife to count Systainers.
sroxberg,
A few posts back in this thread I suggested this idea, but with no interest :-\
Use a gang lock, all drawers will lock with the turn of the key!
Mirko
cdconey
Member
Mirko said:sroxberg said:I like this thread and am waiting for my Domino to get started on mine. I really like the door idea. I had been trying to think of a way to lock the drawers, but that may be easier, and harder for my wife to count Systainers.
sroxberg,
A few posts back in this thread I suggested this idea, but with no interest :-\
Use a gang lock, all drawers will lock with the turn of the key!
Mirko
Mirko,
I was considering the lock set you posted when I was making mine last fall, they also have a kit that only allows you to pull out one shelf at a time and also locks. You can buy longer bars for different heights. I opted not to install the bar at the time I made my syscart, but figured that I could always add them in later if I need to. So far, I haven't had any problems with the cart tipping forward.
Matthew Schenker
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This is a good thread...
I am in sore need of better organization for my Festool tools, which now number around 15. I have been content so far to stack them up on my workbench, but that's just not a good idea any more!
Lots of the concepts offered here sound really good.
Thanks everyone,
Matthew
I am in sore need of better organization for my Festool tools, which now number around 15. I have been content so far to stack them up on my workbench, but that's just not a good idea any more!
Lots of the concepts offered here sound really good.
Thanks everyone,
Matthew
Just curious about the estimated cost for shope made sysports. I realize the cost of melamine or plywood can be minimal, but seems as if the casters and other hardware could push the cost up. For those who have made them, what is your estimate of time to do it and the cost of the parts?
Daviddubya
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John Russell said:
I made mine two or three years ago, so I'm relying on memory - a risky proposition at best when you are over 65!!! The material cost was around $125 - casters, drawer slides, melamine. I had some Baltic Birch scraps, so I did not have to buy a sheet for the drawers. I have several sets of slides left over, as I bought a carton from GlideRite.
I used butt joints and confirmat screws for the carcass, so the time to build the Sysport was reasonable - I'll estimate 4 hours including making the drawers. I used a drawer lock bit for the drawers, and that speeds the process quite a bit.
If you subscribe to the "time is money" approach, you might consider buying a Sysport. However, if you enjoy making things you can use, the project is a fun one.
Thanks Dave,
I have a list of projects that just keeps growing ... I thought about building a Sysport since the cost is relatively high, but adding another project to a growing list may not be a good thing. After looking at the sturdiness of the Festool Sysport, I thought the hardware to building something similar might be a substantial cost.
I have a list of projects that just keeps growing ... I thought about building a Sysport since the cost is relatively high, but adding another project to a growing list may not be a good thing. After looking at the sturdiness of the Festool Sysport, I thought the hardware to building something similar might be a substantial cost.
Daviddubya
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John - In addition to my shop-made Sysport, I have a Festool Sysport at my summer cabin. I "fell into" the Festool Sysport, so cost was not an issue. I must admit the Festool Sysport is very well made, and better looking than mine. Cost is always an issue, but I had a similar decision to make a while back about a router table cabinet. I wound up buying one that was being discontinued from Woodpeckers. I still feel a bit guilty about not making my own cabinet, but time was also a factor.
