Homemade Boom

[Mismarked]

Here’s my take one the homemade boom arm with tool caddy.  Not the prettiest thing, but sturdy and functional.  Sits flat on the CT surrounding Systainer 5, and top shelf is low enough to allow Sys lid to open.  If needed, lifts off easily and sits flat on floor.  Basically a few scraps of ¾ cedar plywood, some dominos, a block of some kind of oak, an old aluminum rod salvaged from a broken clothes steamer that my girlfriend was throwing away, and 2 Zip ties.  Oh, I did spend $1.34 on the PVC.
The tool caddy is still trying to decide what it wants to be when it grows up.  I didn’t start the project with a design, but instead started with two same-size scraps from a shelving project that were sitting on top of the Systainer.  The new Carvex looked a little hungry, so I decided to cut a hole in each piece approximately the same size as the Sys footprint, and then just started putting it together in a configuration that looked right.
I might add a toe rail on the front shelves to keep the TS-55 from sliding off.  A swing-out piece on hinges to hold the larger CT hose would help free up the Systainer for something else.  I will probably install a grid of Domino holes on the front vertical piece to hold a couple of combination squares, etc.  For that, I am going to use 8 or 10 mm Sipo (to match the cedar), install them with the Domino holes in a vertical configuration, and put a notch/kerf in the Dominos to hold the blade and keep them from sliding off when I roll the cart around.

 

[nerfball]

Functional, yet cost effective  ;D

 

[overanalyze]

I like it! Very simple and functional.

 

[John Beauchamp]

Sometimes you just have to take some scraps and an idea and see where it leads. Good job. I like how you set up the swing part of the arm. I'm still playing can't decide between pvc and 3/4 conduit

 

[jbasen]

Very nice.  Thanks for posting pictures

 

[mike_aa]

Looks like kinetic sculpture!  Are you a budding Calder?  ;D

Nice job.  Very functional and good looking.

Mike A.

 

[Mismarked]

I'm still playing can't decide between pvc and 3/4 conduit

  I went back and forth on that.  The unit I built doesn't have stabilizer feet like the Festool boom unit.  The flex of the PVC is nice because it seems like it will reduce the chance of knocking over the CT by giving me some feedback if I start pulling too hard on the hose.  Unfortunately, it might have a little too much flex.  It is perfect if the hose is connected to a tool sitting on the MFT, but if it is supporting the whole weight of the hose, it seems like it could use a little Viagra.  I am considering two alternatives: (1) inserting a plastic plant stake like you'd get at the garden section of of the BORG into the PVC to add just a little stiffness, or (2) using a cheap, stout 7' offshore fishing rod (or rod blank if I can find one) for the boom arm.  For the mechanism to hold the boom arm, I did see one other low cost solution on this Website, which looked promising:
http://pixelproductionssd.com/blog/how-to-rig-a-boom-mic-low-cost-boom-pole-holder.

Are you a budding Calder?  Mike A.

NOT!  That made me laugh.  I will say that learning how to use SketchUp, with its push/pull and stretch functions, has maybe changed how I look at scraps of wood and how they might fit together.