Homemade Systainer and Basis System

[Steve Jones]

I need to carry a bunch of tools around with me for installs, and have a small vehicle, and finally gave up trying to find the ideal toolbox, so now I use these...

Between them they carry:
Three recheargeable drill/drivers with batteries
Kreg 2000 system with clamps/plate
Router table with fence
Dovetail jig with accessories
Drawer full of measuring/setup gauges
Full driver bit set
Chisel set, screwdriver set, 2 tapes, 2 squares, Incra rule, shelf pin quide, drawer slide jigs
Hardware (handles and pulls) template set
Profile gauge (pin gauge), stud finder, assorted gauges (saw & router height)
Edgebanding tools (Iron, roller, trimmer, etc)
3 drill sets (Brad point, spade, and forstner)
3 assortment boxes of screws
Assortment of european door hinges
Large pliers, nail extractors
Euro hinge drilling kit
Microplane
Wood filler and putty knife
Full set of stain touch up pencils and pens
Bosch 1617 router w/2 bases, edge guide, circle cutter, assortment of bits & guide bushes
flashlight and spare batteries
metric and standard allen key sets
The unit with the router table also mounts the Festool jig saw upside down like a router (makes cutting easier for most jobs)
and the same unit hold my TS55 upside to make a tiny on-site table saw for ripping trim etc. (same fence as router)

each one fits inside the spaces in the leg frames when the MFT is upside down and folded up
Each cabinet is actually three boxes (the bottom box of each stack has locking casters) that latch together to make loading into the vehicle easier

 

[semenza]

Hi,

    VERY Nice portable shop set up!  It functions in a similar manner to the systainer concept. But you have added the tool mount/ bench top idea to the top of the stacks. Very Cool!

Seth

 

[Dave Rudy]

Creative and well-done system, Steve.  Thanks.

 

[Eli]

very nice Steve.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I'm very impressed by your design Steve.  Well done!

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Wow Steve,
  Very nice.  Could you show the mounts for the jigsaw and TS55?

Mike

each one fits inside the spaces in the leg frames when the MFT is upside down and folded up

What do you mean?

 

[fidelfs]

Well, after using several tool boxes I can recommend....... Steve Jones' Tool Box.

Great Job.  I am planning to do something like that.  I will steal some of your ideas.

 

[Steve Jones]

Mike,

First your question about them fitting in the MFT: I put the MFT in the back of my car upside down, with the legs folded, each leg frame makes a rectangle, into which one stack of toolboxes fits (Hope that's clearer).

I'll add more pictures tomorrow, (showing mounts for jigsaw and TS55, as requested)

Steve

 

[Steve Jones]

Mike,

Your requested details of mounting system, (Clamps are home made - obviously - from hard maple)

TS55 and jigsaw mounts: Both clamping systems allow for tilting the blade (although I don't usually need to do that, so the plates are zero clearance for straight upright cuts). In the Jigsaw pictures, you'll see the mounting clamps for the TS55 still in place (Jigsaw clamps to insert plate, TS55 clamps to the main top plate which is also removeable (I haven't fixed down either plate, both are pretty tight and don't seem to need holding down.

For keeping the trigger down and locking the depth on the TS55, I set the depth gauge and then clamp trigger and depth with large zip ties. (with of course a separate power switch controlling the action)

 

[Eli]

Do you use a fence with either?

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Steve,
  Thanks for the details. ;D Who needs the Basis System ? Looks like I've got another project on the "to do list". Think I 'll do the jigsaw mount. Hope you don't mind us copying  : ;D

Mike

Do you use the dovetail jig on the job much?

 

[Steve Jones]

Mike,

Copy away. I am selling these stacking cabinets locally (extra cash never hurts when you're on the green slope) but anyone smart enough to be on the FOG is welcome (just please don't start selling them in competition with me)

The jigsaw is great under the plate, you can actually see the blade! following scribe lines etc is actually possible, and I still get very good dust control (Tip, I cut a slot for the blade, but then drilled a 3/8" hole through the slot centered on the cutting edge of the blade to improve dust control).

I went with what is according to some suppliers now "standard" size router plate (9 1/4" x 11 3/4"), I found 1/2 MDF seems to hold up ok for the plates (top of box is 3/4 Ply).

I router the hole with a rabbet deeper than the thickness of the plate then add extra support under the sides (strips of 3/4 ply) Then drill all four corners through everything (the plate, ply top, and extra supports), then remove the plate, screw in some large, flat headed allen screws (adjustable support for leveling the plate, can be adjusted with an allen key through the hole in the plate).

 

[brandon.nickel]

Steve,

Would you mind posting details of the construction of the boxes?  There's only one picture that shows the drawers open.  I'm curious as to how you mounted your slides and assembled the corners.  Are your side panels rabetted or dado'd?  How do you prevent unwanted opening of the drawers during transport/moving?

I promise not to sell any, I'm just looking for some more construction details.

-Brandon

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Steve,
I'm fascinated by your homemade basis system.  Could you document some more how you made this and how you use it?  I'm betting there would be a lot of interest in this.  Would you perhaps let your plans be AINA?  Maybe this needs its own discussion over in the "Jigs, Inventions, Tool Enhancements" board?
Matthew

 

[Eli]

Steve is too busy packing for Australia. We bribed him with a Belt sander and a Kapex and a few vests and watches. His designs will only be AIAU.  ;D ;D ;D

 

[Steve Jones]

I haven't had a chance today to take any more pictures (as I intended) so I'll just add some description for the moment (but promise more pics when I get a chance).

To answer the points in reverse order, no I'm not going to Australia, (but thanks for the kind words and nice gifts, Eli)

Each box has an outside dimension of 18" x 26" (measured outside the external frames) boxes are 1/2" birch ply, tops and bottom panels are 3/4 ply where load bearing and 1/4 ply where not (explained more later)

Height of each box is 4", 8" or 12"

I can best give dimensions and design examples by runnning through the building of a 12" box

from 1/2" ply I make 2 sides 12" x 24" and two ends 12" x 17 1/4"
cut 1/2" dados 3/8" in from ends of Short sides (dados are 1/4" deep)

This will assemble into a box 24 1/2" x 18 1/2"  with 3/8" exposed out from the ends of the long sides

I cut 1/2" dados into 3/4 x 2" solid wood (I used clear pine) - dados centered, 3/8" deep, which leaves the edges 3/4 in from each side (3/4" + 1/2" + 3/4" = 2")

The clear pine is cut to 12" lengths and glued over the ends of the short sides (which stick out 3/8" if you remember)

I then cut 1/2" wide strips of 3/4" material to glue into the inside corners at the short ends of the box (all this makes for a really strong, simple, and quick joint).

(I can tell already, this is going to need pictures, isn't it)

Anyway, bases and tops under drawers are simple 1/4" ply dadod into the sides 3/8, from edge, load bearing tops and bottoms (like the base which takes the casters) are 3/4" ply rabetted into the sides.

That should get some of you started (and probably some of you confused as hell), sorry, I really will try to do something in the way of pictures tomorrow.

 

[Dan Clark]

Steve,

This is very impressive!  Nice work!  And, regarding

(I can tell already, this is going to need pictures, isn't it)

Uhm...  Yep!

In a forum that includes a lot of inventive solution this ranks up at the top.  Like others above, I'm going to stea... uh... "borrow" some of your ideas for building my own portable storage/work modules!  ;D

One nice feature of your system is that, with a little creativity and planning, these could be combined as infeed/outfeed tables.  And, there seems to be lots of sources for accessories to enhance the modules:http://www.woodpeck.com/builditplans.htmlhttp://www.woodpeck.com/supertrackmain.htmlhttp://www.kregtool.com/products/pht/index.phphttp://www.kregtool.com/products/pms/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=78

(Obviously, you've already been to the Kreg site.)

One question, though...  In the pic of the Porter Cable dovetail jig, it looks like that module has slots or shelf supports down the inside of the box.  What are those for?  How do they work?

Regards,

Dan.

 

[Steve Jones]

Dan,

Thanks for the kind words, and by the way, you don't miss much, do you?

Those slots..... Actually, I came up with the bright idea of sliding the shelf that the dovetail jig sits on at two heights, one for working, one for storage. I also came up with the bright idea of using the external framing (on the corners) to hold the removable front panel in place, and wanted all the boxes to look the same (hence some games with the drawer boxes, which I'll discuss later). I must confess I didn't draw anything up for the design of these and discovered on assembly the the two bright ideas are mutually exclusive (can't slide the shelf in past the frames) so the jig simply sits upside down on the top supports.

What, you never had a design idea um, "evolve" during development?

I simply have not removed the other supports yet - some fool glued the damn things in place (that would be me)

By the way, you may also notice the slots in the framing in the same picture, that is intended (when budget and time allow) to fit pieces of T-Track (cut to height of each box) to allow various kinds of clamping to the side of the stack such as doors on edge for working on, possibly a future cutting table top mounted accross two stacks, etc (The T-Track will give me a tidy, simple, adaptable clamping mechanism).

The T-Track would also make mounting of a simple, variable height top for outfeed/infeed tables, (A Top board with long side skirts, drilled for bolts spaced to line up with the t-tracks, or simply one board mounted to the t-track with a roller mounted on top)

And the comment from Mathew (give this thing it's own discussion) may be worthwhile (especially if I get around to uploading some plans for the things here), is this a good idea for everyone interested?

Steve

 

[Matthew Schenker]

...And the comment from Mathew (give this thing it's own discussion) may be worthwhile (especially if I get around to uploading some plans for the things here), is this a good idea for everyone interested?

Thanks for offering, and yes I encourage you to do this!  The discussion of table saws comes up often in the forum (click here), and if anyone could develop a solution for creating the equivalent of a table saw using a TS55 that would be tremendous!  If you could put your plans out there, and we could discuss it and develop it, imagine the possibilities!
Matthew

 

[Dan Clark]

Dan,

Thanks for the kind words, and by the way, you don't miss much, do you?

Those slots..... Actually, I came up with the bright idea of sliding the shelf that the dovetail jig sits on at two heights, one for working, one for storage. I also came up with the bright idea of using the external framing (on the corners) to hold the removable front panel in place, and wanted all the boxes to look the same (hence some games with the drawer boxes, which I'll discuss later). I must confess I didn't draw anything up for the design of these and discovered on assembly the the two bright ideas are mutually exclusive (can't slide the shelf in past the frames) so the jig simply sits upside down on the top supports.

What, you never had a design idea um, "evolve" during development?

I simply have not removed the other supports yet - some fool glued the damn things in place (that would be me)

By the way, you may also notice the slots in the framing in the same picture, that is intended (when budget and time allow) to fit pieces of T-Track (cut to height of each box) to allow various kinds of clamping to the side of the stack such as doors on edge for working on, possibly a future cutting table top mounted accross two stacks, etc (The T-Track will give me a tidy, simple, adaptable clamping mechanism).

The T-Track would also make mounting of a simple, variable height top for outfeed/infeed tables, (A Top board with long side skirts, drilled for bolts spaced to line up with the t-tracks, or simply one board mounted to the t-track with a roller mounted on top)

And the comment from Mathew (give this thing it's own discussion) may be worthwhile (especially if I get around to uploading some plans for the things here), is this a good idea for everyone interested?

Steve

Steve,

Matthew responded, but let me second his comments - I'm interested!  Quite frankly, I get all charged up when someone thinks outside the box and gets my aged brain cells stirred up.  Plans would be excellent!

Regarding designs "evolving" through development, it happens to me every day.  My day job is software development.  My designs, especially in the conceptualization phase, are perfect - pure works of art!    When I start building it, well...  Let's just say that once in while, not often mind you, but once in a great while I run into a minor issue or two (thousand). ;D

Quite frankly, I do models almost always.  After a while, the numbers and parameters start whirling around in my head and I go crazy.  What looks good in your head, tends to fall apart (for me at least) quite quickly when the model hits the computer screen.  The number of possible screwups is absolutely amazing!

I've gotten fairly good at Sketchup.  If I can help with the model, let me know.

Thanks,

Dan.