How to buy cheaper T-Loc catches for new Sys3's?

[mac sparrow]

Just wondering if anybody has any ideas to find cheaper T-Loc catches, the new Sys3 type?  I'm customising some systainers.

I can buy the catch on it's own but it's about £18/$24 for 1 which is expensive.  I might end up buying the cheapest Sys3 I can find and remove the catch and sell the shell on eBay.  I've had a troll though ekat and strangley the catch for the TopRock is slightly cheaper than that standard catch, despite the TopRock catch having additional text printed on it.

Just curious if anybody has any ideas, must be the new style catch in Festool green.

Thank you

 

[squall_line]

Tanos' non-Festool colors are sold for $11-$12 USD each in the US.  Festool-branded colors, via EKAT parts fiche, are $23.70 USD each.

There is likely no cheaper place to get them, other than from someone who no longer wants/needs their systainers.

 

[gwendal]

TLoc catches are forward compatible with Sys3  - except for the organizer where the latches need to be a little smaller.
There is a 3D model festool catch available on thingiverse. A screw is needed, it works on both Tloc and Sys3.
A more advanced version (without screw, see second picture on the thingiverse page) is possible but can not be distributed as the 3d model is distributed with a "no derivatives" license.

 

[Coen]

Please keep in mind that DIY 3D printed stuff usually is way weaker than injection molded stuff.

 

[mac sparrow]

Thanks for the reply fellas, I still haven't decided what I'm going to do.

My backup plan was to buy the cheapest Sys3's I could, remove the Sys3 catch and sell the shell on eBay but eBay just doesn't have the same volume of buyers it did last year and people just aren't bidding decent amounts for things.

Sign of the times.

 

[xedos]

Custom and cheap eh? 

That’s an oxymoron if ever there was.    [doh]

 

[jon003]

Please keep in mind that DIY 3D printed stuff usually is way weaker than injection molded stuff.

Do you have a source for that?  You can 3d print in a variety of materials. 

Also 3d printed can be super vague.  FDM?  SLA?  Materials vary as well.  PLA might be weak, but it is very different than carbon fiber infused polycabonate, for instance, which I can also 3d print.

 

[Coen]

Please keep in mind that DIY 3D printed stuff usually is way weaker than injection molded stuff.

Do you have a source for that?  You can 3d print in a variety of materials. 

Also 3d printed can be super vague.  FDM?  SLA?  Materials vary as well.  PLA might be weak, but it is very different than carbon fiber infused polycabonate, for instance, which I can also 3d print.

That is why I said "usually", since that is not what the typical guy with a 3D printer can do.

It's also what the journalists don't understand when they keep up hyping 3D printing.

 

[mino]

Tanos' non-Festool colors are sold for $11-$12 USD each in the US.  Festool-branded colors, via EKAT parts fiche, are $23.70 USD each.

There is likely no cheaper place to get them, other than from someone who no longer wants/needs their systainers.

Check out sys-classic.de.

It is a one-man show and they have really weird stuff which you often cannot find anywhere else. They take directly from TANOS. Should be able to ship globally, at least their TANOS stuff.

 

[Ebuwan]

What type of customizing are you doing?

If color for latches, etc, just spray paint em; just youtube "spray painting plastic"

super easy and can save you a boatload, and you can get actual colors that they don't make.