Mobile MFT/3-CTL26-Systainer Port

[OvdLeur]

I am about to start the build of my Mobile MFT/3-CTL26-Systainer Port and plan to share my design and progress in this thread. I hope you enjoy it!

It will hold my CTL26 vacuum cleaner a couple of Systainers and (in the future) an MFT/3 table (for now a replacement top supported by a wooden frame will be put on top).
And as space is a precious commodity in our house it will also have a removable flat table top so it can be used as a laundry table. 

I was inspired to build this mobile port by the ones that were created/designed by Steve Row and Jonny Round Boy.
And thanks to Jonny I have discovered Google SketchUp and found it to be a cool and easy to use tool to visualize and design my mobile port.

Since the creation of my first model I have been working on a more detailed one that will serve as my reference during the build. 
Here is a picture of the front:

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And one of the rear:

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(The vacuum cleaner is a CT33 that I included to get an idea of the layout; it was the only Festool vacuum that I could find a model of.)

The main structure consists of three torsion boxes (the base and the two sides), a couple of panels to create the storage compartments and a top panel that will keep all the panels together, supports the MFT/3 and keeps the dust off the CTL and Systainers.

To give an idea of the construction of the torsion boxes I have created an exploded view of the base torsion box:

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The internal woodwork supports the wheels and compartment panels attached to the base.
The Styrofoam improves rigidity and also prevents the torsion boxes becoming sound boxes when the vacuum is running.
The holes in one of the side panels and the rear panel are there to let the exhaust air escape from the CTL26 unobstructed.

Hopefully this week I will start the build with the construction of the base torsion box.
It will probably take a while to fully complete it because I also have to construct a hot wire cutter to cut the Styrofoam plates to size and I do not have all the material available for it yet.

I hope to be back soon with pictures of the build...

 

[Alan m]

nice table . iwould be interested in a thread on a home made hot wire cutter if you have the time [poke]

 

[PeterK]

I will be following this. Am thinking of something similar to house my vac and small air compressor plus nail guns and such.

 

[nickao]

Tie a router table into the design somehow and it would be really nice.

 

[Alan m]

if you put some of the adjustable shelving bars ( the one with the slots thet the shelf supports push into)on the side they could hold up the legs of a mft vl and could be used to stop workpieces when vl isnt on there.

 

[magellan]

Very interesting thread, I also will be following this thread to see your progress and your results.  I really like the idea of a multi use table and storage area.  Please continue to update us.

Thanks

 

[OvdLeur]

Thank you all for your comments.
(And now that I know some of you are following I have to complete the build.  [wink])

@Alan m: My hot wire cutter is not going to be a very elaborate design (probably just a bow of 5/8" PVC pipe to put tension on the wire) but I will take some pictures when constructing it and post on the electrical details of the wire and power supply.
With regards to the MFT VL; the top of my table wil be at the exact same height as a standard MFT/3 once I buy and install the Footmaster GD-40F casters, so the VL could stand on its own legs. Or did I misunderstand your comment?

@Dovetail65: A router table is always a possibility as the port is designed to be taken apart; all panels can be removed to enable me to carry it down the stairs if I ever have to. So it is possible to replace the top panel with one (or include an insert of some sort) that holds a router and a fence. But I don't want to include it yet, I first need to find funds to buy the MFT/3 parts first.  [smile]

 

[Alan m]

sorry i didnt cop that it will be the same height as the mft standing beside it.
i wonder if you could drill another set of holes in the mft vl corners so that the legs have a hole to click into and will allow them to go back against the side of the cart and sit on a ledge or something . this would allow the cart to still move around.

the only thing stopping me from building a mft syport cart is the cost of the mft and my unlevel floor( about 2" and like a funnel with the lowest point in the middle)

 

[OvdLeur]

No it has not been completed yet it got moved down the to-do list in favor of the remoddeling of our ground floor. But as this is nearing completion this project is moving up the list again.

I have al the material in house and have started work on the base. So it will get there but will take longer then originally thought. (And I must say that seeing all the other MFT/Sysport solutions posted by others don't help in sticking to my design, there are so much good ideas out there that I would still like to incorporate...)

Thanks for the interest, reading and writing about this project again after such a long time increases my desire to get this finished!

 

[mparka]

I ended up building a similar table and discovered this thread after  [eek].  This design could have helped in my build for sure.  Oh well.

I needed it built quickly as my back was going to give out soon and too much valuable time was wasted with nightly take the car out of the garage, setup, clean up and bring the car back in cycle.

I ended up building a base with 2x4 (much less nicer than your current vision) and spent most of my effort on dados and keeping the final height of the MFT3 to be same as MFT3 on its factory legs.  This limits how many systainers I can stack and I have elected to keep the CT36 out of it all together so that I can wheel it around separately with boom arm attached.
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[OvdLeur]

Nice cart.

I am jealous that you have one finished! Mine is still a drawing and a stack of wood waiting to be cut. (have been working on the Systainer cart and the living room remodeling a lot lately.
So far I am working on my MFT enhanced Workmate... it works but is a pain to move and wastes a lot of valuable space underneath.

Mine is 'fancy' because I want to be able to take it apart and move it somewhere else than the attic and it is too big to fit down the stairs. So it is held together with nuts and bolts and I needed thicker walls for that.

Hope you enjoy your new setup!