Sys 5 with custom hand tool insert.

[andy5405]

I have wanted to use systainers for a long time for my hand tool storage but couldn't find a way until recently that was going to work for me. I've also considered sortainers but couldn't see a viable way without wasting too much space even with the two big drawers. My inspiration for what I believe is a workable solution came from a guy I used to work for ages ago. He was fairly thrifty and used to use a couple of left over 10 litre round plastic paint tubs with 3 inch drain pipes cut down to form inserts. You just drop the tools in. It was crude but effective and everything was easily accessible. So I figured why not do the same with a Sys 5 and use square drainpipe. I should add that I hadn't even considered Festool/Tanos wooden handtool inserts.

It had to be quick and easy, complicated shapes and lots of woodwork weren't part of the equation. I have used no screws and minimal use of a router on the ply section. Everything is glued, using either mitre adhesive, PU adhesive or PVA adhesive depending on which bit it is. If you can see excess foam, that is the PU adhesive that I haven't cleaned up.

So here is the solution from above. It is really easy to get at everything and the most you have to do is maybe shuffle one tool on either side to access another. Everything in the middle is direct access and so is the large majority of stuff on the sides.

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The next two are the insert. I have made one part of of the centre section removable to access the space underneath but I'm not sure I'd bother another time.

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This is the contents just about squeezing into a SYS 3 and the lid does shut but I did have to be really careful how I stacked everything to get it in. It would of course be completely unworkable.

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And here are the contents laid out. Here I should point out that I am ever so slightly ashamed that my tools do seem a tad dirtier than the average FOG member but I do complete kitchens and bathrooms including all the decorating and plastering so things can get a bit messy sometimes. That is no excuse though for the way I have abused my chisels and I live in fear from a knock on the door from the people at the RSPCC (Royal Society for the prevention of cruelty to Chisels) Anyway this would be a good time to link to my portfolio just to show that my work doesn't look like my handtools.   Stuff I do

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Anyway hope that might prove as some sort of useful inspiration to others. It works for me and few weeks use will tell if my faith in adhesives is misguided or not.

Anyway that is part 1 of the project. It will sit on top of two sortainers in a sort of sysport type thingy I am currently making that will also house my Irwin clamps, 5 levels from 1800mm to 400m, 2 guide rails, hand saw, T square, framing square and some other stuff all in a footprint  of 470mm x 340mm. Well that is the plan and it seems to be working.

 

[nclemmons]

Great way to organize with a simple solution, Andy.

And I like your portfolio site!

Are those black squares in the systainer just small plastic parts containers?  They almost look like slices of square plastic tubing.

neil

 

[semenza]

That square plastic pipe looks handy for making all sorts of things.  Have to try to find some.

Seth

 

[andy5405]

That square plastic pipe looks handy for making all sorts of things.  Have to try to find some.

Seth

It's 65mm drainpipe/downpipe and does the job very nicely. It might however be too agricultural a solution for the average Festoolian's taste! I was hoping that the first project I posted would be a little more sophisticated but I am no carpenter when compared to the guys on here so I thought I would rely on something that involved a little ingenuity rather than skill.

 

[andy5405]

I've completed the rolling tool cart that the Sys 5 was intended to be part of and used it site for the first time today.

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I wanted somewhere for absolutely everything other than power tools that have their own systainer. The footprint is 500mm x 400mm and I now have easy access to guide rails, clamps, 4 levels and loads more attached to the sides along with two sortainers below that hold just about every widget and gadget I own. The bottom systainer with the two large drawers is interchangeable depending on whether the focus is on plumbing or carpentry.

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It also helped keep my bench clear yesterday when I was redoing the racking in my van. It was a joy not to have to move 10 tools to get a piece of timber on the bench. I intend to make one more roll board or possibly buy a Tanos one. That will be used for all my T-Locs and then I will be able to store everything on site within a footprint 0.4 square metres.

 

[Frank Pellow]

That looks good Andy.  [thumbs up]

I have been keeping a number of my hand tools in a systainer 5 in nesting trays that I built a few years ago:

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But, the loaded systainer is very heavy to move around.  I often restort to using a dolly when taking the systainer to job sites.  I think that I will make a smaller variation of your cart to make my "toolbox" eaiser to transport.