Tooling organization

[KGB Pilot125]

Re: Tool Organization

Lilscorpion are you in the parker area? I would love to split a 6 pack and watch, learn, be the gopher when you are working on anything. I'm right up the toll way at gartrell.

 

[Scottwi]

Check out http://www.lairdplastics.com/locations-list
They have a location in Denver and will have drops you can get fairly cheap.
I use them to buy materials for work and get drops shipped on the same load for personal stuff.

 

[Strouty]

Are you using a mill or router to do the cutouts in the plastic?

 

[Modern Jess]

Yeah hell, I know it. At some point I forgot the theme and started posting what I was working on instead of just garage related. Once I got off track I didn't know how to fix it so I just continued. Then I tried to change the title but couldn't...now it's a frankin-thread.

And I wouldn't have it any other way. I enjoy seeing the details of your projects, garage-related or not.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Scottwi]

I have a CNC table that has a spindle (router) attachment. The machine is designed for the graphics and signs. It can kiss cut decals and router up to 3/4 soft materials.

 

[MeNeedGarage]

This is a great thread. Thanks for this.

 

[lilscorpion]

Slow going on the bathrooms. Got color on the kids' mirror frames. I had to do a couple of coats inside and the last coat outside. The natural sunlight is the only way I can see all of the grain spots that don't have color.



I laid 3 coats of the clear top coat and gave them a day to get fully dry before mounting the mirrors in the frames.



Took me almost a week to mount them to the wall. Wife says it took nearly 2.



In and around life's other stuff I've been working on the drawers. What I thought would take me a weekend (no idea why I still think stuff will go quick) has taken me more than a month now. And I've even done most of the operations in batches. Last week the kitchen was the staging area for most of them.



During the week I got the four lowers in our bathroom so we could start using them.



Almost all of the drawers are straight forward drawers (rectangles) but this drawer was kinda interesting so I thought I would share. The previous vanity had only two small drawers above a desk-like opening for a chair (old school makeup counter). The two drawers were in a side by side configuration above the opening and between the two sinks. We wanted this new vanity to have wider drawers and run them all the way to the floor but we also wanted wide and under mount sinks which required them to encroach on the top drawers causing a little creativity to be in order.



The profile of the sink was cut into one side of the drawer allowing it to fit around the sink. I kinda winged the profile and it ended up nearly identical to the cutout I free handed when the counter tops were installed.





On either side of the vanity will be a single door that hides the sink plumbing and non-sense. I decided to make pull outs behind the doors too. Typically these types of drawers are $100+ upgrades (or so I've paid in the past) but I threw them in on the deal because the wife made some freakishly huge cinnamon rolls.



Unfortunately I made all of the drawers the same width as the frame only to remember, as I was installing them, that the hinges and doors wouldn't allow conventional drawers because the hinges mount to the inside of the face frame. To fix the problem I made some spacers that inset the drawers and stained them to match.



Made me feel like I was going backwards when i cut up the 4 drawers and pitched them.

 

[lilscorpion]

The spacer issue set me back a week because of stain, clear, dry time, and remaking the drawers. Fortunately the base for the spacers covered up the previous screw holes (even though no one would ever see them anyway I know they'd be there). Here's how the spacer works.



The front spacers provide clearance in two ways. The set the slide back to clear the hinge mount and in which requires the drawers only 1 inch narrower overall. The lower drawer was able to be 18-inches deep and the two uppers 9-inches.



Seems like I ended up with just a little more storage. A **** ton more I guess. My wife walked in while I was shooting the pic and said "what the hell are we going to put in all of those drawers." I shrugged - "dunno but you'll never tell me you wish you had more drawer space in the bathroom."



After the shot I installed the drawer under her sink. She only wanted one. Lame.

 

[lilscorpion]

Re: Tool Organization

Not too long ago Gregor reminded me of on of the things I shared years ago about how I broke the edges of my shop drawers with an 1/8-inch quarter round router bit. What I never liked about that method is that it left a subtle goofiness in an inner corner where the bearing comes in contact with both at the same tone causing the bit to not cut for a second. Here's an example though difficult to make out because of the thick coats of ploy.



I recently picked up this fancy little bit off of amazon that chamfers instead of cutting a radius and has a little bitty micro guide bearing. I may have shared it previously earlier.



Anyway it's perfect for the inner edges of the drawers. This shot is nearly twice as close as the previous and many times better looking.



They make the micro in a couple of different radius sizes two chamfer angles and a flush cut. Pricy at about $25 each but ideal if you need to get in tight on something.

 

[lilscorpion]

Re: Tool Organization

Lilscorpion are you in the parker area? I would love to split a 6 pack and watch, learn, be the gopher when you are working on anything. I'm right up the toll way at gartrell.

As soon as I shed this remodel stuff and I'll take you up on your offer! As these projects start to wear old on me it takes most of what I've got to stay focused and not make mistakes...yet I still do.

 

[lilscorpion]

Check out http://www.lairdplastics.com/locations-list
They have a location in Denver and will have drops you can get fairly cheap.
I use them to buy materials for work and get drops shipped on the same load for personal stuff.

Thanks for the heads up. Rems are hard to find in plastics.

 

[lilscorpion]

Are you using a mill or router to do the cutouts in the plastic?

If you were asking me - a mill for most of what I've done though I do use a router for all edge breaking and super simple stuff.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Check out http://www.lairdplastics.com/locations-list
They have a location in Denver and will have drops you can get fairly cheap.
I use them to buy materials for work and get drops shipped on the same load for personal stuff.

Great Lead! I've never heard of them but now will make it a point to check them out next time a project leads me to plastic!

Dennis

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I'm getting confused. Are you also going to store tools in the bathroom? Great idea. Never thought of doing that.

 

[lilscorpion]

I'm getting confused. Are you also going to store tools in the bathroom? Great idea. Never thought of doing that.

Well i suppose it depends on if you consider a toothbrush, a razor, and curling irons tools or not. Amazon and the broader Google seems to think there's such thing as "beauty tools".

I've had some ask when I'll actually work in the garage instead of in it and others only want to see tooling specific. I've considered switching the title to be more generic to support my preference to not have more than one on going thread. I'll try to get a little more content around the garage stuff. Unfortunately I've not snapped many in that regard recently because I'm trying to move quickly..

 

[mdbeck1]

Well i suppose it depends on if you consider a toothbrush, a razor, and curling irons tools or not. Amazon and the broader Google seems to think there's such thing as "beauty tools".

I've had some ask when I'll actually work in the garage instead of in it and others only want to see tooling specific. I've considered switching the title to be more generic to support my preference to not have more than one on going thread. I'll try to get a little more content around the garage stuff. Unfortunately I've not snapped many in that regard recently because I'm trying to move quickly..

Put my vote in for showing us what you're doing. You've got a lot of skill and I've picked up a few tips.

Note: On the drawer faces - inside radius'.... You can always get a real fine file or a sanding block to cut those corners close. They may not be totally uniform but the wife will probably never see it. I've actually done a few of the small ones with a pocketknife. If she noticed she never said a thing.

 

[lilscorpion]

While poking around I stumbled across a fascinating way to build shop cabinets. It does require you have a few key Festools but if you do, a set of garage cabinets and organization is much less complicated than how I went about them years ago for my shop. I also like their use of fixtures. "Chaos Theory Cabinets"

The vids are German and I watched them with audio off. [emoji16]

For connectors like used in the videos below checkout www.hafele.com - products >> connectors hinges and slides >> connectors: cam & bolt, cam & dowel, honeycomb

 

[Scottwi]

Sure I was all set to buy a different brand of track saw and you had to post this.

I love your thread. I have "borrowed" many of your ideas.

Keep them coming.

 

[Sal Bandini]

Those are some nice videos but to me they are mostly a marketing tool for Festool.

That build approach is better suited for production volumes. I would imagine the bottom pieces would all be cut to pre-determined lengths and you would just connect all the sides with hardware.

If I were making cabinets in my garage I would probably use one piece for the bottom and attach verticals with either dado , biscuits, or pocket screws. That hardware cost adds up fast.

 

[Huxley]

6 min into the first video and they have only made 3 cuts. I did like the "Barry White-esque" soundtrack in the beginning though.

I prefer watching comedy when I am up at 3AM.

 

[paranoid56]

Sure I was all set to buy a different brand of track saw and you had to post this.

I love your thread. I have "borrowed" many of your ideas.

Keep them coming.

same here, been looking at tracksaws, and keep coming back to the festool one. why does it have to be 2x the cost of others? lol

 

[lilscorpion]

Those are some nice videos but to me they are mostly a marketing tool for Festool.

That build approach is better suited for production volumes. I would imagine the bottom pieces would all be cut to pre-determined lengths and you would just connect all the sides with hardware.

If I were making cabinets in my garage I would probably use one piece for the bottom and attach verticals with either dado , biscuits, or pocket screws. That hardware cost adds up fast.

I agree and disagree on all your points -

Festools themselves are marketing tools and so is everything they do.

The processes and fixtures used makes building one as efficient as building ten (per unit). That in and of itself is cool. Secondarily, being able to disassemble them and move them elsewhere is cool (though I may never need to).

I've never built cabinets this way - which is why it's interesting and makes me want to a little. I'd bet the hardware cost wouldn't be that much more...guessing though.

 

[lilscorpion]

same here, been looking at tracksaws, and keep coming back to the festool one. why does it have to be 2x the cost of others? lol

Initially I thought the same thing. I'm pleased I went ahead and got one. It works so well and has been extremely useful In ways I had not considered. Is a festool TS better than another brand? I couldn't say. I just know I don't regret buying it and very much enjoy using it eah and every time.

 

[icecactus]

same here, been looking at tracksaws, and keep coming back to the festool one. why does it have to be 2x the cost of others? lol

I finally bought one and wish I would not have waited so long. In fact, I did everything to avoid buying one. If you look at my garage thread you can see I even built addon tables for my table saw so I could avoid buying a festool track saw. The tables worked, but not as well as I would have liked. My only regret with the festool track saw is not buying one earlier. I would have actually saved money and time.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

Weekends get ate up with spending time w/ the wife (no kids) ....

Replying to an old post, I know, but I have to say it.

After you've been married for a while, you'll have more time on the weekends.





.

 

[boiler7904]

Initially I thought the same thing. I'm pleased I went ahead and got one. It works so well and has been extremely useful In ways I had not considered. Is a festool TS better than another brand? I couldn't say. I just know I don't regret buying it and very much enjoy using it eah and every time.

I bought the DeWalt tracksaw about 5 years ago and while it's a good tool, I regret buying it. Main reason is that accessory availability is limited - I don't see much in the aftermarket and most dealers seem to have a tough time stocking DeWalt accessories. Also, Festool is constantly adding to their track system while DeWalt is apparently fine with letting the system languish as it is.

 

[Sal Bandini]

I agree and disagree on all your points -

Festools themselves are marketing tools and so is everything they do.

The processes and fixtures used makes building one as efficient as building ten (per unit). That in and of itself is cool. Secondarily, being able to disassemble them and move them elsewhere is cool (though I may never need to).

I've never built cabinets this way - which is why it's interesting and makes me want to a little. I'd bet the hardware cost wouldn't be that much more...guessing though.

Lol how can you agree AND disagree with a point?

Ok, more seriously, I agree that the cabinet build is intriguing. I like many of the ideas, but I still think it (and the Hafele hardware) is better for production environment. It is something I am thinking about, though, since you posted the videos. I plan on building cabinets for my garage but haven't decided on how I will proceed yet. These vids give me different perspective.

One thing I disagree with is you saying you need a certain amount of Festool to do this. You can build those without any Festool.

 

[lilscorpion]

Lol how can you agree AND disagree with a point?



One thing I disagree with is you saying you need a certain amount of Festool to do this. You can build those without any Festool.

Ha! Agree/Disagree example: Festool most certainly, in everything they do, take advantage of the moment for marketing. At the same time I have learned quite a bit from them because the content is valuable.

You could easily build those cabinets without any Festools. I meant if you followed the video as a class you'd need them (LR32, TS, etc).

 

[lilscorpion]

My only regret with the festool track saw is not buying one earlier. I would have actually saved money and time.

That was my experience as well. Based on what I've read from others it's quite common. What I also learned is that the table saw and track saw are complimentary. One without the other leaves you limited. Having both has really improved my workflow.

 

[Scottwi]

I bought the DeWalt tracksaw about 5 years ago and while it's a good tool, I regret buying it. Main reason is that accessory availability is limited - I don't see much in the aftermarket and most dealers seem to have a tough time stocking DeWalt accessories. Also, Festool is constantly adding to their track system while DeWalt is apparently fine with letting the system languish as it is.

I have looked for accessories for other track systems and the only other system I have found is the EZSmart. They have a router attachment and a bridge for cross cuts similar to Festool. I also like their system because I do not need to buy thier saw or router, they sell the mounts to fit your tools.

 

[lilscorpion]

I'm getting confused. Are you also going to store tools in the bathroom? Great idea. Never thought of doing that.

I was working on the bathroom and needed to "clean up" so the wife could get ready for bed. In that moment I realized that I could make many of you content with the bathroom remodel in my tooling organization thread with no more than a single picture.

 

[Duker]

.....One without the other leaves you limited. Having both has really improved my workflow.

My experience as well. While I love my table saw for most cutting operations it is hard to beat the festool when cutting a 4' x 8' sheet diagonally or cutting a 1" thick full sheet of mdf which the weight alone will kill you trying to muscle it into a table saw.

 

[Strouty]

I was working on the bathroom and needed to "clean up" so the wife could get ready for bed. In that moment I realized that I could make many of you content with the bathroom remodel in my tooling organization thread with no more than a single picture.

So is that stuff staying in the bathroom? Just in case you wake up going through withdrawals from the shop organizing?

 

[lilscorpion]

So is that stuff staying in the bathroom? Just in case you wake up going through withdrawals from the shop organizing?

Since I only get to work in the house during the weekend progress has been slow. Slow progress also means the tools either live in there or I move them in when I need them and out at the end of the day (or weekend). I've grown tired of the in and out so yes, they're going to stay there for a while. [emoji16]

 

[boiler7904]

Since I only get to work in the house during the weekend progress has been slow. Slow progress also means the tools either live in there or I move them in when I need them and out at the end of the day (or weekend). I've grown tired of the in and out so yes, they're going to stay there for a while. [emoji16]

I did the same thing last year when renovating our living room. Scaffolding became a piece of furniture that I stored a bunch of tools on during the week until I could work on the weekends. What I thought would be 2-3 weeks, a month max turned into almost 5 months by the time everything was said and done.

 

[lilscorpion]

I did the same thing last year when renovating our living room. Scaffolding became a piece of furniture that I stored a bunch of tools on during the week until I could work on the weekends. What I thought would be 2-3 weeks, a month max turned into almost 5 months by the time everything was said and done.

It's hilarious how the pattern is consistent for similar types of people. I keep thinking at some point I'll remember it always takes (way) longer than I think but I can only seem to remember when I'm fully in a project not before I start one.

 

[jeff g]

I did the same thing last year when renovating our living room. Scaffolding became a piece of furniture that I stored a bunch of tools on during the week until I could work on the weekends. What I thought would be 2-3 weeks, a month max turned into almost 5 months by the time everything was said and done.

Hi
I am going to show this to the wife, it is not just me that take more time to do a job, but she will say it takes me years not months. LOL

Ps great thread

 

[Sal Bandini]

Ha! Agree/Disagree example: Festool most certainly, in everything they do, take advantage of the moment for marketing. At the same time I have learned quite a bit from them because the content is valuable.

You could easily build those cabinets without any Festools. I meant if you followed the video as a class you'd need them (LR32, TS, etc).

Question: Can you buy the TS w/o the standard track and instead get the LR32 track? That would be potential big cost savings.

 

[Sal Bandini]

Ha! Agree/Disagree example: Festool most certainly, in everything they do, take advantage of the moment for marketing. At the same time I have learned quite a bit from them because the content is valuable.

You could easily build those cabinets without any Festools. I meant if you followed the video as a class you'd need them (LR32, TS, etc).

And I agree those videos were valuable. I've been thinking more about 32mm.

My big beef about 32mm system is the Swiss cheese look. I guess you could just drill holes where the slides would be and then maybe 3-5 holes in area where shelf would go.

 

[lilscorpion]

Question: Can you buy the TS w/o the standard track and instead get the LR32 track? That would be potential big cost savings.

Rumor has it that some dealers will allow the substitution of the LR32 rail for the standard on (plus price difference if there is one) but I didn't know enough at my TS purchase to try to know if it's common or not. Had I known this I would have certainly tried.

I currently have 4 different length rails and use all of them. I have no need for two of any of them though (although you can by connectors and turn two into one longer but I've heard that some have problems doing so).