XJSuperman
Well-known member
Im beginning to wonder if you just like making cabinets lol.
Tooling (Re)Organization
- Thread starter lilscorpion
- Start date
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
XJSuperman said:
You’re not the only one. This weekend I realized I’m running out of steam and I’ve not done much actual organization yet other than loading my new drawers. In that realization I also began to feel like my posts may not be of value at the weekend level of frequency and that maybe I should just consolidate and post either bi-weekly, monthly, or only when I have something worthy of posting. Maybe I need to go on a vision quest.
Nooooo don't hold out on us!! We love cabinet posts! Post away every week if you have time please.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
As I’m sure it’s become fairly clear by now, I’ve become somewhat of a fan of organizing with sustainers and in a recent post I shared why (mobile drawers enable me to take my tools to the project be it inside or hundreds of miles away). Somewhere after buying my first Festool I became fascinated in all the ways people organize with tools. As I come up with more ways to incorporate them into my shop strategy I’ve also learned that I needed to find sources where I could buy them at a discount. Unfortunately, Festool and Tanos (same parent company) appear to enforce minimum pricing agreements in the US so there really aren’t any deals to be had…until recently I stumbled across a sourcing trick that was so damn obvious I never thought to look.
Festool is a German tool company. Due to a variety of import requirements, regulations, and business reasons, not all tools are available in North America. Some peeps actually purchase some of these items while traveling abroad and have reported much lower prices than we see in the states. If you don’t travel abroad though, this method of acquiring these items isn’t feasible. Another option however is actually a few keystrokes away - introducing Amazon.de.
If you’re using the Amazon mobile app - once in the Amazon app, you must change your “country”. To switch, go to your account settings menu and click on the “settings flag”

Then click “Country & Language”

Then click the Country chooser

Now you can switch to any of the Amazon’s and view their catalog, order using your account, cards, info, etc. Since we’re looking for sustainers, select Germany.
If you’re using a desktop/laptop - use your browser and navigate to amazon.de. You’ll notice immediately that everything is in German. To switch to english look for the little globe icon with “DE” next to it and click it. A menu will appear that enables you to set your language preference.

Now that it’s in english, log in using your regular amazon credentials.
Back to sourcing systainers
While shopping from a foreign Amazon you’ll find that not all sellers will ship to the US. In the mobile app you’ll see a message like this -
I have found that the festool branded models are the systainers which most frequently can be shipped to the US. To save you some time, search “Festool Systainers”. At the bottom of the post I'll include a pricing example grid. Here I'll give an example to illustrate the kind of deals that are possible if you’re willing to wait an extra week for shipping.
E.g. - the Sys-Combi Systainer. This is a recent add to the Systainer lineup which has an upper compartment just like a Systainer 2 as well as a drawer below for accessory storage. In the states you’ll be challenged to find it for less than $150 and even Amazon sells it at that price.

A search on the German Amazon it’s EUR 72
After going through Amazon’s currency converter and removing VAT and adding back shipping to my door it’s $93.57. That’s a savings of over 1/3rd ($56.43) to my door. Ignore the delivery estimate, I took the screen shot around the 22nd of April so the estimated shipping time was about 2 weeks. My experience thus far is it takes slightly longer than a week to get to Denver, Co from Germany. For a 33% savings and a week longer in transit, I’ll wait.
As my thread moves forward you’ll likely begin to wonder if I’m nuts for buying so many systainers. The answer is yes however I’m not paying what you might perceive as full price and I’ve ordered/accumulated them over time (a couple a month for months now).
Here's some of the differences at the time of this post (remember there will be some shipping cost added in). If you look closely at the grid, some of the items are much cheaper. Oddly enough, the biggest savings are on the newest models. I suppose the other way to say it is - we're being gouged in the US for the newest models.
Words of caution - I've not yet dealt with Amazon.de. I have no idea if replacing a damaged item will be a nightmare or not. I suspect there will be some challenges - language could be one. Getting them to pay return shipping might be interesting. As of now I've received quite a few boxes from them and not one has been damaged. Also, you might be excited for a minute and price compare some power tools. Remember that electrical tools run off of different power in other countries thus have different motors than us in the US. Sure you can switch the cord, the motors may run, but they're designed differently which could lead to fault or other problems. To date, the only thing i've purchased from Amazon.de is systainers.
Festool is a German tool company. Due to a variety of import requirements, regulations, and business reasons, not all tools are available in North America. Some peeps actually purchase some of these items while traveling abroad and have reported much lower prices than we see in the states. If you don’t travel abroad though, this method of acquiring these items isn’t feasible. Another option however is actually a few keystrokes away - introducing Amazon.de.
If you’re using the Amazon mobile app - once in the Amazon app, you must change your “country”. To switch, go to your account settings menu and click on the “settings flag”

Then click “Country & Language”
Then click the Country chooser

Now you can switch to any of the Amazon’s and view their catalog, order using your account, cards, info, etc. Since we’re looking for sustainers, select Germany.
If you’re using a desktop/laptop - use your browser and navigate to amazon.de. You’ll notice immediately that everything is in German. To switch to english look for the little globe icon with “DE” next to it and click it. A menu will appear that enables you to set your language preference.

Now that it’s in english, log in using your regular amazon credentials.
Back to sourcing systainers
While shopping from a foreign Amazon you’ll find that not all sellers will ship to the US. In the mobile app you’ll see a message like this -
I have found that the festool branded models are the systainers which most frequently can be shipped to the US. To save you some time, search “Festool Systainers”. At the bottom of the post I'll include a pricing example grid. Here I'll give an example to illustrate the kind of deals that are possible if you’re willing to wait an extra week for shipping.
E.g. - the Sys-Combi Systainer. This is a recent add to the Systainer lineup which has an upper compartment just like a Systainer 2 as well as a drawer below for accessory storage. In the states you’ll be challenged to find it for less than $150 and even Amazon sells it at that price.

A search on the German Amazon it’s EUR 72
After going through Amazon’s currency converter and removing VAT and adding back shipping to my door it’s $93.57. That’s a savings of over 1/3rd ($56.43) to my door. Ignore the delivery estimate, I took the screen shot around the 22nd of April so the estimated shipping time was about 2 weeks. My experience thus far is it takes slightly longer than a week to get to Denver, Co from Germany. For a 33% savings and a week longer in transit, I’ll wait.
As my thread moves forward you’ll likely begin to wonder if I’m nuts for buying so many systainers. The answer is yes however I’m not paying what you might perceive as full price and I’ve ordered/accumulated them over time (a couple a month for months now).
Here's some of the differences at the time of this post (remember there will be some shipping cost added in). If you look closely at the grid, some of the items are much cheaper. Oddly enough, the biggest savings are on the newest models. I suppose the other way to say it is - we're being gouged in the US for the newest models.
Words of caution - I've not yet dealt with Amazon.de. I have no idea if replacing a damaged item will be a nightmare or not. I suspect there will be some challenges - language could be one. Getting them to pay return shipping might be interesting. As of now I've received quite a few boxes from them and not one has been damaged. Also, you might be excited for a minute and price compare some power tools. Remember that electrical tools run off of different power in other countries thus have different motors than us in the US. Sure you can switch the cord, the motors may run, but they're designed differently which could lead to fault or other problems. To date, the only thing i've purchased from Amazon.de is systainers.
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I looked down this avenue last year when deciding which Festool extractor to purchase; wanted to see if the discount was worth it. There ended up being a distributor around the corner who gave a hush discount, so I skipped the overseas risk.
b-dog
Well-known member
Subscribed and just realized you are in Denver. I'm in Lakewood.
Did you get the pocket hole plugs yet? We're all eagerly waiting to see those put in!
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
blatterjr said:
I like hush discounts. Either the dealers I know don’t give ‘em to guys like me or I have a kick me sign on my back that also says sucker. Lol
b-dog said:
Actually Parker. I used to be in Denver and apparently haven’t updated my profile since.
Oh, the plug thing. You guys were serious? I actually do have black plugs (left overs from building the furniture for my son’s room) but I hasn’t really planned on putting them in because they’re kids ugly. If it makes you guys feel better I guess I could try this weekend..
Well, as much as those tools cost, I may have received a discount, but I might still have the kick me sign too.
I wish I knew about the AH Turf discount by calling them. I dropped about $700 for my kitchen hardware. Next time I guess...
Since you were talking Hitachi nail guns, I get Hiyachi stuff from http://www.bigskytool.com. The Class C reconditioned stuff is in fantastic shape. My 23 gauge pinner looked brand new. They even threw in a pair of safety glasses and a small thing of oil.
I know you are the hunt for systainers but have you tried to find any of the other festool accessories (LR32 for example) through the German amazon site?
Since you were talking Hitachi nail guns, I get Hiyachi stuff from http://www.bigskytool.com. The Class C reconditioned stuff is in fantastic shape. My 23 gauge pinner looked brand new. They even threw in a pair of safety glasses and a small thing of oil.
I know you are the hunt for systainers but have you tried to find any of the other festool accessories (LR32 for example) through the German amazon site?
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
tab2 said:
I’ll reply to your other stuff in a second...
Looks like you could save over a hundred on the full kit and it does ship to the US.
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OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I hear you. I think I’d spent thousands before I found AHTurf and then thousands before I learned to call. It’s painful to think what 10-15% of my total drawer-slide purchase would be over the last 5 years..tab2 said:
tab2 said:
Thanks for the link. I’ve not yet tried the reconditioned tool thing yet. I’ve heard others say they’ve had very good luck and the savings makes it very compelling. So as I have a need I’ll order one up. Are they all the current (new) models?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Upper Cabinets Part 2
Though I really wanted to spend my time this weekend building modules (power tool storage) and starting in on some general organization, I needed to wrap up the shelving over the lathe so I could get more of the stuff off the floor and out from under my feet so I can more easily move around the shop. To finish the wall above the lathe I have two more 36-inch cabinets to build and I need to figure out what I’m doing with the upper cabinet over the tooling bench. The uppers above the lathe go together and install the same as the previous cabinets .

As luck would have it, the last cabinet ends right where the lathe ends. Unfortunately the floating shelf above it is now about a foot short off the end of the cabinet but I can live with it for now (maybe forever).

Now for the cabinet over the tooling bench. Since the new bench is about 18-inches longer than the old bench, both the upper and the R-8 tooling rack needed to be adjusted. I already re-did the tooling rack so that leaves just the upper.

I removed the upper cabinet from the wall

and did some thinking at the main bench. Dimensionally it’s close to the standard dimensions however it’s slightly under-sized so I decided to rebuild the whole thing. I removed all of the lights to save for later.

Built and installed a cabinet over the bench.

taking a step back, the right side of the tandem garage is mostly done. A little trim work and some shelves and the base cabinets are ready for customization.

and a look back at the left side of the tandem garage. The main bench and upper cabinets are done less some trim and finish work.

and the omni-view

Though I really wanted to spend my time this weekend building modules (power tool storage) and starting in on some general organization, I needed to wrap up the shelving over the lathe so I could get more of the stuff off the floor and out from under my feet so I can more easily move around the shop. To finish the wall above the lathe I have two more 36-inch cabinets to build and I need to figure out what I’m doing with the upper cabinet over the tooling bench. The uppers above the lathe go together and install the same as the previous cabinets .

As luck would have it, the last cabinet ends right where the lathe ends. Unfortunately the floating shelf above it is now about a foot short off the end of the cabinet but I can live with it for now (maybe forever).

Now for the cabinet over the tooling bench. Since the new bench is about 18-inches longer than the old bench, both the upper and the R-8 tooling rack needed to be adjusted. I already re-did the tooling rack so that leaves just the upper.

I removed the upper cabinet from the wall

and did some thinking at the main bench. Dimensionally it’s close to the standard dimensions however it’s slightly under-sized so I decided to rebuild the whole thing. I removed all of the lights to save for later.

Built and installed a cabinet over the bench.

taking a step back, the right side of the tandem garage is mostly done. A little trim work and some shelves and the base cabinets are ready for customization.

and a look back at the left side of the tandem garage. The main bench and upper cabinets are done less some trim and finish work.

and the omni-view

OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
The First "module"
With all of the cabinets being the same, I have the flexibility of moving any of the organizers, drawers, shelves, etc to another part of the garage as my needs and workflows change and/or evolve over time. That means that there's no real need to build a shelf for a specific location or worry about how it fits, I can simply worry about how to store the tool by building it a "module". Today I started in on the first one more out of need than anything else. Ever since I took down the old cabinets above the lathe my tooling holders have stayed stacked up on top of the lathe. They're not in the lathe unless I want to use it (I have not) but the day will come and as soon as it does I'll likely spend the first hour cussing while I attempt to find a place to stash the tooling while I use the lathe.
So, I'll start with some Aloris CA Tool Holder Trays. I needed a way to access the holders easily when loading the lathe. Previously I was only able to take advantage of the front half of the cabinet because I could reach the rear (blocked by the front row). This go round I wanted to be able to pull the tools out (think telescoping shelf) so I could easily access the rear. A month or so ago I stumbled across these locking drawer slides (Accuride Part # 9308) and found that they had them in 12-inches deep which was exactly what I'd need for my cabinets.
The locking drawer slides are cool. They lock in both in and out positions. This means that if I were able to make retainers that held the CA tool holders to the tray, I could actually pull them out over the top of the lathe and lock it in place while changing tools. I was a little too excited to not be building cabinets and, as a result, I failed to take a bunch of pictures of the process.
The one of the left was the first one I made and at the time I thought I liked the idea of the rack sitting flush with the cabinet face. The more I began to pretend to use the lathe and load tooling the more I realized that I’d prefer to have a lip on the front of the drawer. Unfortunately, my learning moment happened a little too late so I didn’t have enough to remake the left one so it’ll have to do for now. I wasn't disappointed though. I figured I could try them out for a little while and see which one I liked better (It'll be the one that sticks out
.

It’s unlikely that I’d ever run the lathe with the tooling trays extended over the lathe. I did consider adding some LED lights to the bottom of the lips to increase the light over the lathe chuck/tooling area but I’ll have to wait and see how it all comes together and use it for a while before I go there.

I still have a little bit to work out on these trays. I know I want to surface them with laminate and then machine some tool holder retainers so they can't move around on the trays. I'm considering machine the retainers to work like the tool holder on the lathe. It would keep them from moving around and would allow them to come off unless you lift directly up which is what I need if the trays are to remain (mostly) flat.
Overall I’m digging these locking drawer slides. I’ve seen them online before but never played with them. The locking component isn’t extremely consistent on both sides so you have to give it a little tug to get them to lock into place every time. After playing with it for a bit I can get them to lock out almost every time. The more I played with them the more I got to thinking and managed to sketch out some other ideas on how I could use them in the shop...
With all of the cabinets being the same, I have the flexibility of moving any of the organizers, drawers, shelves, etc to another part of the garage as my needs and workflows change and/or evolve over time. That means that there's no real need to build a shelf for a specific location or worry about how it fits, I can simply worry about how to store the tool by building it a "module". Today I started in on the first one more out of need than anything else. Ever since I took down the old cabinets above the lathe my tooling holders have stayed stacked up on top of the lathe. They're not in the lathe unless I want to use it (I have not) but the day will come and as soon as it does I'll likely spend the first hour cussing while I attempt to find a place to stash the tooling while I use the lathe.
So, I'll start with some Aloris CA Tool Holder Trays. I needed a way to access the holders easily when loading the lathe. Previously I was only able to take advantage of the front half of the cabinet because I could reach the rear (blocked by the front row). This go round I wanted to be able to pull the tools out (think telescoping shelf) so I could easily access the rear. A month or so ago I stumbled across these locking drawer slides (Accuride Part # 9308) and found that they had them in 12-inches deep which was exactly what I'd need for my cabinets.
The locking drawer slides are cool. They lock in both in and out positions. This means that if I were able to make retainers that held the CA tool holders to the tray, I could actually pull them out over the top of the lathe and lock it in place while changing tools. I was a little too excited to not be building cabinets and, as a result, I failed to take a bunch of pictures of the process.
The one of the left was the first one I made and at the time I thought I liked the idea of the rack sitting flush with the cabinet face. The more I began to pretend to use the lathe and load tooling the more I realized that I’d prefer to have a lip on the front of the drawer. Unfortunately, my learning moment happened a little too late so I didn’t have enough to remake the left one so it’ll have to do for now. I wasn't disappointed though. I figured I could try them out for a little while and see which one I liked better (It'll be the one that sticks out
.
It’s unlikely that I’d ever run the lathe with the tooling trays extended over the lathe. I did consider adding some LED lights to the bottom of the lips to increase the light over the lathe chuck/tooling area but I’ll have to wait and see how it all comes together and use it for a while before I go there.

I still have a little bit to work out on these trays. I know I want to surface them with laminate and then machine some tool holder retainers so they can't move around on the trays. I'm considering machine the retainers to work like the tool holder on the lathe. It would keep them from moving around and would allow them to come off unless you lift directly up which is what I need if the trays are to remain (mostly) flat.
Overall I’m digging these locking drawer slides. I’ve seen them online before but never played with them. The locking component isn’t extremely consistent on both sides so you have to give it a little tug to get them to lock into place every time. After playing with it for a bit I can get them to lock out almost every time. The more I played with them the more I got to thinking and managed to sketch out some other ideas on how I could use them in the shop...
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Tyberius
Well-known member
Is there usable space under the tooling holders or are they open on the bottom? Are the tops of the trays permanently affixed?
mod600
Well-known member
lilscorpion -
Where do you buy your plastic material? (The Starboard and HDPE)
Thanks!
Where do you buy your plastic material? (The Starboard and HDPE)
Thanks!
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
mod600 said:
I used to be able to get 24x24’s in red, green, and white from woodcraft but they dropped it from their catalog. I’ve tried local dealers and and they only want to sell full sheets. Now my only source is eBay. Look for “HDPE sheet” or “starboard”.
Starboard is available in white, Black, and a sea foam blue. It’s sold in a variety of thicknesses by 1/4” increments from 1/4 up to 1.5”.
HDPE sheet can be found in a mess of different colors, thicknesses, and sizes.
Tyberius said:
They’re open on the bottom with some internal bracing to support the weight. Its like an upside down drawer with nothing in it.
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neilc
Well-known member
Amazon also offers HDPE. Another alternative is PVC sheet. You can get it at Home Depot.
Strouty
Well-known member
Amazon.DE works well, I also use Amazon.JP for other tools.
Now I am going to be a bit on the critical side......... The shelves for the aloris holders seems like a lot of wasted space. If you were using it for collets and they were going to be recessed I could see it that way. You will probably have a plan that none of us know about, so sorry if I am being too forward, love watching the transformation, don't want to scare aways updates!
Now I am going to be a bit on the critical side......... The shelves for the aloris holders seems like a lot of wasted space. If you were using it for collets and they were going to be recessed I could see it that way. You will probably have a plan that none of us know about, so sorry if I am being too forward, love watching the transformation, don't want to scare aways updates!
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
neilc said:
Good call out. I’d never looked before (absolutely amazes me) and the prices are actually better for some sizes than I’ve gotten on eBay.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Strouty said:
What kinds/brands?
Strouty said:
No, you’re right. There’s nothing inherently creative or space saving in the design. In fact I probably need to re-think the plan. I didn’t like the idea of them being in drawers when up that high but maybe I should make one and see how I like it.
I do appreciate the feedback.
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b-dog
Well-known member
Honestly, I didn't understand the intent with those platform drawers either but I was waiting to see what happened. I assumed you were going to do something more with them and I'd think, "aaahhhh, that's awesome".
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I just came in from the garage where I stood in front of these drawers for about a hour where I drank a few beers and spent some time thinking through what I was really trying to accomplish. On the third beer I had an idea, followed almost immediately by another. Hmm, maybe at beer 3 I enter a "creative zone"? Need to order a few parts.
/http://s3.amazonaws.com/manmadediy-uploads-production/photos/15692/cliff-clavin-on-beer-reprint-of-a-classic-diatribe-from-chee-demotivational-poster.jpg)
Strouty
Well-known member
I tend to buy obscure stuff, they don't have the easiest search, so I kind of stumble on things. We have a great thread that helps open my wallet..............
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97563
One brand I really want to like, but the company lies about where the product is made (Taiwan, not Japan) is TONE. Good quality and unique offerings. Koken is some great stuff, but not very available on Amazon. I also like 3 Peaks, Merry, and Engineer for pliers. The screw extraction pliers are worth their weight in gold.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
27 - Tooling (re)Organization
Router Plate Module
I have a new module to share with you guys. If you followed my old thread you may remember the “Router Buddies” that I made. Both were slightly different in how the router plate was oriented.

The intent was to be able to switch between power tools based on project using whichever buddy was the right one for the job...in theory.

I had 4 power tools mounted to compatible plates. Two ended up staying in the buddies (bandsaw and occulting spindle sander) two of them needed to be stored somewhere (the two routers). Given their goofy shape, I never found a really good place that made them easily accessible and yet kept them out of the way. If you leave the router bit in a setup position, you have to store it motor down like this.tgisBest way syoreducive way

If you’re willing to retract the bit you can store it nicely like this hunk of router (3.5HP). Retracting the bit every time is dumb though. I’d like to be able to set up each router with a common bit (pattern or chamfer for example) and swap the entire setup in when a project called for it. If I leave both bits retracted in storage, I’d add a setup (and cleanup) activity to each time I’d want to incorporate a router in a flow. Not very optimized. Either way, I ended up tucking both of them away in the back corner of one of the cabinets and, as a result, never used them. So I need a module that makes both of these routers easily accessible and allows me to store them “loaded” and ready to go. today.
I started with laying the routers face down on a shelf blank. The two side by side matched near perfectly with the blank shelf dimensions. That was in no way planned, it was complete luck.

Since the plan is to hang the router by the plates, I’ll need to cut relief slots so the router bodies can hang through.

I sketched out the basic shapes on the shelf blank.

Though the CNC knee mill is slightly overkill for the task, I like to use it for taskss like this because it gives perfectly accurate results.

After a few ops

Using the table saw I then extend the shapes to the leading shelf edge.

Test fitting the routers. The fit really well.

I want this to be a module and all one piece so I’m going to add a base to the assembly and connect it to the top with strengthening ribs including one in the middle.

Here is the completed module.

Previously I was using cable cuffs to keep the cords bundled together. Ive learned that the most efficient way to store and bundle the fire is using Wrap Straps.

I can quickly wrap the wire around the machine and tie it off with the wrap strap. Might take 10 seconds.

Install the shelf and load it up. Easy money.

It’s so easy now to take our each router and equally as easy putting them away with a router bit loaded or retracted.

For now it’ll stay above the main bench out of the way. Once I decide where I’ll use them, I’ll relocate the module to a cabinet closer to that work area.

Router Plate Module
I have a new module to share with you guys. If you followed my old thread you may remember the “Router Buddies” that I made. Both were slightly different in how the router plate was oriented.

The intent was to be able to switch between power tools based on project using whichever buddy was the right one for the job...in theory.

I had 4 power tools mounted to compatible plates. Two ended up staying in the buddies (bandsaw and occulting spindle sander) two of them needed to be stored somewhere (the two routers). Given their goofy shape, I never found a really good place that made them easily accessible and yet kept them out of the way. If you leave the router bit in a setup position, you have to store it motor down like this.tgisBest way syoreducive way

If you’re willing to retract the bit you can store it nicely like this hunk of router (3.5HP). Retracting the bit every time is dumb though. I’d like to be able to set up each router with a common bit (pattern or chamfer for example) and swap the entire setup in when a project called for it. If I leave both bits retracted in storage, I’d add a setup (and cleanup) activity to each time I’d want to incorporate a router in a flow. Not very optimized. Either way, I ended up tucking both of them away in the back corner of one of the cabinets and, as a result, never used them. So I need a module that makes both of these routers easily accessible and allows me to store them “loaded” and ready to go. today.
I started with laying the routers face down on a shelf blank. The two side by side matched near perfectly with the blank shelf dimensions. That was in no way planned, it was complete luck.

Since the plan is to hang the router by the plates, I’ll need to cut relief slots so the router bodies can hang through.

I sketched out the basic shapes on the shelf blank.

Though the CNC knee mill is slightly overkill for the task, I like to use it for taskss like this because it gives perfectly accurate results.

After a few ops

Using the table saw I then extend the shapes to the leading shelf edge.

Test fitting the routers. The fit really well.

I want this to be a module and all one piece so I’m going to add a base to the assembly and connect it to the top with strengthening ribs including one in the middle.

Here is the completed module.

Previously I was using cable cuffs to keep the cords bundled together. Ive learned that the most efficient way to store and bundle the fire is using Wrap Straps.

I can quickly wrap the wire around the machine and tie it off with the wrap strap. Might take 10 seconds.

Install the shelf and load it up. Easy money.

It’s so easy now to take our each router and equally as easy putting them away with a router bit loaded or retracted.

For now it’ll stay above the main bench out of the way. Once I decide where I’ll use them, I’ll relocate the module to a cabinet closer to that work area.

Strouty
Well-known member
That is slick!
Also never thought about using mill for wood. How deep can you cut in one pass?
I just bought a 2 axis CNC Bridgeport and this is very interesting.
Also never thought about using mill for wood. How deep can you cut in one pass?
I just bought a 2 axis CNC Bridgeport and this is very interesting.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Strouty said:
Sweet, is it in good shape?
I use the CNC on wood all the time now which is almost hilarious considering a router table is so much cheaper in all regards and has a much larger cutting capacity.
DOC - I usually take about 1/4 inch @ 3000 rpm traveling at 15 - 25 ipm. I don’t really know how hard to push it settings-wise but with a 2-flute wood cutting end mill I get a really nice finish in most materials. I have a vacuum setup that attempts to clear out the shavings, and it does work, but not extremely well. If I could get the chips out I might try pushing it harder.
I don’t use it for pockets only cutting profiles. If I need to cut a pocket I make a template on the CNC and then use a pattern bit in a router to do the rest.
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BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Any progress on the FT-5?
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
It got moved from the coffee table in the family room to the coffee table in the living room AND i purchased an enclosure kit for it. I do need to spend some time on it, I'm probably a few weeks away from wanting to begin to play with making parts.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Router Buddies Mk2
A few weeks ago I built some lathe tooling trays which ran on some extreme duty locking drawer sides. Though the concept itself was flawed (it turned out that I really just wanted to get the tooling off the top of the lathe) but, as I was attempting to come up with a better idea, it occurred to me that the concept would be better suited for something entirely different...
As I eluded to in the last post regarding the router plate storage module, the router buddies didn’t end up working out the way I’d planned. Part of that was due to how I chose to store the power tools that weren’t in use (resolved last time) and the second half of the challenge was the design of the router buddies was inherently flawed. The original concept was to build portable mini-router tables that could be easily moved around the shop. Conceptually it was a winner as long as you had french cleats everywhere and I had every intent on adding them to every open wall on all walls so I could have the flexibility to move things where I needed them. As it turned out, I never built another french cleat wall. I never even hung up another strip. Honestly, after having them on two walls, I really started not liking them very much. Not enough to tear them down but enough to not build more.
As far as the buddies go, the idea was neat in concept however there were some challenges that presented themselves almost immediately after I attempted to incorporate them into my work flow. An example - any idea what's wrong with this design?
Ok, may not be obviously but how well do you think a conventional miter gauge would work in the slot when it runs directly into the wall? yeah, it doesn’t. Right after I built it I realized that the miter gauge from my table saw wouldn’t work so I’d need to make a custom one. No, I never made it. Why? Because if I did, it would be like 6-inches long. Before I even tried I realized it was TSTD (too stupid to do).
The orientation of the above router buddy was ideal for the bandsaw however the other one was not. Given the orientation of the cutout, id have to stand with my shoulder against the wall to use it. Also, having it oriented so close to the wall made it difficult to spin parts around on tools like the oscillating spindle sanders and the router. Anything that you could run parallel to the wall worked just fine but it also prevented me from mounting anything else close to it given I needed ~16-inches off the wall reserved for in and out feed.
A mini router table is a good idea. Not sure I need it to be portable but I do need it to get further off the wall with the ability to use a full size miter gauge. Fundamentally, a router that has a mounting plate on it is, in and of itself, portable. I also need to be able to get it out of the way when not in use. This mod is going to be the most fun build yet. I've been working through this one in my head now for a few years but I didn’t know how to pull it off until recently when I used the locking drawer slides for the lathe tools. Sticking with the modular theme, I decided to use the Systainer Maxi-width cabinet and build in a module that rode in an out on the locking drawer slides so I can lock the sliding table in the in or out position. I should make 3 of them since I tend to leave the spindle sander and the bandsaw setup all the time.
After pulling a tape I found I have 107” of usable wall. That means that if I had 3 of the Maxi-cabinets then I’d have just room enough left for two of the regular sized ones with less than 6-inches to spare. If I stagger the MIDI-cabinets then that’ll give my elbows a little extra room if I were to leave all 3 in the open position. Instead of going all in I decided to build a single prototype to make sure the idea isn’t a really horrible one. I’ll skip the cabinet construction and move on to the table assembly. After measuring the tallest of the power tools I have mounted to a router plate, I installed the slides accordingly.
After getting the slides mounted I attempted to envision exactly how they'd be used with a table attached. I noticed (and have known for a while) that drawer slides are really designed to support weight and not lateral movement. In this application lateral movement may be less than ideal. Imagine a router moving side to side by 3/8-inch as you feed material through it. Seems nothing good could come from that. Given drawer slides only prevent movement perpendicular to them, I figured that I could run a double set installed perpendicular to each other and dramatically reduce movement in most directions. To give them some stability I also ordered a set of non-locking drawer slides in the same length (and, LOL, also 500lb because I’m OCD). I needed a base to mount them to so I built a base just slightly wider than the slides are tall. As luck would have it, a mini-sustainer fits inside perfectly like I planned it. I can’t come up with a reason to store stuff in Mini's yet so it's unlikely that this will become a thing.
Framed out a simple little case for the router table surface to ride on.
After being fully screwed in place I gave it a spin around the block to makes sure that the slides don’t interfere with each other. The “drawer” doesn’t glide in and out, instead it’s firm but roles smoothly still.
I’m running out of plain baltic birch in 3/4 thickness so I had to use to smaller pieces to get the surface to the size I wanted.
Looks like the idea is going to work enough to proceed making the work surface. To get a little more beef I lamented the two pieces of 3/4-inch baltic birch with one piece of 1/2-inch baltic birch and clamped it up. Notice in the middle I used screws to clamp the two together and sank them where the cut-out will be.
With the glue drying I spent a little time pondering the setup. I realized that the slides will get full of saw dust and metal shavings with them installed the conventional way. To help protect them I decided to flip the bottom ones over and run them backwards. There’s no way to reverse the locking ones so I’ll just have to blow them off from time to time. I do intend on adding a box below all of the tables so I can hook up dust collection. May not end up having that much dust around them anyway. When the glue dried I cut in the router plate hole using my template.
Looks pretty cool. Noticed that the left slide isn’t locking as easily as the others do. I played with it a little and found that as I worked it a few times it started to lock better. I think the grease they packed it with is not letting the slide move freely and the lock to fall into place on that side.
I didn’t have the router plate supports yet so all I could do is drop the bandsaw in there and take a step back. Looks sweet.
Really cool. I cannot wait to get the supports so I can make some test cuts and see how well it works.
Overall I’m very pleased. I was excited to see this one come together and now I’m even more excited to be able to have each of these tools easily accessible. I'm thinking of mounting it on this wall here replacing the french cleat system.
A few weeks ago I built some lathe tooling trays which ran on some extreme duty locking drawer sides. Though the concept itself was flawed (it turned out that I really just wanted to get the tooling off the top of the lathe) but, as I was attempting to come up with a better idea, it occurred to me that the concept would be better suited for something entirely different...
As I eluded to in the last post regarding the router plate storage module, the router buddies didn’t end up working out the way I’d planned. Part of that was due to how I chose to store the power tools that weren’t in use (resolved last time) and the second half of the challenge was the design of the router buddies was inherently flawed. The original concept was to build portable mini-router tables that could be easily moved around the shop. Conceptually it was a winner as long as you had french cleats everywhere and I had every intent on adding them to every open wall on all walls so I could have the flexibility to move things where I needed them. As it turned out, I never built another french cleat wall. I never even hung up another strip. Honestly, after having them on two walls, I really started not liking them very much. Not enough to tear them down but enough to not build more.
As far as the buddies go, the idea was neat in concept however there were some challenges that presented themselves almost immediately after I attempted to incorporate them into my work flow. An example - any idea what's wrong with this design?
Ok, may not be obviously but how well do you think a conventional miter gauge would work in the slot when it runs directly into the wall? yeah, it doesn’t. Right after I built it I realized that the miter gauge from my table saw wouldn’t work so I’d need to make a custom one. No, I never made it. Why? Because if I did, it would be like 6-inches long. Before I even tried I realized it was TSTD (too stupid to do).
The orientation of the above router buddy was ideal for the bandsaw however the other one was not. Given the orientation of the cutout, id have to stand with my shoulder against the wall to use it. Also, having it oriented so close to the wall made it difficult to spin parts around on tools like the oscillating spindle sanders and the router. Anything that you could run parallel to the wall worked just fine but it also prevented me from mounting anything else close to it given I needed ~16-inches off the wall reserved for in and out feed.
A mini router table is a good idea. Not sure I need it to be portable but I do need it to get further off the wall with the ability to use a full size miter gauge. Fundamentally, a router that has a mounting plate on it is, in and of itself, portable. I also need to be able to get it out of the way when not in use. This mod is going to be the most fun build yet. I've been working through this one in my head now for a few years but I didn’t know how to pull it off until recently when I used the locking drawer slides for the lathe tools. Sticking with the modular theme, I decided to use the Systainer Maxi-width cabinet and build in a module that rode in an out on the locking drawer slides so I can lock the sliding table in the in or out position. I should make 3 of them since I tend to leave the spindle sander and the bandsaw setup all the time.
After pulling a tape I found I have 107” of usable wall. That means that if I had 3 of the Maxi-cabinets then I’d have just room enough left for two of the regular sized ones with less than 6-inches to spare. If I stagger the MIDI-cabinets then that’ll give my elbows a little extra room if I were to leave all 3 in the open position. Instead of going all in I decided to build a single prototype to make sure the idea isn’t a really horrible one. I’ll skip the cabinet construction and move on to the table assembly. After measuring the tallest of the power tools I have mounted to a router plate, I installed the slides accordingly.
After getting the slides mounted I attempted to envision exactly how they'd be used with a table attached. I noticed (and have known for a while) that drawer slides are really designed to support weight and not lateral movement. In this application lateral movement may be less than ideal. Imagine a router moving side to side by 3/8-inch as you feed material through it. Seems nothing good could come from that. Given drawer slides only prevent movement perpendicular to them, I figured that I could run a double set installed perpendicular to each other and dramatically reduce movement in most directions. To give them some stability I also ordered a set of non-locking drawer slides in the same length (and, LOL, also 500lb because I’m OCD). I needed a base to mount them to so I built a base just slightly wider than the slides are tall. As luck would have it, a mini-sustainer fits inside perfectly like I planned it. I can’t come up with a reason to store stuff in Mini's yet so it's unlikely that this will become a thing.
Framed out a simple little case for the router table surface to ride on.
After being fully screwed in place I gave it a spin around the block to makes sure that the slides don’t interfere with each other. The “drawer” doesn’t glide in and out, instead it’s firm but roles smoothly still.
I’m running out of plain baltic birch in 3/4 thickness so I had to use to smaller pieces to get the surface to the size I wanted.
Looks like the idea is going to work enough to proceed making the work surface. To get a little more beef I lamented the two pieces of 3/4-inch baltic birch with one piece of 1/2-inch baltic birch and clamped it up. Notice in the middle I used screws to clamp the two together and sank them where the cut-out will be.
With the glue drying I spent a little time pondering the setup. I realized that the slides will get full of saw dust and metal shavings with them installed the conventional way. To help protect them I decided to flip the bottom ones over and run them backwards. There’s no way to reverse the locking ones so I’ll just have to blow them off from time to time. I do intend on adding a box below all of the tables so I can hook up dust collection. May not end up having that much dust around them anyway. When the glue dried I cut in the router plate hole using my template.
Looks pretty cool. Noticed that the left slide isn’t locking as easily as the others do. I played with it a little and found that as I worked it a few times it started to lock better. I think the grease they packed it with is not letting the slide move freely and the lock to fall into place on that side.
I didn’t have the router plate supports yet so all I could do is drop the bandsaw in there and take a step back. Looks sweet.
Really cool. I cannot wait to get the supports so I can make some test cuts and see how well it works.
Overall I’m very pleased. I was excited to see this one come together and now I’m even more excited to be able to have each of these tools easily accessible. I'm thinking of mounting it on this wall here replacing the french cleat system.
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OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Last post I shared the new concept for the Router Buddies. Immediately after I posted I ordered more drawer slides and more of the router plate supports. The supports showed up middle of the week and most of the slides showed up Friday. Unfortunately one pair of the locking slides was backordered so that may slow me down but only in finishing the last one. As soon as I got into the shop I started building the other two. Since I had all of the measurements the process went really quickly. This is the single maxi-cabinet that will sit between the two other doubles.
with the second double to the left.
Now I need to do some cleanup so I can get these mounted to the wall. I failed to snap a before pic so here’s an oldie of the cabinet right after I finished it.
First drawers, then top, then cabinet no more.
Up goes the new cabinet. If you noticed, it’s backwards from how I’d planned on instilling it. I decided that having the pull out table right next to the staircase railing could potentially be limiting so I decided to reverse it.
To make room for the others I have to remove the french cleat wall.
Just like that it’s a pile of wood. Slightly sad to see it go. Now I won’t have a place to hang some of my french cleat tools.
i decided to pause on the install and remove some of the cabinets. This part of the project is one I’ve not been looking forward to. One by one they come apart. I remove the slides and the pulls and stack them the corner.
The cabinet case is now no more and there’s a huge stack of drawers. It took me so long to spray them…months. Only 1 hour to make a pile.
The outlet needed to be rotated so it would fit inside the cabinet (only because I didn’t realize how poorly my location choice was). After prying out the old box, I was able to pull the wires into the new box and use the cut-out to patch the previous hole. Sometimes little mods like this are easy. Sometimes the wires are too short and it *****. I got lucky today.
Here’s the wall prepped for the cabinets.
With them all in place, I got to re-assembly.
One completely finished and working Router Buddy Mk 2.
Extended.
In two very small motions it’s now loaded with the bandsaw.
Release the slides and the bandsaw is tucked away nicely.
When in the stored position, the table sticks out about 2 1/2-inches from the cabinet.
There you have it, 1 of 3 Router Buddies Mk 2. The assembly has a slight amount of slop in it at the extended position but I don’t think it will be an issue. I plan to use it for a while to see iff it bothers me or not. I think on the spindle sander and band saw it shouldn’t be an issue. The router I’m thinking I’ll need to come up with something to prevent it from moving around. A tension spring would work if I do need to do something.
with the second double to the left.
Now I need to do some cleanup so I can get these mounted to the wall. I failed to snap a before pic so here’s an oldie of the cabinet right after I finished it.
First drawers, then top, then cabinet no more.
Up goes the new cabinet. If you noticed, it’s backwards from how I’d planned on instilling it. I decided that having the pull out table right next to the staircase railing could potentially be limiting so I decided to reverse it.
To make room for the others I have to remove the french cleat wall.
Just like that it’s a pile of wood. Slightly sad to see it go. Now I won’t have a place to hang some of my french cleat tools.
i decided to pause on the install and remove some of the cabinets. This part of the project is one I’ve not been looking forward to. One by one they come apart. I remove the slides and the pulls and stack them the corner.
The cabinet case is now no more and there’s a huge stack of drawers. It took me so long to spray them…months. Only 1 hour to make a pile.
The outlet needed to be rotated so it would fit inside the cabinet (only because I didn’t realize how poorly my location choice was). After prying out the old box, I was able to pull the wires into the new box and use the cut-out to patch the previous hole. Sometimes little mods like this are easy. Sometimes the wires are too short and it *****. I got lucky today.
Here’s the wall prepped for the cabinets.
With them all in place, I got to re-assembly.
One completely finished and working Router Buddy Mk 2.
Extended.
In two very small motions it’s now loaded with the bandsaw.
Release the slides and the bandsaw is tucked away nicely.
When in the stored position, the table sticks out about 2 1/2-inches from the cabinet.
There you have it, 1 of 3 Router Buddies Mk 2. The assembly has a slight amount of slop in it at the extended position but I don’t think it will be an issue. I plan to use it for a while to see iff it bothers me or not. I think on the spindle sander and band saw it shouldn’t be an issue. The router I’m thinking I’ll need to come up with something to prevent it from moving around. A tension spring would work if I do need to do something.
Strouty
Well-known member
It appears to be in great shape, I have not been able to use it yet, but it powers up and will home itself, then the controls work and the read outs read. I am hopeful. It is interesting as it is designed to be full manual or CNC. I will be learning how to use it over the next few months. Shop time is getting harder to come by with that pesky work type stuff getting in the way.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Motorell said:
You know, I’ve never used a palm nailer before. The first time I used a nail gun, I never looked back at a conventional nail. That being said, I’d probably stick to the few brands that have been consistent in quality - Bostich and Hitachi are both good.
I’m with you, I like screws in general and only use nails as a clamping/locating force when I’m also using glue. Screws have much better holding power and, when not using glue, enables disassembly.
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OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Strouty said:
My friend had a 2-axis CNC in his shop. Was in excellent condition. Tried to get my hands on it for years with no joy. Always liked the idea of having one for second ops like drilling, tapping, facing, etc. I switch mine into 2-axis every so often and like using it that way (except mine doesn’t have DRO in 2-axis so it’s not ideal).
Strouty
Well-known member
This unit has a 3 axis DRO (quill is the third), so it is an awesome setup for a manual mill. I have done enough research and I am confident that if there is any part that has issues, I can get a replacement. The company that has the rights to the software is very helpful. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with one of the owners and he says that they have all computer components and software to make it work in case of any failure. Of course it all costs money, but my first impression is that it is fully functional.
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86turbodsl
Well-known member
That mill is setup like our Mills here at work. You are going to be very happy with that mill.This unit has a 3 axis DRO (quill is the third), so it is an awesome setup for a manual mill. I have done enough research and I am confident that if there is any part that has issues, I can get a replacement. The company that has the rights to the software is very helpful. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with one of the owners and he says that they have all computer components and software to make it work in case of any failure. Of course it all costs money, but my first impression is that it is fully functional.
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Strouty
Well-known member
Thanks to lilscorpion, I will most likely be using it for making organizing items. I definitely want to try it on wood, that just seems like an awesome idea and the results are clearly great.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I’m confident you’re gonna find great success and enjoyment having it in your shop. My mill has turned out to be one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.
Do you already have tooling? What taper does it have?
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