My version of Paul Franklin's Festool Systainer Port

[Frank Pellow]

I have a LOT of Festool systainers that need to be suitably stored and ported. Last year, I bought one of Festool's large systainer port and I really like it. But, it is expensive. That is why I was so interested in the systainer ports made by Paul Franklin and featured in the thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=16079

I finished the first such unit this week. Picture (1) below shows my cart beside it's Festool-made sibling:

This particular unit will be used for my Festool sanders (in the top 3 drawers) and the systainers that contain the sandpaper and accessories for same (in the bottom 3 drawers).

In order to make the unit "tip-proof", I screwed a (built-in) concrete slab to the lower rear. Photo (2) shows the test I used to check for stability. The cart is empty except for a (full) 1400 Router systainer on the fully extended top shelf.

The cart cost me about $180 (Canadian). It is constructed from the following material:

Carcass made paint grade 19 millimetre maple plywood,

Trim and drawer sides from scrap pine

Drawer bottoms and unit back from scrap plywood

36 centimetre full extension lockable drawer slides from Lee Valley (02K38.14),

Top mat cut from A lee Valley router/bench pad (05J11.01),

4 inch lock/swivel caster set from Lee Valley (00K20.10)
I plan top make another unit that will fit under my Festool multi-function table (MFT).

Before building the real thing, I made a small prototype and Margaret (my wife) liked it so much that she requested something similar to go under our kitchen eating counter. A couple of pictures of it are shown as (3) and (4).

The kitchen cart is used to hold art supplies, toys, dishes, and play clothing for children's visits.

[Greg Mann]

Very nice, Frank. Do you think you will be able to fit them both in your Audi? ;)

Greg

[Frank Pellow]

... Do you think you will be able to fit them both in your Audi? ;)

Greg
Not unless I get a MUCH BIGGER Audi. :D

For the rest of you, this is kind of an "in" comment from Greg. I had the Festool-made systainer port delivered to Greg's place then I picked it up there. Greg and I managed to squeeze it through the back door and onto the folded down seat of my Audi A4 with almost no room to spare.

[Richard Wolf]

They look great Frank, that was a terrfic idea with the concrete slab. Festool colors also!!

Richard

[Bob Borzelleri]

Quite nice storage solution, Frank. But, do you have anything in mind for dealing with Festool OCD?

I have a friend who invited me over to see his Festool dust collector. As he pointed out all the nifty features, I asked him, "yeah, but shouldn't you have a Festool tool to take advantage of those features?"

He took my question as his cue and walked me over to the other side of the work bench where he had stacked up each and every Festool that is currently offered. I asked him if he had gone into this venture with plans to buy out the distributor and he said no, he just couldn't help himself.

His divorce proceedings are just around the corner.

...Bob

:D :D :D :D :D

[Jim Becker]

Looks great, Frank. I've been considering doing the same thing. Although the systainers stack up wonderfully, I've really integrated the tools into my work a lot now and the one I need is always somewhere in the middle of the stack...go figure. And yes, Bob, it's like the old candy commercial...you can't just have one. Incredible products.

[Dave Falkenstein]

Great job, Frank. I wonder if my Systainer port is faster than your Systainer Port? Smile.

[Frank Pellow]

Great job, Frank. I wonder if my Systainer port is faster than your Systainer Port? Smile.
Well Dave, there is no doubt that yours is bigger! :(

Is yours faster? Maybe, until it tips over on the curve. :D

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Frank, it looks great! The colors match nicely too!

[Christian Aufreiter]

Hi Frank,

very nice Systainer Port. Thanks for posting the pics.
One suggestion, it might be handy to add a storage for the guide rails. It would be quite simple if I only knew how to describe it. :rolleyes: I'd add some kind of "small, open box or a slot" to the side of the port.

Regards,

Christian

[Frank Pellow]

...
One suggestion, it might be handy to add a storage for the guide rails. It would be quite simple if I only knew how to describe it. :rolleyes: I'd add some kind of "small, open box or a slot" to the side of the port.

Regards,

Christian
It would be easy. In fact, Paul did exactly that on one of his systainer ports. I don't really need such storage because I already built a case to hold my guide rails.

[Christian Aufreiter]

It would be easy. In fact Paul did exactly that on one of his systainer ports. I don't really need such storage becuase I already built a case to hold my guide rails.

Too stupid I forgot that Paul already built that. And I thought it was my great idea ;) ;) .

Christian

[Frank Pellow]

As I mentioned in the tread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=20153, Christian Oltzscher (the President of Festool-USA) promised to send me two yellow latches for the systainer that I use to store my DeWalt corded hammer drill. They came today. The colour is not a perfect match but its not bad.

Thanks Christian.

[Richard Wolf]

Frank, those different color latches are a good idea.

Richard

[Dave Falkenstein]

Frank - Perhaps Christian knows something we don't know. It looks like Christian is betting that Milwaukee will be taking over Dewalt and then the color will be a perfect match.