As I write this up, it seems odd that I was THIS frugal with my lumber. I think I was using up all the lumber I had on hand because this was somewhere around full-on “shelter in placing” on account of CV19 and I didn’t want to get lumber that I didn’t absolutely need. It’s easier to prime and paint BEFORE assembling. If you’re using wood glue as part of assembly, don’t paint. Wood glue generally adheres to primed wood though so go ahead a pre-prime regardless. This makes my space org. not very efficient at any point in time. But globally, I setup a systainer (container/box) for one purpose once and then use it for that purpose for 10 years and more, just moving it around depending on the situation/need.

Festool's Systainer range of tool storage systems offers professionals and home users an ergonomic, safe and easy to use way to store their Festool products. I have a large HD Husky “mobile workbench” with very nice drawers, but they’re full without using any drawers for the Festools. We also offer combination toolboxes with space for cordless and corded power tools along with accessories like screws, cables and nails. You could opt for a fusion of tool box and accessory container like the SYS tool box, or go for the SYS-StorageBox, with its swivelling components tray and adaptable range of plastic containers. I wanted my drawers to pull out far enough that I could open the Systainer and retrieve a tool, without removing the Systainer from the drawer. I determined that 14″, full extension drawer slides would allow for that. My cabinets are 14 1/2″ deep because I want the false drawer front to recess inside the cabinet and I’m using 1/2″ MDF for my false fronts. Building Festool Systainer DRAWERSOnce they were built, I experimented a bit with installation. In my first cabinet, I drilled shelf pin holes thinking I’d use them for drawer installation. That way I could reconfigure the drawer location as my Festool collection grows. With all my planning, the holes I drilled did not line up where I needed them to. I used normal screws, which went really fast and I decided it wasn’t worth the time to drill holes in any more of my cabinets. Again, I used the simplest construction method possible to get the first batch of drawers built. 1/2″ plywood, glue and nailed together.

I’m now deep into the project of clearing out our garage to the best of my ability. I will have one bay of 3-car garage for permanent use for tools, with shelving, eventually cabinets, around the outside walls. Given multiple hobbies and wife’s storage needs, there remains little room for a Chaos-Theory wall of systainers. This wall is wonky as all get-out so I had to shim the wall cleat so it would be flat. More Drawers Festool's Sortainer range offers another storage solution. Products like the classic Sortainer provide storage drawers that can be easily divided to fit the profile of your accessories. They work well as an accompaniment to our tool boxes, or you could choose a fusion of the two like the SYS-Combi.

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You can get a good, clean finish by painting plywood edges without edge banding. ( MDF too– but I didn’t use mdf.) One of the most popular products featured within this range is the Systainer SYS-Power-Hub. Supplying power to up to four power tools simultaneously, this system features an integrated power cable in SYS-TAINER format. Does anyone NOT use systainers, and store their Festools (at least the most used) in drawers in a tool chest, whether commercial or self-made? One thing I changed after building my first cabinets was the top. I switched from a full piece to two cleats, simply to stretch my material. I’ll be putting a countertop over the whole bank of cabinets so I don’t need full tops.

Tip 1: marking center divider location on both sides of “top” and “bottom” parts. Tip 2: using corner clamps Tip 3: Painting plywood edges. Tip 4: prime before assembly. If not using wood glue, go ahead and pre-paint too. Alternatives and things to note Quote from: Stan Tillinghast on May 29, 2020, 07:10 PM I’m now deep into the project of clearing out our garage to the best of my ability. I will have one bay of 3-car garage for permanent use for tools, with shelving, eventually cabinets, around the outside walls. Given multiple hobbies and wife’s storage needs, there remains little room for a Chaos-Theory wall of systainers. I have probably shared all these tips before in Cabinet Building 101, but I’ll bulletpoint a few for your convenience. The cabinets have a center divider so you get two columns of drawers in each cabinet. You could certainly build single cabinets but it would use more material. You could also certainly build a triple column cabinet but once they get too big, they’re hard to handle. A double was about my limit. Sizing the Cabinet for Drawers Width

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If you want to see more details that you can see on the small photos of my plans in this post, I’ve included full sheet PDF’s for both the Cabinet plans and the Drawers. This may sound funny, but my solution to this are systainers and - in general - standardized cabinets/shelfs/containers etc.

I did take a minute to sand down all the sharp edges before assembly. It’s just way easier and faster to do it before. Testing Drawers It allows me to trade "space efficiency" for my time and comfort where I know I can adjust stuff placement and never need to worry too much about needing to throw it out later on etc. One of Festool's most popular innovations, the Systainer product line features plenty of different sizes of toolbox, with various mobile options and extra features to choose from too. Find the ideal container for your tool collection at our online store.

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Mark the location for the center divider on BOTH sides of the top and bottom parts. Use the inside marks to align the center divider. Use the outside marks for screw placement. If you have a disorganised tool collection and want to rationalise your inventory, general purpose tool boxes like the roomy Maxi-Systainer offer more than enough space for most customers.