Benchworks tool cart
- Thread starter marcros
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petermillard
Established Member
I bought plans for it way back but never got around to the build as it’s strictly ground-floor ie you need to take everything off it to get it upstairs, and back then I was starting to do a lot more bedroom furniture.
Nothing to do with Festool BTW - this was a Tim Wilmots design back in 2013 or so; a cynic might say that this is where Festool ‘found’ the inspiration for their mobile workstation thing.
Nothing to do with Festool BTW - this was a Tim Wilmots design back in 2013 or so; a cynic might say that this is where Festool ‘found’ the inspiration for their mobile workstation thing.
I was looking at the official sack truck thing, but it seems a lot of money for what it is.
I like to take the mft top, saw horses and a few tools outside and this looks a convenient way of doing it. I may do the odd job for a friend as a favour and have to take all the tools I need with me, but aside from this the distances and steps/stairs are not a great problem- more a case of reducing trips to the workshop and better organisation.
I might get the plans and start by making the trolley part first. I am particularly interested in whether it would carry enough to be useful for me (appreciate that each job needs different tools) because the ts55 and sys dust extractor are both fairly large, and domino and dominos also take up a fair bit of space and weight.
I like to take the mft top, saw horses and a few tools outside and this looks a convenient way of doing it. I may do the odd job for a friend as a favour and have to take all the tools I need with me, but aside from this the distances and steps/stairs are not a great problem- more a case of reducing trips to the workshop and better organisation.
I might get the plans and start by making the trolley part first. I am particularly interested in whether it would carry enough to be useful for me (appreciate that each job needs different tools) because the ts55 and sys dust extractor are both fairly large, and domino and dominos also take up a fair bit of space and weight.
ScaredyCat
Established Member
I made one... It was really easy to use - still weighs quite a bit.
In the end I converted it from a bench to just the upright cart bit and I use it for my belt sander and bobin sander - I put whichever I'm using on top, the other goes in the bit where the drawers would be. The fold out legs always annoyed me though, always kept pinching my skin when unfolding.
I purchased the whole set of plans because they were pretty cheap.. and well, one day.. maybe just one day I'll have a garage or if miracles do exist a workshop.
I don't have any festool kit so I might have committed a sin by making it
I'm designing my own now, specific to my needs - i.e. it needs to fit through the doors in my house, needs to be easy to move and negotiate as it'll be stored in the house and moved into the garden when I'm doing anything - fundamentally it needs to look like normal furniture when it's in "house" mode.
In the end I converted it from a bench to just the upright cart bit and I use it for my belt sander and bobin sander - I put whichever I'm using on top, the other goes in the bit where the drawers would be. The fold out legs always annoyed me though, always kept pinching my skin when unfolding.
I purchased the whole set of plans because they were pretty cheap.. and well, one day.. maybe just one day I'll have a garage or if miracles do exist a workshop.
I don't have any festool kit so I might have committed a sin by making it
I'm designing my own now, specific to my needs - i.e. it needs to fit through the doors in my house, needs to be easy to move and negotiate as it'll be stored in the house and moved into the garden when I'm doing anything - fundamentally it needs to look like normal furniture when it's in "house" mode.
Ollie78
Established Member
There was a brilliant one made buy a Polish company a while back. It was aluminium construction. I think that was the closest to the one festool came out with after. This must have been 5 years ago now. I nearly bought one.
Ollie
Ollie
I made one... It was really easy to use - still weighs quite a bit.
In the end I converted it from a bench to just the upright cart bit and I use it for my belt sander and bobin sander - I put whichever I'm using on top, the other goes in the bit where the drawers would be. The fold out legs always annoyed me though, always kept pinching my skin when unfolding.
I purchased the whole set of plans because they were pretty cheap.. and well, one day.. maybe just one day I'll have a garage or if miracles do exist a workshop.
I don't have any festool kit so I might have committed a sin by making it
I'm designing my own now, specific to my needs - i.e. it needs to fit through the doors in my house, needs to be easy to move and negotiate as it'll be stored in the house and moved into the garden when I'm doing anything - fundamentally it needs to look like normal furniture when it's in "house" mode.
Was the weight manageable? The cart bit would be the most useful to me I think
ScaredyCat
Established Member
Yes, weight was fine, I'd put your heaviest tool at the bottom, once it's tilted onto the big wheels there aren't any issues really. I had the rear feet longer so that as I lowered it back so that it was upright it didn't tip over on an uneven surface. If you're thinking of lifting it into a van or car, I'd think again. Even empty it's not easy and quite heavy. If you only use it on the wheels then I see no issues.
Also something I learned is make sure you can lock the handle in the down, but more importantly, up position. It only took one time going down a ramp backwards and finding the handle has retracted trapping fingers between it and the body for that fix to take place.
Also something I learned is make sure you can lock the handle in the down, but more importantly, up position. It only took one time going down a ramp backwards and finding the handle has retracted trapping fingers between it and the body for that fix to take place.
Benchwayze
Established Member
I used a catering sized, steel food trolley, but still had the problem of negotiating stairs! Fine when working on one level mind. Eventually I repurposed it, and left it at home in my 'art studio' for all the paraphernalia in there!
Woody tools I just broke down into three smaller 'tool-caddies' and accepted the separate journeys!
John
Woody tools I just broke down into three smaller 'tool-caddies' and accepted the separate journeys!
John
ScaredyCat
Established Member
Benchwayze
Established Member
Scaredy-cat.
Have you been reading my unpublished manuscript? And it's Woody O'Toole, 'The Finger Collector.' Lol!
John
Have you been reading my unpublished manuscript? And it's Woody O'Toole, 'The Finger Collector.' Lol!
John
still looking at this. I will get the plans for some Christmastime reading.
Does anybody know of a sheet material that is lighter in weight than 12mm mdf or birch ply but strong enough to use for the cabinet slides and drawer bases. The picture is an example from FOG. It may be slightly different to the standard or may not be.
I am trying to shave a bit of weight from the completed item, which somebody claimed was 37kg plus tools. cutouts may also help
Does anybody know of a sheet material that is lighter in weight than 12mm mdf or birch ply but strong enough to use for the cabinet slides and drawer bases. The picture is an example from FOG. It may be slightly different to the standard or may not be.
I am trying to shave a bit of weight from the completed item, which somebody claimed was 37kg plus tools. cutouts may also help
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petermillard
Established Member
Polpar plywood is significantly lighter than Birch ply. I’m doing an ultralight version on my portable bench build in 12mm Poplar. The Tim Wilmot bench/cart is a neat idea, but strictly for the ground floor; don’t underestimate the width / footprint of it either - I had to get rid of the Festool systainer cart because it wouldn’t go around the ’dogs-leg around the stairs’ corner (anyone familiar with Victorian terraces will know what I mean) in most of the houses I worked in.
