"Sysport" Build - And the Three Little Jigs.

**NCArcher** · 30th May 2021, 09:12 PM

Over the last few years I've been acquiring a collection of Festool Systainers. I don't own any Festool gear, just the Systainers.
They are taking up a lot of room in my very small work space and I need a storage solution.
I've decided to replace an old table, that holds my drill press, spindle sander and linisher, with a Sysport as the many American Youtubers call them.
I'm planning two cabinets with two rows of systainers each. Systainers will be on full extension draw slides. The cabinets can go back to back or one long cabinet against the wall.
I'll see which way fits the best once they're done.
I spent last weekend cutting three full sheets of ply down with the track saw then ripping to final width on the table saw.
Now my table saw is nothing flash. It's a 1950s Tanner. It has a fairly small table surface but is solid and can give accurate results if you set up properly.
Ripping was fine but cross cutting to final length was a problem. The panels were too big to fit in my sled so time to make Jig No.1

Attachment 495237 Attachment 495238 Attachment 495239
Sliding Table 3.jpg Sliding Table 2.jpg Sliding Table 1.jpg

I made up a panel sled that rode on the left of the blade. The mitre slot runner was made from Fletty's cursed Forest Redgum ("Take as much of that S#&t as you want, I never want to see it again")
It needed an outrigger so the trusty Triton Multistand (I think that's what it's called) was put into service.
It worked much better than I had hoped. A bit of UBeaut Trad Wax on the runner and the outrigger and it was sliding back and forth like a proper sliding table
The overlong runner kept it perfectly square and All the panels were cut to final length in no time.

I planned on securing the draw slides with 5mm Euro screws so the Kreg shelf pin jig was next up. The front row of holes was no problem as the Kreg jig has a built in fence. The back row, however, needed to be in a fair way from the back edge to line up with the holes in the draw slide. Time to make jig No.2

Attachment 495242 Attachment 495244
Jigs.jpg Jig 4.jpg Holes.jpg

Jig 2 (on the pocket hole jig in the first photo) is just a spacer with a fence to register on the back edge of the panel and get the Kreg Shelf Pin jig in the right spot. I made it over size and then sneaked up on the final width on the table saw.

Assembly of the cabinet was to be by pocket holes. I have a Kreg K4 jig but I've never made an extension base for it. The panels were pretty big and would be difficult to hold in place and keep everything aligned. So onto Jig No.3

Jig 3.jpg Box1.jpg

I glued up some scrap to make a wide board for the base. Recessed for the jig to sit in and cut it to shape. I planed the 'wings' till the offcuts of MDF sat flush with the base of the jig. Added some fences and voila. It was sized to fit in the B&D Workmate (what a brilliant piece of gear) and made drilling the pocket holes soooo much easier.

I've assembled one cabinet and will continue next weekend. Making draws and drilling and assembling the second cabinet. I went with the double divider in the middle because the ply I could get was 17mm. It may not have been a problem but I didn't want the 10mm Euro screws to clash if they ended up in the same spot on either side.

**NCArcher** · 11th June 2021, 01:28 AM

This is where I got to. I was short a couple of 40mm strips for the draw sides of the last draw. Will have to pick up a small sheet from bunnings to finish it off.
Sysport 2.jpg Sysport 1.jpg

Will play around on the weekend with where they are going to go.

**Bernmc** · 11th June 2021, 07:22 AM

Nice little unit

**Bushmiller** · 11th June 2021, 02:14 PM

Tony

I have to ask the purpose behind the Systainer collection without tools? Are they just storage or are they waiting patiently for Festools to appear

Regards
Paul

**NCArcher** · 11th June 2021, 07:57 PM

"If you build it, they will come".... Well that's what Festool told me anyway. If I just believe enough........
I do the odd bit of site work for friends and I attend a Repair Cafe once a month. I need to lug a selection of tools around and I find the Systainers excellent for that.
I use them for storage for a few things as well. I love the concept and the design. Pity I can't afford the tools that come in them.

**NCArcher** · 13th June 2021, 05:02 PM

All done. Made the final drawer and added some castors. Just have to work out where they're going now.
Sysport 3.jpg

I have another Sys1 that will go in the empty draw but it's having a holiday in someone else's shed atm. I was pretty lucky that I managed to fit all the systainers into the two cabinets.
I made the cabinets to fit the space I had rather than to specifically house the systainers I had.
It all worked out well in the end.

**GraemeCook** · 14th June 2021, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Tony

I have to ask the purpose behind the Systainer collection without tools? Are they just storage or are they waiting patiently for Festools to appear

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by NCArcher

"If you build it, they will come".... Well that's what Festool told me anyway. If I just believe enough........

He's a really cunning one, Paul.

SWMBO will become accustomed to and unconcerned about the increasing collection of systainers, and eventually will assume that they are always empty. Then, miraculously, those systainers will begin to be filled by Festools.

I am sure NC "believes enough" for that to happen.

**GraemeCook** · 14th June 2021, 01:57 PM

Nice work, NC.

I have been thinking about doing something similar and have come up with two concepts:

One almost identical to yours and using the same drawer slides, and
An even simpler version.

The simpler version would just be a carcase from 19mm hardwood(*) with dado trenches every 50mm to take adjustable plywood shelves. Something like this:

Sysport.jpg(Please excuse rudimentary "systainers")

NC, did you consider the option of using adjustable shelves rather than sliding shelves?

[* HINT: Solid hardwood wardrobes and cupboards are being "given away" at auctions at the moment - far cheaper than you can buy new timber and it is carefully selected old growth with 50+ years air drying.]

**John Saxton** · 14th June 2021, 02:07 PM

My Custom Built Expandable MFT on Rolling Cart

There's this one as well for you from a forum member.

**NCArcher** · 14th June 2021, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

NC, did you consider the option of using adjustable shelves rather than sliding shelves?

Although sliding the systainers out is less annoying than unstacking them, I wanted to be able to just open a systainer, take out what I wanted and close it again. With the shelves you have to slide it out, find a clear space to sit it down, open it, take out what you want, close it and put it away or leave it out taking up valuable space.
I really like the draw runners. I even worked out how to make good labels that slide into the systainers and stay there. Now I don't have to play lucky dip when I'm looking for something.
I ended up positioning them back to back. In behind the top draws I added threaded inserts to one side and a bolt with a star shaped jig handle through the other to lock them together.

**GraemeCook** · 15th June 2021, 02:35 PM

Thanks NC for a really good response.

I was over-focussing on ease and cost of construction and not on long term functionality. Now completely agree with your analysis.

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