Woodworking, Tools, Design
Lee Bizek
Mobile Cart for Festool / Shaper Systainer
Mobile Cart for Festool / Shaper Systainer
Innovation, Technology, Tools, Woodworking
Lee Bizek
Let There Be Light!
Let There Be Light!
Design, Woodworking
Lee Bizek
Battery Dispenser Designed in Fusion 360
Battery Dispenser Designed in Fusion 360
Design
Lee Bizek
Back to the Drawing Board
Back to the Drawing Board
Tools, Design
Lee Bizek
Corner Jigs made with Shaper Origin
Corner Jigs made with Shaper Origin

Design

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Mobile Cart for Festool / Shaper Systainer

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Occasionally I do custom jobs, like built-ins, at client’s homes. There is a lot of work that goes into packing up almost the entire shop, putting it into the back of the truck, unpacking onsite and then setting up in a small, temporary space like a garage or outside. I’ve said to myself on a number of occasions that it would be great to have a few mobile carts that I could use to stack and move around all of my Festool and Shaper tools. But at $100 a pop for the Festool mobile cart it just seems a bit excessive. Since it’s just a platform that locks to the bottom of the box with some wheels I thought I would give it a go at creating my own. If you follow the steps below you can build one yourself for about $40 and get 6 carts out of one sheet of 3/4” plywood!

Design and Rendering

I started out in SketchUp by imported a systainer from the 3D Warehouse created by Brice Burrell. I used this to cut away the shape of the systainer, mocked up some handles and did some other minor tweaking to give the cutout a bit of an offset.

Festool Systainer model by Brice Burrell used to design model of cart

I had to play around with this to figure it out but ultimately I needed to get a 2D image out of SketchUp and an .svg file into the Shaper Origin. Here’s the way I did it.

  1. In SketchUp, hide everything except the shape you’re trying to get into Shaper.

  2. Then go to Camera > Standard Views > Top (Cmd+1)

  3. Turn off perspective Camera > Perspective (uncheck)

2D Top view ready for Export

Now the image is ready for export.

  1. Click File > Export > 2D Graphic

  2. I used .eps as the file type

  3. Then I opened the .eps file in Adobe Illustrator, made changes to the colors for the Shaper Origin and then saved the .svg file to upload to my ShaperHub cloud storage

  4. After cutting out the first prototype I came back to Illustrator to make modifications for tabs to hold down the systainer, make the handles smaller and minor tweaks to accommodate the shape of the new Systainer3 which is slightly different.

Making edits to the file in Illustrator and saving .svg file

From Virtual to Physical

Materials Needed:


*All cuts are made with a 1/4” compression (up/down) spiral bit.

As shown in the pictures below, I am using a board with a straight edge and marker tape with another scrap piece for alignment on the left side so that I can place the image once and make repeat cuts for as many top and bottom pieces as I like. You can of course, place the image multiple times on a single sheet of plywood if you don’t prefer to use this method.

Cutting Top

  1. Create a grid that lines up with the board of Shaper Tape and along a stop block to the left (I used .5” grid pattern)

  2. Secure the 3/4” plywood so that it is touching the board with tape and the stop block to the left

  3. No additional tape is required on the work piece since the Origin will read the tape from the board all the way around the cut

  4. Using the top, left corner of the image as the anchor, place the image down and to the right one block (.5” grid) from the corner where the stop block and tape board touch

  5. Cut pockets for hold down tabs first

    • Depth: .25”

    • Cut Type: Pocket (then Inside)

    • Offset: 0”

  6. Cut out interior systainer cutout

    Three passes:

    1. Depth: 8mm; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: .01”

      • NOTE: Since I’m using a compression bit this depth is used to bury the “up cut” tip of the bit fully, preventing tear out.

    2. Depth: 1/2”; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: .01”

    3. Depth: 3/4”; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: 0”

      At this point make sure the systainer fits into the cutout. it should have a small amount of wiggle room to make it easier to put the systainer in and out of the cutout once the tabs are in place.

  7. Cut out handles

    Three passes:

    1. Depth: 8mm; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: .01”

    2. Depth: 1/2”; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: .01”

    3. Depth: 3/4”; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: 0”

  8. Cut out exterior

    Three passes:

    1. Depth: 8mm; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: .01”

    2. Depth: 1/2”; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: .01”

    3. Depth: 3/4”; Cut Type: Outside; Offset: 0”

Cutting Bottom

  1. LEAVE IMAGE AS IS. You can now simple flip the piece of plywood over to align the other side with bottom edge of tape board and stop block to cut out the bottom piece

  2. Cut out the handles (the same as Step 7 of the Top)

  3. Cut out exterior (the same as Step 8 of the Top)

  4. I then used a 1/8” roundover bit to soften the handles and exterior edges

  5. Turn the pieces over, place glue on the underside of the top piece, line up the bottom piece and use a brad nail in each corner to hold it in place

  6. Install wheels to the base. Lockable wheels in the front.

    • Since I was using 1-1/4” screws I only used three of the four holes because the inner most screw would go complete through the bottom piece into the space where the systainer will sit. I also used washers since the heavy duty casters I’m using have holes that are meant for larger bolts.


Hold Down Tabs

  1. Cut out the tabs from 12mm (1/2”) plywood

  2. With a systainer in place insert the front tabs. They should be a tight fit since they will be permanently secured (see NOTE below)

  3. The side tabs should be a snug fit but still able to slide back and forth in pocket. Light sand if needed. (see NOTE below)

    1. NOTE: You may also have to sand the bottom or top edge of the tab that goes over the “pins” on the systainer box depending on the thickness of the plywood and the systainer model you are using. You want the tabs to sit flat in their pockets to the systainer can be inserted and removed easily.

  4. Drill a pilot hole in the front tabs and secure them with a screw

    1. Don’t glue them in place just in case they need to be replaced in the future

  5. With the side tabs fully slid out (so that they are flush with the edge of the systainer cutout) take a pencil and trace the slot that goes from left to right.

  6. Drill a hole in the inner most part of each slot for the threaded insert

  7. Use a hex wrench to screw in the threaded insert so that it is flush

  8. OPTIONAL - I put a systainer in place and open and closed the side tabs marking where it was secure and not secure, then took the tabs off and used green and red sharpies to give a visual indication when the tab is in a locked and unlocked position.

Admittedly you’ll have to fine-tune the tabs to work with the model type of systainer you have but I have made the cutout for the systainer compatible with both the Systainer3 and previous version.

This should be extremely helpful for me in and out of the shop and I hope it is for you as well.

I have posted the files on ShaperHub

As always, I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Lee

Tools and Materials used

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Battery Dispenser Designed in Fusion 360

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Where to begin…

So far I’ve been using Adobe Illustrator to design and create the .svg files to use on the Shaper Origin. But one thing that has been a problem for me is designing projects in Illustrator that use mortise and tenons with dogbones because the thickness of the plywood affects how things fit together. This is obviously where Fusion 360 and parametric modeling shine so I really want to get better at 3D modelling.

I would also love to design something that I can cut out and it just fits together with minimal fasteners, tools or glue. This would also make it easier to sell a product because it could be flat-packed AND the customer wouldn’t need to own and operate anything more than some basic tools.

I started by watching a TON of YouTube videos from Lars Christensen, who works at Autodesk. His videos were super informative and I would highly recommend them.

The first thing I focused on was setting up the parameters.

Beyond just the obvious “plywood” parameters, the key learning for me was to set up parameters that used other parameters. For instance, I wanted to set up my “dogbone” to be slightly bigger than the cutter I was using without having to hardcode the router bit or go back and change the dogbone sizes manually. Setting up a “cutter” parameter inside of the “dogbone” parameter meant that if I wanted to make this project out of 3/4” material instead of 1/2” and use a 1/8” router bit I only had to change two parameters, “plywood” and “cutter”, then everything updated accordingly.

The next big thing I took away from this project was using multiple sketches for one body. I was always under the impression that everything about a part (body) had to be in one sketch. In fact, you can use one sketch to create the basic shape of the body and then another sketch to do things like the cutouts, mortises, tenons and dogbones. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to do this but I could simplify it for myself by separating out some of the complexity.

Of course, there was a lot more that I learned and all of which I’ll need more practice at. I know I over engineered the hell out of this battery dispenser but it was a great learning experience.


Building the Dispenser

Files:

Materials:

  • (x1) 1/2” plywood (450mm x 900mm)

    • I have designed these files for a material thickness of 11.95mm (this will be a tight fit)

  • (x1) 6mm cast acrylic plexiglass (7” x 12”) or (177mm x 304mm)


Cutting

  1. Engrave the labels in the top of the bottom panel

    1. I used a 60 degree bit (Bit Diameter = Engrave, Cut = Online, Depth = .005)

  2. Cut out the pockets on the sides

    1. [All remaining cuts are done with a Bit Diameter = .25”]

    2. First pass (Cut = Pocket, Depth = .25”)

    3. Second pass (Cut = Inside, Depth = .25”)

  3. Cut guide in side panels for plexiglass front

    1. There is a line on each of the side pieces that is intended to hold the plexiglass front (Cut = Online, Offset = 0”, Depth = .25”)

  4. Cut out the mortises (you can do this for one part at a time or all of the parts)

    1. First pass (Cut = Outside, Offset = .03”, Depth = .25”)

    2. Second pass (Cut = Outside, Offset = 0”, Depth = .5”)

  5. Cut out the plywood parts

    1. First pass (Cut = Outside, Offset = .03”, Depth = .25”)

    2. Second pass (Cut = Outside, Offset = .0”, Depth = .5”)

  6. Cut the plexiglass front

    1. If you purchased the linked plexiglass above, or have a piece larger then the outside dimensions, use a tablesaw to cut it down to size (7” x 12”)

    2. Cut out the finger hole

      1. First pass (Cut = Outside, Offset = .03”, Depth = .25”)

      2. Second pass (Cut = Outside, Offset = .0”, Depth = .5”)

    3. Pocket out the illustration

      1. Pocket and Inside cut (Offset = 0”, Depth = .05”)

Assembly

This is intended to be a tight fit so you will need a scrap piece of plywood and small mallet to assemble the pieces together.

  1. Install the Dividers into the Bottom piece

  2. Add the Top

  3. Align and install the tenons from the assembly to the back panel

  4. Align and install the assembly into each of the side pieces

  5. I didn’t use any glue but I did use a nail gun to add one pin to each side to make sure the sides don’t come loose.

In the end I was excited to see the 3D model come to life and I’m really happy with how tightly everything fit. I’m looking forward to the next project.

As always, I hope this helped.

Cheers,

Lee


Tools and Materials used

 

Back to the Drawing Board

Christmas has come and gone and it was a good one. I really enjoy making gifts for people because I can make something unique and personalized that they could not normally get. Plus, it’s just another reason to do something that I love doing.

My kids (ages 5 and 7) are very into drawing so this year I decided to make them custom drawing boards.


This project was not only rewarding for them but I also learned quite a few things that I would like to share with you…


File Management

I had collected some ideas from Pinterest and Google searches and then designed the drawing boards in Adobe Illustrator. Because it consists of two boards with CNC work on three of the surfaces I tried to stay organized with the layers in the .ai file. I created a layer for each surface and one for the basic outline of the board with handle cutout. This was critical for maintaining alignment of the shapes between the layers. Had I done this in separate files I would have undoubtedly messed something up.

Once I was finished all of the layers I did a Copy and Paste in Place of the objects within each layer and the basic outline layer into a separate file and then save that file as the .svg for each surface. In my experience hidden layers still expose themselves in the .svg file when making cuts so saving the layers into separate files eliminates the clutter when trying to cut.


Cut Management using Shaper Origin

  1. Save time by cutting all of the main boards with the track saw (or table saw). Obviously, I could have cut the outline of the main board with the Shaper Origin (SO) but it would have taken a lot of time and as I’ve mentioned in past posts, cutting long straight cuts can be challenging. I also got a chance to use my new Corner Jigs for rounding the corners.

  2. Set up a template to hold the pieces in the same position. Since the three surfaces I had to cut on the two boards were all being cut from the same size piece it made sense to set up a template to hold the pieces in the same place every time. That way I could set up the Grid on the SO one time and place the various .svg file in the same location to make sure they all aligned. I kept two boards screwed down (in my case a top and left board) which never moved and had marker tape on them.

  3. Add marker tape to each piece using “Add to Scan”. Since I did lesson learned #2 (above) I only needed to add marker tape to each new surface and “Add to Scan” to maintain the grid.

  4. To cut through the outside edge of the piece create lines and shapes that extend past the main object outline.

  5. Use black outline with white fill for small hole pockets. Even though the pencil and marker holes are not through holes, in order to use the "Helical” function on the SO you’ll need to use and Inside cut. This wasn’t a big deal to change on the SO itself but since there were quite a few holes to cut it will save you time when cutting if the file is set up correctly.

  6. Because of lesson learned in #4, set up a Grid on the SO that allows for center alignment. I couldn’t left align the .svg file since I have cuts that extended past the edge of the work-piece. To center align, divide the work-piece in half and then sub-divide that into equal units. In my example the boards are 600mm wide so I created a grid in 10mm increments so I could find center at 300mm.


Overall, this was a great learning experience. I’m please with the result and, of course, extremely happy with the kids reactions. There have already been a number of people on Instagram and Facebook asking if they can buy one so I think I may make a few of them to sell in my store so keep on eye out for that. ;-)




I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and will soon have a Happy New Year.

And as always, I hope this was helpful. ;-)

Cheers,

Lee

Tools and Materials used

 
 









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Corner Jigs made with Shaper Origin

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Well, it’s the holiday season again. I enjoy trying to make at least a couple gifts each year if I have time. This year I have plans to make my kids a couple things and I need some corner jigs for the project. I shopped around a bit but I’m really not a fan of the plastic ones from Rockler and I sure don’t want to spend $300 (!!!) on the metal ones that Woodpeckers offers from time to time as a OneTime Tool.

So, I quickly designed a template in Adobe Illustrator and made separate files for each jig ranging from 1/2” to 2” radius. Of course, I needed a place to store them so I also designed a french cleat storage rack to keep them organized and out of the way.

There are a few reasons I used the Festool Dominoes as the stops.

  1. It was easy :-)

  2. They’re sturdy because they are solid wood

  3. They can be adjusted for different material thicknesses

  4. I can easily replace them if needed

Make a set for yourself

Here is the complete set of jigs and french cleat wall rack:

Click to view full .svg file (individual files are linked below)

Click to view full .svg file (individual files are linked below)

If you have a Shaper Origin, below are the steps for making your own set of corner jigs.

  1. You may use either the file linked above or the individual files below.

  2. If using the complete file above, you’ll need a piece of 3/4” plywood at least 27.5”W x 17”H. Or each jig can be cut from a 6” x 6” piece of ply.

  3. After placing the image on your material, use an engraving bit to engrave all of the numbers.

  4. Now use the 1/4” bit to make three passes around all of the parts.

    1. Cut depth = 1/4”, Offset = .03”

    2. Cut Depth = 1/2”, Offset = .03”

    3. Final Cut - Cut Depth = 3/4”, Offset = 0” (take it slow for a clean cut when going around the corner that will be used for guide bearing)

  5. Make sure to cut out the Domino mortises and handle BEFORE cutting around the outside of each jig. Once you cut the outside of the jig you won’t be able to cut the internal mortises or handle.

  6. (Opt) Use a fine tip Sharpie to color in the radius measurement

7. (Opt) Sand off about 5mm of the length of each 8mm x 50mm Domino. (The reason will be made clear in the next couple of steps.)

8. Lay the jig on a flat work surface; insert the Dominoes and tap them down so they are flat with the underside of the jig.

9. Now put the jig on a piece of 3/4” plywood and tap the Dominoes down to the work surface. If you’re sanding 5mm off of the Dominoes in Step 7, you’ll now have the correct length for 3/4” material on one side and 1/2” material on the other WITHOUT having to adjust the Dominoes. ;-) You could glue them in place but since the mortises will be tight it’s not necessary. Plus you can adjust the height of them later if needed.

10. I glued and nailed the rack pieces to the side of the rack divider.

To use them just put the jig over the material, adjust the height of the router guide bit so the guide bearing is riding against the jig and hold the jig tight against the corner of the work piece.

I’m pretty happy with how they turned out. I may add a couple of strips of thin rubber to the underside to help from it slipping but I can do that later.

Individual .svg files:

Corner Jig 1/4”
Corner Jig 1/2”
Corner Jig 3/4”
Corner Jig 1”
Corner Jig 1-1/4"
Corner Jig 1-1/2”
Corner Jig 1-3/4”
Corner Jig 2”
Rack

Please let me know if you have any comments or would like me to create another size jig.

As always, I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Lee

Tools and Materials used

 
 

The NHL is finally coming to Seattle (fingers crossed)

So last week I was one of the over 33,000 of hockey fans in Seattle who put down a deposit for season tickets. I'm originally from Minnesota so hockey is in my blood.

SIDE NOTE: Ticketmaster sucks! I don't understand how I can be on the page hitting refresh at the exact time tickets go on sale and end up #3,672 in line but it is what it is and I'm ecstatic to have the chance to get tickets.

I'm totally in favor of the name "Metropolitans", because the Seattle Metropolitans were the very first United States team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917, and love "Metros" for short.

Justin Cox, a grad student from Colorado State University, just posted his design thesis based on the Seattle NHL team. This is truly getting me pumped up! Thanks Justin! I can't wait! "OUR TEAM, OUR TOWN, OUR TIME!!!" :-) Check out the link to his thesis below...

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Coolest E-Bike I've ever seen!

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avionics-v1_h.jpg

I love beautiful design and great craftsmanship. PLUS, I love technology and innovation so this seems to tick ALL of the boxes!

It's currently on INDIEGOGO (Kickstarter type site) for an Early-Bird price of $6100 and will retail for just shy of $10000. Ugh. (My car cost less than that!) I hope they do well so maybe the price could come down but for now I'll just have to dream about owning one.

You can check out their website www.avionics.bike or their INDIEGOGO campaign below.