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New Follow Cart - JW


Jeff Wexler

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Posting pictures of the almost finished Follow Cart, built from "scratch" with a hand drill and a hacksaw (as always). Still waiting for the right drawers (you know I'm on the case for aluminum drawers but NOT from StarCase) and then I will be able to complete. Two options for drawer installation: mounted directly in the "rack" rails (aluminum channel I have installed already) OR, mounted in SKB case, installed (but removable) on the cart. The SKB case, of course, provides the ability to take the case off and move it or ship it independently of the cart. The downside, I won't be able to have as many drawers, also takes up more room than just the drawers on their own.

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Ah-ha, Jeff! My cart-obsessed friend...

See where you're going with this. Of course, it started me thinking, dagnabbit.

I'm thinking it's time to push some aluminum fabricator(s) to service our little market with drawers. Maybe a dedicated aluminum drawer thread gets started and some manufacturers invited to play along there to brainstorm the project, thus generating the perfect, lightweight drawer for us.

-- Jan

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I'm thinking it's time to push some aluminum fabricator(s) to service our little market with drawers.

-- Jan

We're all over it as we speak. The good people at Rackman (Sylmar, California) are making a prototype right now, in aluminum, which I am told we should be able to take a look as early as this Friday. I also have ECS looking into building aluminum drawers that are 15" deep and in a 3RU size. I have 2 drawers from ECS now, 1 2RU and 1 4RU, both are 20" deep (too deep for this particular project). ECS is the company that makes the really great super lightweight drawer case for the military (pictured below).

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Wow, put wheels on that thing and IT could be the follow cart.

The one drawer case pictured HAS wheels (sort of like the wheels/handle arrangement that the larger Pelikan cases have) and the one pictured costs about $1600. Designed for the military, available to everyone, advertised as useful for many industries. What they are working on for me is just drawers, shallow depth (15" instead of 20"), but they haven't come through with anything yet. I did purchase 2 drawers already, 1 2RU and 1 4RU --- these would be available from me for purchase if anyone wants them).

http://www.ecscase.com/technical-equipment

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We're all over it as we speak. The good people at Rackman (Sylmar, California) are making a prototype right now, in aluminum, which I am told we should be able to take a look as early as this Friday.

when Robert Sharman mentioned Rackman had expressed some interest in doing drawers in aluminum, I was hoping it wasn't lip service.  Good on you for getting the ball rolling.  I am putting in an order as soon as the finished product gets the "Wexler seal of approval". 

ao

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  • 2 weeks later...

The new Follow Cart is finished except for the DRAWERS! Waiting for the aluminum drawers from Rackman. I added a lower shelf area below the bottom shelf --- it was a shame to see all that space between the wheels go to waste. I'm pretty happy with the end results, it is quite an elegant cart.

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Who is the manufacturer of the bar stock your using?

John

It is 80/20 material, the same company that I got the aluminum profiles I used for the main cart. These are from the HT Series which are 1.5" x 1.5" and come a variety of ways, no holes, holes to ease the assembly, etc. The company named Item has similar stuff.

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Very elegant Jeff! The lip around the borders are also impressive (for those small screws and items that are always trying to get away) Would it be difficult to add/erect a top shelf in the future if needed?

Easy to add on to it in many places. I want to get the drawers in and then I WANT A JOB so I can see how it all works. When and if I want a narrow upper shelf area I will build that either out of the same 80/20 stock (the HT series being 1.5"x1.5" square) or out of raw aluminum, smaller stuff.

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Very nice! I'd like to check out those Rackman case/drawers too.

The new Follow Cart is finished except for the DRAWERS! Waiting for the aluminum drawers from Rackman. I added a lower shelf area below the bottom shelf --- it was a shame to see all that space between the wheels go to waste. I'm pretty happy with the end results, it is quite an elegant cart.

post-1-0-98750800-1308255236.jpg

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Does anyone with experience purchasing 80/20 materials know of a good place to order online?

I contacted 80/20 directly and they said to use their online distributor search to find my local one.

Only 1 came back and the company listed didn't seem like a public company.

Contacted them and that was the case. (nuclear and specialty products)

Without starting to put 100 random zip codes in to find a suitable company

figured I would ask here.

Thanks

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Does anyone with experience purchasing 80/20 materials know of a good place to order online?

Thanks

I have not purchased 80/20 stuff online but I have dealt with a company that is local in Southern California: Prime Resource.

Cuca@primeresourcenow.com (Cuca is main sales/order rep).

566 S. State College Blvd.

Fullerton CA 92831

I have seen 80/20 stuff available through amazon.com and also overstock items on eBay.

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JW, you came all the way down to Fullerton n didn't call!!! Shocked! Thanks though for that tidbit of info though. I will check them out. Have a nice Holiday all...

CrewC

I would never miss seeing you! I have never been to the place (plus, I think they only just recently moved, so there).

love ya...

- Jeff.

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