One boy, his trainers and an idea
The perfect shoe rack? Often difficult to find – how one schoolboy created a unique storage space for his trainers.
Jacob has a penchant for trainers and has made a hobby out of collecting limited editions. This called for a special shoe rack – individual and tailored exactly to his trainers. Jacob was accompanied on this path by the Festool Domino DF 500 joining machine, the T18+3 cordless drill and the joiner Karsten Schillings.
Nobody has ever flown through the air as high and as spectacularly as Michael Jordan. His fans called the basketball star "Air" or "His Airness". Even his later sponsors were inspired by this and created a collection of trainers that bore a logo depicting Jordan flying towards the hoop. This marked the start of a new era from the 1980s onward – trainers became collector's items, unique selling points and bestsellers. It is no wonder that collecting these unusual shoes also became a hobby for basketball fan Jacob. But what is the best way to display these beautiful items at home? Finding suitable shoe racks is often very difficult. They are either not the right size for the items or they hide your showpieces behind closed doors. "I am very passionate about collecting trainers. With the right rack, I'd be able to store the shoes in my room," Jacob says, explaining where the idea came from. As part of work for a school project, the Waldorf student turned to Karsten Schillings – a professional joiner.
„I really enjoyed the craftsmanship element, even though I wouldn't consider myself to be a very practical person at all. The prospect of building a rack to suit my personal tastes made it even more exciting.“
Jacob - student
From sketch to implementation
They first had to clarify the most important questions: What dimensions should the rack have? Which design fits best with Jacob's trainers? And: How will the rack be affixed in the bedroom? A sketch was produced – tailored to the number and size of trainers, and to Jacob's bedroom itself. "The first draft resulted in a lively discussion: Jacob had very specific ideas about what his rack should look like. I accepted these ideas, drew sketches and presented alternative suggestions for certain points," says Karsten Schillings as he describes the visualisation process. The design phase was followed by training. Jacob is a layman and has no experience in handling the power tools or the materials. Before "Operation Trainer Rack" commenced, Karsten Schillings took the youngster on a tour through his workshop. "Mr Schillings explained everything to me exactly and was really patient. It was fascinating to find out about the different materials and tools," Jacob says of his first foray into the world of craftsmanship. They then tested, felt and inspected these materials and tools. Then it was time to get started and the first shelves of the rack were cut.
Two essential aids
However, individual shelves do not make a finished rack – and so, the assembly begins. Perfect for this project: The Domino DF 500 joining machine and the T18+3 cordless drill from Festool. "The DOMINO dowels and screws are the key players in the assembly. The wide shape of the DOMINO dowels ensures that there is sufficient stability to secure the shelves to the rear wall. Furthermore, holes are drilled next to the Domino milling groove. This means that the shelves could be secured to the rear wall using one screw, which is easily screwed in using the cordless drill. These two tools meant that we could make the rack a reality in a very short time," says Schillings, explaining the construction principle. And Jacob clearly found working with professional power tools to be a lot of fun: "I really enjoyed the craftsmanship element, even though I wouldn't consider myself to be a very practical person at all. The prospect of building a rack to suit my personal tastes made it even more exciting."
„Teaching young people craftsmanship“
"Above all, it was very important to Jacob that the rack be white. It was therefore decided that blockboards with a white decorative coating should be used. We also affixed ABS edging to the sides. This has resulted in a consistent colour scheme," says Karsten Schillings as he describes the materials. For the finishing touches, the OFK 500 edge router was used. After a short time, this produced an even, splinter-free surface. "It's always great to see young people coming to me with an idea and to be able to be by their side as they make their ideas a reality and to give them a real feel for craftsmanship," says Karsten Schillings, clearly impressed. In the end, the project produced two shelf racks that can be installed flexibly. The first test in the workshop showed that the rack had precisely the right dimensions for Jacob's trainers.
„Like a three-pointer in basketball!"
On the same day, the rack was installed in Jacob's childhood bedroom. The correct position was crucial. They therefore took out the pocket rule, measured everything and moved them into the correct position. It was then possible to mount the rack on the bedroom wall. All of this took place in a dust-free environment thanks to Festool's CTL SYS mobile dust extractor. After a few holes were drilled using the T18+3 cordless drill, it was then time: Jacob was able to place his treasures on the rack and, lo and behold, the trainers all fitted perfectly. After an experience-filled day, Jacob commented on how much he enjoyed producing the rack: "I can finally have my shoes on show in my room. The rack is a huge success and looks really professional. Just as I had hoped – a real game-changer, like a three-pointer in basketball!"
