Question for Rod and the Kirby cult followers!

[kwgeorge]

Ok here’s the deal, with the acquisition of a couple new larger tools it has become an imperative that I rearrange the shop. So with this I have taken some time (Like the last 4 weekends) to work on the shop and rearrange everything. As I do this I am also cleaning up years of sawdust from those hidden places (ok so maybe from some not so hidden places also!) In any case I have a vacuum mounted on the wall that I use for bench tops and tools surfaces and of course a broom. I decided that all this was not very efficient so I purchased a larger shop-vac with a 2-1/2” hose. Now I know from Rod’s pictures that he uses vacuums and I also know (everybody knows) that he is the MDF king and MDF makes a lot of small dust particles. So with all that and to make a long story short (if that’s possible with me) I have been using the vacuum to clean. Well I have found that I can use it until I reach about a quarter full in the container when the filter completely clogs up with dust. Then I have to stop and clean it before I can continue on. So the question is for you vacuum guys, what do you do about this? Is there some filter cover or something I should be using? Got to be a better way so I am asking before I go do a bunch of research and trial and error.

Ken

[wardprobst]

Clean, used panty hose makes a decent prefilter.
DP

[cgallery]

Use bags in the vacuum (Shop-Vac and Craftman have bags for their vacuums where the hose inlet is mounted on the TANK, not on the TOP). And get a HEPA filter to keep the super-fine stuff from going right through the filter. I suggest CleanStream.

I, too, use MDF. The impressive thing about bags/HEPA is that the outside of my Shop-Vac stays relatively clean. In the past it was always coated with fine dust. I think that is because the very finest dust was being circulated in the air by the Shop-Vac and settling on everything (vac included).

Also, I use a Shop-Vac as my dust collector. I recently "retired" my old (only four or five years) 12-gallon Shop-Vac brand for a new one.

What I had thought I wanted was a SV with more capacity. I looked at eighteen and twenty gallon (and larger) units. After spending more time on it than I should of, I had a revelation.

The problem w/ my current SV was the shape of the tank. At the top, where the motor attaches, there is narrowing of the top by 1.5" all-around. This makes the opening about 3" more narrow than the tank itself. So when my bags were more than 1/2 full, they were a GIANT PITA to remove. Consequently, I didn't fill them to capacity.

In looking at the various sizes of SV's (real SV brand), I noticed that their current line had similar reductions in tank openings on sub-12 and over-12 gallon sizes. The current 12-gallon has no reduction ring. I believe they use these rings to allow them to use a single motor assembly on multiple tank sizes.

Long story short, Wal-Mark had a new 12-gallon SV (in snazzy red top and black tank) for about $70. It was a little quieter than my previous 12-gallon SV, but the new one had a blower port. So I tossed a muffler in it and it is even quieter now. So I have an unobstructed opening to my tank, and a quieter motor, and SV nirvana.

Thanks!
Phil

[jAngiel]

I too use the vac bags in my shop vac. I do not use the panty hose prefilter but I found that, in my case, it's not needed as the bags hold everything in. The only thing that I make sure of is that the bags I do buy specify that they are manufactured for drywall dust. I forget the terminology that is used on the package but somewhere it says "drywall dust" on the package.

Haven't had any problems what so ever and I do use MDF quite frequently.

[BobSch]

...It was a little quieter than my previous 12-gallon SV, but the new one had a blower port. So I tossed a muffler in it and it is even quieter now.

Thanks!
Phil

Where'd you find a SV muffler?

[RodKirby]

Hi Ken,

I don't use bags, but...

I use a cloth cover (from Shopvac) that sits on the base. It has a plastic rim and is sort of a pre-filter. I'll need to take a pic - I couldn't find the item thru Shopvac.

Very effective - I get about a 1/2 full tank before the cloth gets clogged. Stops almost all the dust from getting to the main filter and SUPER easy to clean

[boblon]

I got tired of cleaning all that fine dust off of the filter and having to dump the vacuum when it was only partly full, so....

... put me in the 'I use a bag in my shop vac' faction.

It does work VERY well though.

BobL.

[LCHIEN]

Clean, used panty hose makes a decent prefilter.
DP

So why does it have to be used and
if used, can your wife use it or do you have to use it personally?

[wardprobst]

So why does it have to be used and
if used, can your wife use it or do you have to use it personally?

It has to be used because thats the BT Cheap Way....
You can use your own, I still have to get up from the LOML...
8~}
DP