Replies

1. 
   Jim_Walters | Jun 29, 2001 11:30pm | #1

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   If there's people living in the house I always find a place outside to cut, garage/deck anywhere outside the living area. Goofin with a shop vac would make me crazy...er.

1. 
   James_DuHamel | Jun 29, 2001 11:45pm | #2

   *I use a multiple outlet (strip outlet with a built in breaker) and plug my saw and vac into it. It has a on/off switch built in. I have it mounted on my saw horse, and when I need to turn on the shop vac and supply current to my saw, I flip the switch to the on position. When I am done, I turn it off.This serves two purposes for me. First is that it gives me a control over the vac. Second, it prevents anyone else from playing with my saw and getting hurt. If you don't know the outlet is mounted on the saw horse, you can't figure out why the saw has no power.James DuHamel

1. 
   nigel_martin | Jun 30, 2001 12:27am | #3

   *Go to sears, they have just the thing you need for about $20.

1. 
   piffin_ | Jun 30, 2001 12:38am | #4

   *I think the Porter Cable vac and some others have such a system built in so that when hooked up right you start the saw or sander and the vac automaticly comes on.I isolate the area I'm working in, run an air cleaner dust machine and let the heavier stuff fall to the floor and vac it up at end of day.

1. 
   Alan_Kim | Jun 30, 2001 01:40am | #5

   *For your situation, I agree with Nigel.I picked up one of those switching outlets from Sears.Costs 19.95.You have to ask about it because most of the sales folks will not know about it.It is rated for only 15-amps - something to keep in mind.

2. 
   John_A._Laidlaw | Jun 30, 2001 05:36am | #6

   *Thanks a lot - I'll check out Sears, if no joy, the power bar on the portable bench should have occurred to me. It can't be a blonde moment - must be a silver one. John Laidlaw

3. 
   Geoff_ | Jul 01, 2001 01:59am | #7

   *John, don't if your budget minded on this or not, but Fein makes a vacuum that has a plug for the saw( or whatever power tool you want to plug in) you then plug the vac. into the wall outlet and attach the vac. hose to the back of the chop saw. When you start the saw the vac. starts automatically and then run just long enough after you stop the saw to collect all the dust, there is always some that gets away but this vac. works exceptionally well in my opinion AND its LOTS quieter than any other vac. I have tried(around 50 db). It retails throught he Woodworkers Warehouse for around $250, worth every dime of it just for the noise reduction, it also has a long cord and a long hose so you can actually keep the vac. some distance away from your work area. Geoff

4. 
   Alan_Kim | Jul 01, 2001 05:03am | #8

   *Yup, Fein makes very nice vaccuums.But a large ShopVac QSP model with 2" hose and pre-filter bag + Clean Stream pleated filter costs a lot less and the bags/filter costs a fraction of Fein's.And ear plugs are cheap.Do look into the Sears switch and 16-gallon QSP models. They are fairly quiet and powerful.There will be a need for a Fein vac in the future but I'm very pleased with my setup, which I also use for cleaning the house.Hardly any discharge with the Clean Stream filter.

2. 
   John_A._Laidlaw | Jul 01, 2001 05:03am | #9

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   I have a slight problem. I do renovations/alterations in homes as a 1-man operation. In order to minimize dust & mess, I try to have a shop-vac hooked up to the chop-saw, &c. I don't need it running all the time, but going around to turn it on, each time I go to make a cut, is a pain. Does anyone out there have a cute little circuit that'll turn on the Vac when I flash up the cutting tool, or know where I could get such a useful little dodge. I assume it comes with a duplex outlet at the end of a cord. I'm in the PNW (Pacific North-Wet), Victoria BC.