Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 28, 1999 02:19am | #1

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   Larry, We use a 5.0HP, 10 gallon Shop Vac. It is the one with the stainless steel tank, The 2 1/2" hose works the best.

   As far as fine dust goes, get the 10 gallon disposable filter bags. The bags are used in addition to the first filter, and work great for drywall dust etc. Shop Vac has a web site that is fairly informative.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 28, 1999 02:20am | #2

   *Larry, so you want to join the quest? Do you have what it takes? Do you have the $250-500 giggles it costs for a truly quiet AND efficient vacuum?

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 28, 1999 02:53am | #3

   *Rich; lets get to the real topic… From the time a builder/remodeler walks in the door until he finishes the job, he creates dust. Most homeowners don’t understand it until they live through it.Even doing a small remodeling job creates dust; I’m talking about the really fine film that gets on the furniture. It filters through the shop vac, plastic barriers, etc. It inevitability gets into the furnace and blows directly into the sensitive electronic equipment throughout the house. I guarantee that the houses of the future are going to have more and more dust sensitive stuff, including the electronics, homeowners, and workmen reading FHB on dust hazards. If the average office worker was subjected to the amount of dust workmen are, they would go home.A shop vac is not enough but how do you get rid of the dust, or at least keep it down:The major culprits.Demolition of Plaster and drywall: Breathing this stuff can NOT be good for your lungs, its almost as bad as old attic insulation at 2 ½” from your mouth. Wear a dust mask. Think about another profession.Demolition of cinder block and brick: Goes right through the shop vac, spreads like smoke. Demolition of ceramic tile floors: Some floors are better than others, watch out for Quarry tile set in concrete. Sanding Drywall joint compound: And don’t forget about cutting 20+ holes in dropped ceiling tiles with a Jigsaw, makes more dust than you would imagine.Some almost workable solutions.Hang heavy plastic between the work place and living space. Staple to the side of door casing so that the holes don’t show later. Be careful with Duct tape, and masking tape, it will leave a sticky residue after a short time. In the end, after everyone walks through your plastic it ends up on the floor.Suck the dust up before it can get everywhere. Shop Vac makes 10 Gallon Disposable Filter bags that are great. They are used in addition to the Vacuums main filter. Just carefully remove the bag from the tank, very little filter cleaning to do.We made a high volume air blower from a large HVAC fan. Some sheet metal and a 12’ x 8” diameter flexible hose. Tool Crib sells a similar one called “Big Blue”. It is great for plaster dust, if the yard is big enough to blow the dust out.We haven’t tried this yet, but, I’m thinking about taking our shop’s Delta Air filter to the job site. Home Depot sells a portable filter, but the volume of air seems pretty wimpy. Probably should have found another profession, because I hate dust… any comments / suggestions? JJ Hamer Hamer Construction, Inc.

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   Guest_ | Jan 28, 1999 04:09am | #4

   *I've been through about one cheap shop vac a year, and finally spent abour $200 on a (hopefully) really good one that will last a while. (Like the one JJ Hamer mentioned)One thing I've done is use 2 hoses. Use the hose that came with the Vac on the suction side. Put the 2nd hose in the air port where the air/dust blows out, and stick it out a window. Not a hi-tech solution, but it works.

2. 
   Dann | Jan 28, 1999 04:56am | #5

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   The very BEST shop vacs are made by WAP. But, you're going to spend four to five hundred "giggles" (as the post above mentioned). The WAP's have plenty of suction, are very quiet, and some come with the kick on feature - when you turn on your sander/power tool, the vacuum turns on.

   I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but everyone I've talked to says it works, is the Lee Valley garbage can cyclone cover. It makes it so most of the big stuff you're sucking up goes into a garbage can, while the little stuff gets trapped in the vac's filter. You need a fairly powerful vacuum to make it work. Next month, now that I've recovered from my wife's Christmas spending, I'm gonna get one to see if it really works!

1. 
   Greg_Booth | Jan 28, 1999 04:58am | #6

   *I do that with 2 hoses also, but mostly because it makes it a lot quieter! Even a short length helps a lot.

1. 
   Paul_ | Jan 29, 1999 12:57am | #7

   *I have a noisy one , but a friend just got a Fein and he swears you can have a conversation in a normal voice right next to it. It has auto-turn on to use with sanders...it's about $250 in Tool Crib. When mine bites the dust(no pun intended) I am getting one that won't make me deaf and won't clog and spew the fine dust all over.

1. 
   JohnE | Jan 29, 1999 01:18am | #8

   *Ron, et al;Have you tried adding a filter on the exhaust hose in jobs where you cannot get the end of it outside? I'm referring to one of those (HEPA rated) filters that the high end dust collection systems use at the end as a filter and final silencer.I keep hearing about dust from sanding drywall (joints). I was a mudman for a (plaster) mason back in my younger days. I don't remember him even owning a sanding block let alone using one on a job...cheers; JE

3. 
   Larry_McClung | Jan 30, 1999 12:59pm | #9

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   My 15-year old 1.5 hp ShopVac wet/dry vacuum is extremely noisy and releases a lot of fine dust into the area of operation. Does anyone have experience with quiet/clean machines they would recommend.

4. 
   Guest_ | Jan 30, 1999 12:59pm | #10

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   Larry, from what I have seen, the WAP, Porter-Cable, new DeWalt, and the Fein share some basic features. Quiet, powerful, and 5 micron standard filtration, with 1 micron optional filters. I own the Fein, and my CLIENTS are impressed by it...
   Hit your local store, and give them a test drive.