Shop Vacs?

admin

Slightly off topic maybe, but I didn't know where else to post. So do any of you out there use a shop vac of some sort to clean up metal grind particles, small metal chips, dust and whatnot on the floors/benches of your shops? If so, is it worth it? Who's do you use (make/model) and would you recommend.Just curious - since I operate out of a pretty small area (garage) with cement floors - it gets a little old sweeping up with a broom/dustpan and I like to keep it somewhat clean so I don't get kicked out! Seems like a good shop vac w/attachements would work well - not pulling up anything large or hot of course.Thoughts?
Reply:Any of the shop vacs will work.  Pick a size, and a mfr. that has filters readily available.  I bought a Dirt Devil one about ten years ago and I've always had a hard time getting filters.  Now I just order a few and keep one handy.  Got to change the filters every so often, especially if you use it for dust, drywall and fine stuff.  Never leave the filter in if using it for a wet vac.  The wife did that once and ruined a filter. If you do wet vac, wrap a rag over the air outlet so you don't get blasted with bypass moisture.  Then you have to clean it out and let it dry well before dry vacuuming again.Hobart 140 Handler w/ gasHyperTherm Powermax 380 Plasmaoxy/acetylene
Reply:I use my wet-dry vac for vacuuming up pretty much anything that needs to be vacuumed up.Best 'weird' use so far has to be using a whole bunch of extension tubes and vacuuming in hornets/yellowjackets as they return to a nest I couldn't get the spray into.  Set up the vac with a nozzle set next to but not right on the nest entrance, turn it on and leave it running for a few hours.  Critters flying back to the nest get sucked right in and travel at about 150 mph down the tubes and then hit the filter deflector.  Come back to several hundred dead bugs shattered in the canister.  Repeat next day if needed for stragglers or 'smart' ones who would land outside the suction zone and crawl back into the nest.  I did this a few times for a few different nests that the wasp/hornet killer spray just wouldn't reach because the nest was buried underground or behind the siding.Best 'upgrade' for the vac has to be springing for a Gore filter.  Wet or dry, the filter doesn't care.  Tap the big crud and dust off the filter, and then wash it off with water when it gets caked with fine dust, dry it -gently- with an air nozzle. and back into the vac it goes.  I haven't had to replace the filter since I did that, just clean it out gently.  Best ~$35 I spent for the vac.The vac is a Sears 16 gal with the detachable motor/blower.  Was about $100 on sale IIRC.  Loud as all get out, especially indoors.  Hearing protectors recommended.  But it -sucks-, in a good way.  Sawdust, wood shavings, drywall dust (man that stuff cakes up filters like you wouldn't believe), steel dust on the driveway from the grinder (had to vac it up, sweeping wouldn't do anything on a blacktop driveway and had to remove the steel dust to prevent rust stains and resultant spousal grief), bugs, etc, etc.
Reply:my dad and i each use a 6.5 HP Ridged... got 'em for Christmas a few years ago... never had a problem with them... quieter than most other shop-vacs, wet/dry abilities, filters could be a little cheaper, but we find that we can re-use the paper filters pretty easy... we always have a back-up on hand, but we take them out to the back yard (new the neigbor's fence line...  ) and blow them out FROM THE INSIDE... gets rid of most of the dust... the rest that is there doesn't matter... over the past two years, i think i have gone thru 2 (forgot to take it out when i was sucking some water, and my little brother used it to grab some larger wood chunks... shreaded the living daylights out of the paper filter) and my dad has gone thru one (water thing again)... jsut blow them out and you'll be good... we've sucked up everything from drywall, saw dust, nails, screws, metal shavings, drill bits, paper, leaves, plastic bags, small animals (lol... not really, but it'd be fun to try)... has a nice big drain at the bottom too for getting the water out.Later,Andy
Reply:Good Lord son, they make a thing called a period. Ellipses (...) are used indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished thought OR, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence.  You have 13 unfinished thoughts or trail off into silence 13 times?  'Cuz I know, with the way you talk,  you aren't pausing.  Oh - I have a Crapsman shop Vac in the 10 gallon size. It sucks. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:I got the Ridgid on sale at Home Crepo, much better than Dad's Shop-Vac.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:I have a 2 HP double bag dust collection system from Harbor Freight.  It's very quiet and works well.  I also have the little red 1 HP single bag model, it's noisy and weak.If you go with a dust collection system, you really need to wrap a ground wire around all the hoses to prevent an explosion from static buildup!Grizzly has a large assortment of dust collection equipment.  I've got one of their small ones hooked up to my abrasive blaster, works great!  If you decide to build a system, get Grizzly's book first!America Needs AMERICA'S Oil!!!"Global warming is the greatest scam in history ...There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril."--John Coleman, Founder of The Weather Channel
Reply:I have this one ...RIDGID 4 Gal. 5.0 Peak HP Portable Pro Vac Model WD4050Like it because it seems to have close to the same amount of suck as the other large shopvac I have but is small enough to not get in the way all of the time.Much better to suck all that crap off the machines than to blow it all over with the air gun.
Reply:Holy over-rated shop vac motor! A 120V, 9 Amp, 5 HP sucker! Impossible! (english accent) Perhaps it would peak for .25 seconds if hit with a 440V 3 phase wire. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:If I were to ever clean my shop, I think I would go ahead and use the shop vac once I shoveled my way into it.  Actually I use it for the drill press, mill and whatever I want. I just don't want to very often.
Reply:Good stuff all,Yeah, I'll probably just go for the Rigid at HD or Shop-Vac at Lowes. Don't want to spend a ton - my main use would be suckin' metal chips  (there may be a bandsaw and/or Bridgeport in my future ) and grind dust off the floor.............
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneHoly over-rated shop vac motor! A 120V, 9 Amp, 5 HP sucker! Impossible! (english accent).
Reply:I have a Dayton that I got fron the Grainger catalogue. The unit sits on the top of a 55 gal drum, 4hp motor and 18ft of hose and the only things it won't suck up are the stuff that don't fit thru the hose. Not bad on noise, but it is a bit spendy.  I think Harbor Freight has something just like it, but a bit cheaper.
Reply:that's not a bad idea actually (putting the head onto a 55 gallon drum)... i wonder how had it would be to retro-fit mine. hmmm... thanks for the idea!!!Later,Andy
Reply:Nobody mentioned magnets for those steel chips/dust.I have a Harborfreight hand-held magnet with a quick release handle that works great for metal dust or the bolts that fall behind equipment.They also make a wide broom style for cleaning floors and driveways.Another thought is a magnet inside a canvas bag set in the path of a grinders sparks-remove the bag and let the shavings drop away.
Reply:I've used 16 gal. shop vacs from Sears Craftsman for years for all kinds of things.  Whatever their newest, most powerful one is seems to always be on sale for a little over $100.  But if you need to suck up a lot of fine dust (drywall, concrete sawing or grinding), the filters clog quick and need constant cleaning.  Then specialty vacuums are necessary (for example, see vacuums at www.edcoinc.com).  One more thought, for an easy to clean and hard to hurt floor, look at a polished concrete floor.  Gives benefits of good epoxy floor without drawbacks (won't burn or melt from welding sparks, brightens room, no concrete dusting, easy to clean, won't scratch).  Look at a website like www.concretenetwork.com to see more info. on polished concrete.