Boom arm ideas

[Svar]

I don’t see the point of boom arm unless you are working on site. In the shop it is much simpler and secure to suspend the hose and cable from the ceiling. A piece of rope and hook will give you a comparable swing. Stretch a cable across with a sliding carabiner if you need to move across large shop. $300? Really?  

I am looking at boom arms, brand name and especially shop made and wondering. They all consist of large diameter pipes. Why attach a hose to it if you could channel the air right through. Connect the vacuum to the bottom end and a piece of hose to the upper end. That will save you 2.5 m of hose. Also, pressure loss through wide smooth and straight tube will be lesser in comparison.

How do you handle hoses and cables?

 

[danrush]

Kinda like this?  The pvc goes up to the ceiling, over about 4' to the wall and down to the ct22.  I have 3  heavy gauge wire hose supports around the table to be used a needed.
Dan

 

[Mavrik]

I have a large hook connected to a shelf jutting over my table.
Works well to drape the hose and cable over it.

 

[mouppe]

I don’t see the point of boom arm unless you are working on site. In the shop it is much simpler and secure to suspend the hose and cable from the ceiling. A piece of rope and hook will give you a comparable swing. Stretch a cable across with a sliding carabiner if you need to move across large shop. $300? Really? 

I am looking at boom arms, brand name and especially shop made and wondering. They all consist of large diameter pipes. Why attach a hose to it if you could channel the air right through. Connect the vacuum to the bottom end and a piece of hose to the upper end. That will save you 2.5 m of hose. Also, pressure loss through wide smooth and straight tube will be smaller in comparison.

My CT22 rarely leaves my workshop but I like to use it in different places in the shop depending on where the tools are or even if I am cleaning up. I tried the bungee from the ceiling but frankly, the boom arm is well worth the money and I haven't regretted getting it for a moment.

Simpler and secure? I disagree, but it sounds as if you have made up your mind already.

 

[Corwin]

I agree with Richard.  Festool's Boom Arm is a peach.  Quick to break down and reinstall when needed too.  Home-made boom arms are fine if you're looking to save the $300, but I've yet to see one that I would consider better than the Festool product.

 

[sgryd]

I've had the CT22 with boom arm many years. But I only work in my shop, never on site. In my really small shop the vertical part of the arm always got in the way.. I couldn't rool the CT22 under benches and I always found the arm being in the wrong place when I handled sheet goods.

So..
[attachthumb=#]

Hanging the vacuum on the arm is only a prototype for testing out the right hose length. The vacuum will sit on the atic and a DustDeputy will sit in the corner by the ceiling. The arm can lift 25kg at the top and 60kg at the second pivot piont. I'll add compressed air, light and some kind of foldable platform for hanging tools while working. I cant wait until I can place the TS55 on a platform above the sheetgood I'm cutting. It will make it much easier to handle the sheets in my tiny shop.

 

[Svar]

I've had the CT22 with boom arm many years. But I only work in my shop, never on site. In my really small shop the vertical part of the arm always got in the way.. I couldn't rool the CT22 under benches and I always found the arm being in the wrong place when I handled sheet goods.

That was my point exactly.
Nice setup. I have my vacuum on the wall and the hose suspended from the ceiling. Never on the way. I can just reclip the hose to a different place if I'm out of reach.