norwegian wood
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- Jan 21, 2009
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- 130
Has anyone here tried fastening the boom arm to anything other then the Vac it self? like the side of a cutting table?
Boom arm
- Thread starter norwegian wood
- Start date
I don't have the official boom arm, but I have attached my version to the side of the MFT. I use 8mm hex head screws for the side of the MFT. These screw heads slide into the side profile and are pretty strong/sturdy when holding the hose or other item.
Dane
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- Jan 27, 2008
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- 461
If you are going to fasten the boom arm to the table, I would save the money, assuming you don't have one already, and make your own. The setup that I use works just as well as the boom, if not better and cost about 20 bucks. The only advantage that I can see for the boom arm above the homemade version is the fact that it is swivels. But if you are going to mount it on a table, you can build in a swivel quite easily.
The setup is a piece of PVC electrical conduit, the grey stuff, with a sweep fitting at the top so it has an "L" shape. Rather than use the boom arm as a way to suspend the hose as the Festool version does, I actually run the suction through the conduit. I use a no-hub plumbing fitting on each end to connect the conduit and the hose. This saves you the expense of the boom arm as well as the extra hose that you usually need to make up that length. You can get a short section of regular shop vac hose to run from the lower end of the conduit to the dust extractor. The ridgid fittings fit the opening on the CT-22 perfectly. For the swivel, though you really don't need one, you could cut in two couplings on the conduit about 2 inches apart that would act as the stops. Then you just use one of the "C" shaped conduit anchors in between the two couplings to mount it to the table. Mine works as well or better than the boom arm as the smooth walls of the conduit have much less friction than the hoses.
The setup is a piece of PVC electrical conduit, the grey stuff, with a sweep fitting at the top so it has an "L" shape. Rather than use the boom arm as a way to suspend the hose as the Festool version does, I actually run the suction through the conduit. I use a no-hub plumbing fitting on each end to connect the conduit and the hose. This saves you the expense of the boom arm as well as the extra hose that you usually need to make up that length. You can get a short section of regular shop vac hose to run from the lower end of the conduit to the dust extractor. The ridgid fittings fit the opening on the CT-22 perfectly. For the swivel, though you really don't need one, you could cut in two couplings on the conduit about 2 inches apart that would act as the stops. Then you just use one of the "C" shaped conduit anchors in between the two couplings to mount it to the table. Mine works as well or better than the boom arm as the smooth walls of the conduit have much less friction than the hoses.
Dave Ronyak
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- Jan 23, 2007
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- 2,234
Dane,
Please post a photo of your setup. I'm sure many members would benefit from seeing it.
Note that a section of that heavy walled (Schedule 80 PVC) 90 degree sweep electrical conduit can be made into an adapter for the dust shroud that comes with a Kreg Pocket Hole jig which otherwise does not connect with a Festool hose.
Dave R.
Please post a photo of your setup. I'm sure many members would benefit from seeing it.
Note that a section of that heavy walled (Schedule 80 PVC) 90 degree sweep electrical conduit can be made into an adapter for the dust shroud that comes with a Kreg Pocket Hole jig which otherwise does not connect with a Festool hose.
Dave R.
Poor man's boom arm:
I keep my CT33 under my MFT on a rolling platform so that the CT moves when the MFT moves. The hose has a curtain hook fastened to cord which goes to the ceiling thru a pulley to another pulley against the wall. I had an old trailer ball hitch (w/stripped threads) as a weight. This arrangement allows me to pull the vacuum hose and the cord acts like a spring. I use my MFT several places in my shop and have hooks where I can move the one pulley over the MFT as needed. Curtain hooks are not quite large enough so I am looking for a better hook but it is O.K. for now.
Most of the time the weight keeps the CT hose suspended at about the same height as a boom arm. This allows plenty of hose slack to do the normal sawing, routing operations at the MFT. It is when I want to vaccum around the table or attach the hose to a table-mounted router that I usually need more hose slack.
I keep my CT33 under my MFT on a rolling platform so that the CT moves when the MFT moves. The hose has a curtain hook fastened to cord which goes to the ceiling thru a pulley to another pulley against the wall. I had an old trailer ball hitch (w/stripped threads) as a weight. This arrangement allows me to pull the vacuum hose and the cord acts like a spring. I use my MFT several places in my shop and have hooks where I can move the one pulley over the MFT as needed. Curtain hooks are not quite large enough so I am looking for a better hook but it is O.K. for now.
Most of the time the weight keeps the CT hose suspended at about the same height as a boom arm. This allows plenty of hose slack to do the normal sawing, routing operations at the MFT. It is when I want to vaccum around the table or attach the hose to a table-mounted router that I usually need more hose slack.
rnt80
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- Mar 30, 2008
- Messages
- 953
Here's the thread that details my home made boom arm. It cost me all of $20 to make and it has been great thus far. Someone suggested using the pvc as the duct work but I like the set up I have now. I have to switch out hoses between my sanders/routers and the Kapex so this works well.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=5848.0
http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=5848.0
