CT 33 and Clear Vue Mini CV06 WOW Now with Pictures!!

[Steve Jones]

Wait, wait, if the plastic add on doohicky is removable, I want the discontinued CT11 ($295.00) and two of the $60.00 plastic inserts

Comes to $415.00 for a CT 33 kit!

 

[Ned]

Steve--

Check the EKAT parts catalog (in Germany, but accessible through Festool USA website).

Like the DTS/RTS sander pair, the CT's certainly use common parts, but weren't designed to be converted in the field, or converted back-and-forth.  Maybe you could do it once.

If you could convert back-and-forth, you'd need bags for each configuration.

Ned

 

[Ned]

For example could I have the CT33 in the shop but remove the extra piece and take it as a CT22 on site (I guess slightly smaller and better able to fit in my tiny, overloaded vehicle)

Maybe a better idea would be a CT22 with cyclone in the shop, and leaving the cyclone at home when you're on site.

Ned

 

[Terp]

Hey guys,
  Put the tools down & step away from the CT's, please.

  Seriously, I have owned the CT33 for over a year now.  During that time our household vacuum died, again.  Does anyone know what they cost?  A good one,... geez.
  Well I began using the CT33 to Vacuum the house on the weekends & quickly realized I'd never used a better house vacuum.  Over time though the CT33 has become laden with attachments such as the Boom & above mentioned Cyclone.
  I decided to spring for a CT22 for the house.  The best part is it lives under my chop saw bench & can be used to clean the shop & for site work.  It's not really much lighter, but it is easier to carry. 
  Also, I bought prior to the price increase & bought the 22 with a Trion jig saw to save on both before the price rise.
  They are identical except for the spacer.  Don't chop down you CT33 though.  it's all plastic & something might not be meant to be disassembled that way.  All serviceable parts are in the head anyway, so the base may have limited disassembly.  Either way you can use the 22 bags in the 33's.  Make a spacer for under the bag though, so it won't tear.
  You might be able to convert a 22 into a 33, be careful & good luck.  The parts are all available, that's for sure.

 

[Ned]

...During that time our household vacuum died, again.  Does anyone know what they cost?  A good one,... geez.
  Well I began using the CT33 to Vacuum the house on the weekends & quickly realized I'd never used a better house vacuum...

My CT22 is welcome in the house any time, after it wipes its feet. 

If the Mini had a HEPA filter, my wife would have bought one by now.

Ned

 

[jmelson]

Opaque=Translucent  You can see the level of sawdust in the pail through the side wall. It is not clear enough to see the sawdust flying around inside. The Dust Deputy comes in two flavors, 1 Complete, 2 DIY kit. I opted for the kit as my original intent was to mount it on a 20 gallon grease drum, obviously empty and clean, but alas had to put it on a bucket do to lack of space in the work shop. I started out with the DD mounted on top of the CT 33 , but due to a rather quick slide down that slippery slope, I needed more space for sustainer's and now my DD resides on top of my shaper. By the way, I have had this system for about a year and have emptied the bucket no less than twenty times and have very little accumulation in the CT 33 bag. The material that is in the bag may have come before the see Thur bucket, when I was using the joint compound bucket and let it get too full.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Opaque=Translucent

According the the American Heritage Dictionary, official Republican Edition, from the VP's desk 

By the way, I have had this system for about a year and have emptied the bucket no less than twenty times and have very little accumulation in the CT 33 bag.

That's the kind of testimonial that gets me going, I want one now.

 

[merklebob]

to correctly use a cyclone you need air volume.  it looks like your connecting with the 52mm hose to the cyclone and connecting the tool to the 3-4 " hose to the tool from the cyclone.  put a gate in the line close to the tool.  open the gate until the plastic container doesnt colaspe. 

to move dust thru the tubes you need volumes of air movement.  at 135 cfm the ct22/33 is just enough to barely keep the dust supended in the air stream.  the gate will allow you to increase the air flow and reduce the total static pressure[which is colapling the containers] .  you'll need just enough to pull the dust from the tool and the rest thru the gate.

if you look at full size dust collectors the volume is 900 cfm and static draw pressure is less then 10" vs about 27 for the ct.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Merklebob,

I have both a Dust Deputy and and Oneida 2.5 HP portable twin cyclone.  I agree that cyclones require a minimum volume of air flow (actually air velocity within the conduit lines and the cyclone) to work properly, and that they generally use much lower static pressures than shop vacuum machines like the CT 33 (which has the same flow and static pressure ratings as the CT 22).  I own a CT 22, a Fein Turbo II and an old 16 gal. Craftsman 11A vacuum, and my Dust Deputy works quite well with any of these (most of the time I use a 36mm hose on the inlet).  Oneida specifically warns in its operator's manual for the 2.5 HP machine to not run it with all blast gates closed because this can cause overheating even though it is equipped with a high quality (Baldor) motor of the TEFC type  (which is cooled by a fan within the motor housing).  I also agree with your easy-to-implement instructions for adjustment of the blast gate (or some by-pass) to limit static pressure and maintain adequate air flow through the cyclone.  But ideally, shouldn't much of that air should be in the conduit that is transporting the debris to be captured in the cyclone, and the velocity in that conduit needs to be high enough to keep that debris moving, and ideally suspended in the moving air.  I don't understand where you obtained the static draw pressure of 27 (inches of water?) for the CT.  Is this from some performance chart of graph?  Does this represent the value within a certain size of hose coupled to a certain Festool sander or other machine?  Or an open 27mm hose?

Dave R.

 

[Michael Kellough]

......a gate will allow you to increase the air flow and reduce the total static pressure[which is colapsing the containers] .   you'll need just enough to pull the dust from the tool and the rest thru the gate.

An easy way to add a bootstrap gate is to add a Y at the inbound port on the cyclone. With the tool hose connected to one port you can cover the open part partially with something to get a good ratio.

My central shop vac is a Fein which is too powerful for small sanders so I put a Y on the vac and adjust (partially cover) the open port so the sanders run freely. Most times I simply leave the Fein hose installed and use it to pick up stray dust and debris without having to switch hoses or pull the hose from the tool. Only a small amount of suction is wasted at the tool so this works well.

 

[merklebob]

the 27 is based on the normal shop vac static numbers.  its really not important that its 27 or 22 but that its usually twice what a dust collector system draws.  the extra gate[or valve needs to be close the the sander[or other tool].  closed enough to pick up the dust generated by the tool only.  i cant remenmber the number exactly but i remember something like 100  fpm to keep the dust flowing.  in the picture it looked like a large host from the cyclone to the tool.  it would be better if it was the 52mm size hose.  as you increase the hose size the velosity of the air movement goes down.

 

[greg mann]

Based on my experience with the ClearVue mini I would say it is sized and configured to work best with 2 inch hoses on input and output side. As far as imploding the collection containers goes, the challenge is to keep from constricting airflow on the pickup size. I have been using a 2 inch hose between DC and the ClearVue and a 2 inch hose to various stationary tools, including a 15 inch Powermatic planer. Even there it ahs done a credible job on ,say, a .050 cut on an 8 inch workpiece. I have used the 36mm hose with my Bosch CMS with no issues. However, I once tried cleaning the floor with a 27mm hose and the tradesman cleaning attachment. Too much static pressure build resulting in an imploding container. The same job with the 36mm hose resulted in far better pickup and no implosion. The key is to keep the airflow as high as possible which will also keep the static pressure lower by default. The cyclone itself just creates an eddy current of air in which to trap the heavier than air particles. the trick is to keep negative pressure as low as possible in the container. If you are imploding the container you are restricting airflow and losing efficiency. Michael's Y at the input to the cyclone is a good way to accomplish this, especially if you could fit it with a spring loaded relief valve, but to let air in when needed to keep static pressure from climbing. A reasonble analogy would be the damper and air inlet adjustment on a wood stove. They work in unison to keep the fire a burning at the rate you want while not allowing the natural draw of the chimney from pulling heat out too quickly. In our case we want maximum airflow so it would be an open damper and an increasingly open inlet until they are matched. Of course for the analogy to work you need to ignore the fact that the woodstove has expanding gasses to deal with.

 

[merklebob]

the y at the cyclone only keeps the container form imploding.  you need the air flow thru out the whole line.  that why the y, gate... should be close to the tool.  i agree with everything else.

 

[greg mann]

Correct. Close to the tool is best but is really only practical for stationary tools and one will presumably have bigger hoses on them anyway. I personally think the clearvue is unnecessary for the Festool saws or sanders or even the Domino, unless you are doing a whole bunch of mortices. It would help in any circumstance where you would want a full cyclone but don't have one or when you are out of the shop.

 

[Corwin]

Oops, I posted this on the wrong thread...

Yep, that ClearVue showed up yesterday, and I hooked it up as shown in the photo in no time today.  Works like a champ -- Hoses fit directly (but I did order a longer D50 just for the occasion) and the paint bucket does not collapse when you deadhead the nozzle.  Be a little nicer if those paint buck lids came on and off easier, but this was quick and easy.  Best of all, it works great!

Now for one of those tool organizers that fits on the inside a Systainer lid...

I especially liked how quickly this arrangement went together.  As it happened, my last cuts before the cyclone arrived left sawdust that indicated that the bag needed changing, so before I started up this contraption, I installed a new bag -- nice timing.

I am using a new longer D50 from CT to ClearVue as I figured the one that came with the Boom Arm was likely a little too short (and, as configured, that is correct.)  This longer hose may account for that meager 5 gallon paint bucket holding its own, even when the hose was deadheaded.  Once I know how I'll want it, I'll cut down the D50 for a more appropriate fit -- hope I'm not then left in a fit looking for a better bucket, or adding back some of that removed hose...  Anyway, so far, so good -- well, actually it is great!  Oh, and some of that copper tape to finish up the AS system will be a future addition too.

And that tool holder for inside the lid is heading up on my wish list.  A second (maybe for different items) would be nice on the lid of the Sys-1 that I now use (thank's to Ned for pointing this out to me) to set down the current tool in use.  That Sys-1 sits on the top of two Sortainers that all roll around on a Systainer Cart -- and they can roll under my MFT to get out of the way, well, as long as that tool has been put away and the Sys-1's lid is closed first.

With the hose garage attached, the Sys-4 that came with the WorkShop Cleaning Set had been rather empty without the hose.  Now that Sys-4 is going to good use and the floor nozzle along with several other attachments fit nicely into the big drawer in the 4 drawer Sortainer.  All works great for me, and I can easily clear off the top of the CT for other storage by placing the Cyclone setup on a Systainer Cart.  

 

[mitch dugo]

Opaque=Translucent  You can see the level of sawdust in the pail through the side wall.  ???

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) 
o?paque   
?adjective 1. not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.