CT33 with Boom Arm

B

Brent

Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
32
Hi All,

I'm thinking of getting a boom arm for my CT33. The problem I have is low ceiling clearance (84") in the area of the shop I want to use it in. Could someone who has one set up take a measurement and let me know the height of the assembled unit (CT33 and boom arm). It has been suggested to me that 6" could be cut off the handle and the bottom part of the arm. Would this make it doable given my height constraints. I know there are other ways to get the hose up and out of the way, but I do like the idea of having rotational capabilities.

Have a good one,
 
Brent said:
Hi All,

I'm thinking of getting a boom arm for my CT33. The problem I have is low ceiling clearance (84") in the area of the shop I want to use it in. Could someone who has one set up take a measurement and let me know the height of the assembled unit (CT33 and boom arm). It has been suggested to me that 6" could be cut off the handle and the bottom part of the arm. Would this make it doable given my height constraints. I know there are other ways to get the hose up and out of the way, but I do like the idea of having rotational capabilities.

Have a good one,
Click to expand...

Brent,

My ct22 with boom arm measures out at 81 1/4" to the top of the flex of the hose.

Since the ct33 shares the same chassis, my assumption is that it would be the same.

cheers,
Roger

.......although I could stand corrected on that.
 
Thanks guys for taking the time to measure. Is there anyone out there that's had to cut one down to fit?
 
Rather than buying an expensive boom arm and then cutting it, I would recommend getting a pocket door track (Home Depot has these for $20-$30 depending on length), making a wood carriage that runs on the track using the wheels that come with it, and then screwing the track to your ceiling.  I got this idea from someone on this group, and it works great.  In fact I have installed a few tracks in my basement shop.  I put eye hooks in the carriages and used velcro to attach a $2 carabiner to a long anti-static hose.  Now, whenever I need to use a Festool tool, I just hook a hose in to an overhead eye book that runs in a track and everything is ready to go in two seconds.  This is a very flexible system, I can run hoses wherever I want, and it is not very costly. 

mike

 
would be slightly taller with the 36mm hose.
Click to expand...

If you are trying to squeek the boom arm under a low ceiling you can pivot the hose clips to hang under the arm or on the side.

Mike
 
Sure.  Here are some (mediocre) pictures.  I have three tracks in useful places in my basement shop: one above my main workbench and two on the either sides of a 4' x 8' cutting/assembly table. 

This setup is pretty simple and not very costly.  I have found that it works very well.  Before I set this up I was always getting tangled in dust hoses and power cords.  This does not happen anymore.  I have two AS hoses and each has a plug-it power cord velcroed to it.

Mike

 
Dongar said:
Hi Brent
Tinker covered his experiance cutting down his boom arm in post (posthttp://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=397.0ed ).
Don
Click to expand...

I did not cut the boom arm.  I just set it so the bottom clears the floor by about 1/2 inch.  I had to pull the CT out a couple of days ago to check the HEPA filters and it had slipped down so hitting the floor.

My ceiling height to bottom of floor rafters above is 77" and i have about 5" clearance from the joists so i can still swing the boom with clamps stored clamped to those same joists above.

The only thing i had to do extra to make it fit to the CT handle was to use a hose clamp and make it TIGHT.  When you try to set it you will be able to figure it out quite easily as there are those little "scollops" designed just for the purpose.

It makes no difference in height whether you use the 27 or 36 hose.  I have mine set along the side of the boom.  No problem other than it takes a bit of squeezing to make the 36mm hose fit without removing the screws that the mountings are held together with. 

My biggest problem is that only one of my toys has the detachable power cord. I have finally decided it does not pay to try to hold all those cords or re-attach every time i change tools. The tool (LS 130) with the detachable power cord has the cord permanantly clipped and held with tape as is my AFT 55.  Everything else just use with cord running direct from CT to tool.  A slight PITA, but I don't get involved in mass production.  Usually, no two projects are the same so sanders and planer get only short term uses.  It would be great to have all of my tools with the quick hitch cords and I would only need one.

You should have no problem with that massively towering  8) head space in your shop.
Tinker
 
Tinker,

I made an adapter with one of the Festool pigtails... makes it a little simpler
 
Thanks --  I am glad that you liked them.

Credit for the basic idea goes to someone else, though.  I cannot recall where, but I saw a discussion of pocket door tracks somewhere else on this system.

Don't forget to put some small hand clamps on the end of the tracks, one on each side, to prevent the carriages from flying off.  The advantage of clamps, as opposed to something more permanent, is that on occasion you might want two carriages on one track (if you happen to have two carriages).  Moving them around is pretty easy if all you need to do is remove a clamp.

Mike

 
Eiji, I checked out your track discussion.  I don't have a track, but I have a couple of dowels anchored to my overhead joists (77" headroom) that I drape my hose over.  It is not as good a setup as yours by any measure, but it is better than just the boom.  MUCH BETTER than without the boom.  I have some T-slot track lying around waiting for a home.  I think I will try adapting that for moving hose around.

I do have a question about your vac hose setup.  I notice you have your smaller hose (27mm) connected to your vac. The larger 36mm hose is added to reach your tools.  I'm currious.  I learned in fire school about starting at pump with 6" hose/line to 4"lline to 2" line to 1" line.  I have not studied about suction, but it would seem to me that it might work best if you reversed the setup so your larger hose is closest to the suction.  Have you researched this idea? 
Tinker

 
mike1967,
  Thanks also for the clamp reminder.

and Eiji,
  Bonus. Nicely done.

I've been getting real tired of futzing with the hose on long cuts,
and also a bit annoyed that the edge of the MFTs tend to abrade the
hose as it slides over it. This solution will definitely be in my future.
 
Thanks everyone for the input. It seems that I would be able to use the boom arm with little or no modification.
 
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