Dust Collecter Boom Arm

[Sutes]

I am considering purchasing a boom arm for my dust collecter.  Wanted to get thoughts from those of you who have one.  Worth the money?

 

[Brice Burrell]

I don't know of anyone that bought one that doesn't love it.  I decided to buy one but there are plenty of members here that made their own.  A search on homemade boom arm will bring back ton of good info.

 

[nickao]

Yes, I love mine.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Back in 2006 I was using two rooms in my condo as a wood shop, A friend mentioned how he had put together a boon arm to tame the hose, using a surplus movie-industry senior reflector stand and grip arm. If Festool had invented their boom arm they sure were not selling them in the USA. I had one of those heavy stands left from my movie making days. A buddy had some senior grip heads and arm, to which he might have had clear title. I bought those for a few dollars. That boom arm still works well for me.

Late in 2009, before I was sure I would start another large shop, I was working out of several rental shops. By then I had bought 2 additional CT22. One shop where I often rented space had a rope system which functions well as a boom arm. The other shop had no such rope system. I had by then seen the Festool boom arm in Europe and at my favorite dealer. For a few hours I considered buying another of the reflector stands, plus grip head and arm.

Apparently the studios were seriously preventing such equipment from being lost on location. New such a stand, head and arm at retail was way more expensive than the Festool boom arm set for the CT22, especially since I already had the handles on all my CT22.

Three years later my genuine Festool Boom Arm is used with a CT22 and rolls all over the shop where it is needed. Some of the tables we use a lot for sanding and for sawing are in places where ropes and pulleys work great, but parts of my shop with lower overhead space, great for sanding, need the Boom Arm. I am seriously considering buying another.

 

[RDMuller]

I love mine.  Don't plan on assembling the device with the instructions that come with it.  Look for some photos in the FOG.  At one time the late  John Lucas's site had a nice piece.  I don't believe his site is available since his passing

 

[nickao]

Sure it is:

Web Site in order from beginning, most recent to oldest:

http://legacy.woodshopdemos.com/

John Lucas Web Site Menu(about 1/7th the site):

http://legacy.woodshopdemos.com/menu2.htm

John Lucas Festool Reviews:

http://legacy.woodshopdemos.com/men-fes.htm

John Lucas Boom Arm Instructions, Assembly by Andrea:

http://legacy.woodshopdemos.com/fes-64.htm

 

[Sutes]

Thanks for the demo PDF's.  That should help. [smile]

 

[mlfaber]

I am considering purchasing a boom arm for my dust collecter.  Wanted to get thoughts from those of you who have one.  Worth the money?

Love it!  Along with my MFT, it is my most used Festool.

 

[sgryd]

Where do you plan to use it? I found the vertical part of the boom arm being in the way most of the time when I handled sheet goods in my small shop. Ended up mounting an arm on the wall instead.