Dust collector suction control

[JimD]

My only Festool is the little hand sander you can hook a dust collector too.  It has a valve for air control but that was not sufficient with my shop vac and 35mm hose hooked up.  So I tried a speed controller for a router.  Works GREAT.  No problem dialing in enough air flow to get the dust without sucking the sander down so hard it's difficult to sand.  I don't know much about Festool sanders but as long as they have a universal motor (brushes) it should work on them too.  All you do is plug the controller into the power source and then the DC into the controller.  There is a dial to control speed.  Lower speed also means lower noise.

 

[MGB]

Nice, I've thought about that for times when I'd like a lower rpm on a jobsite table saw.

However, I wonder if running a tool at a lower than designed speed would cause it to overheat? I'm sure the cooling fins have been made to suit the rpm. Probably nothing to worry about if it's just a $50 vac, guess the only way to find out would be to use a laser temp. gun

 

[rst]

I use a 15 amp router speed controller with my PC Sawboss to cut steel and it works well to bring the speed down to the cutting range of the steel cutting blades I use for commercial door work.

 

[Cheese]

I use a 15 amp router speed controller with my PC Sawboss to cut steel and it works well to bring the speed down to the cutting range of the steel cutting blades I use for commercial door work.

How do you measure the RPM or do you just go by the sound?

 

[rst]

It's mostly guesstimate, using the max rpm of saw and then percentage on controller.  Not rocket science, but worked for me.  I actually use an 18V Milwaukee metal cutting saw mostly any more.

 

[JimD]

I just used the vac set at 3-4 on a 6 point scale for over an hour sanding drywall.  Didn't seem to get hot.  Cooling is less but so is heat generation.  I'm more concerned about how well the cyclone worked but I haven't opened the vac up to check the filter. 

 

[JimD]

Most of the drywall dust seemed to be in the bucket below the cyclone when I dumped it but the filter was dirty too.  Very little debris in the vacuum, however.  It seems the cyclone at least helps even with the reduced airflow.