edesilva said:
Maybe I'm thick-headed, but I'm having a rather confusing time with the Festool hose options for the CT22. What I want is an extension -- probably larger diameter than the original hose -- that I can use to run the hose up a wall so its out of the way. I don't really want the whole boom set up. Seems like all the hoses in the catalogs come with the rubber thingus that you stick on the tools... I just need a male-to-female extension cord. Do I have to buy another cord then a separate adapter?
Actually, what I *really* want is someone to tell me there is an option that doesn't involve a $100 vacuum hose. As much as I seem to be getting used to parting with my green with the Festoolization of my shop, I would not be adverse to having someone tell me "oh, you just need an adapter from here, an adapter from there, and a run of pool hose from Home Depot." (I might live with the loss of anti-static technology if there was a cheaper route).
Any insight from anyone into either problem?
Setting up dust collection equipment has been a frustrating and time consuming experience for me, too. I have a CT 22 E, a Fein Turbo II and an old Craftsman 16 gal. vacuum machines, and hoses for each plus a growing collection of adapter fittings (most of which are failed attempts to find a match in coupling to various other machine fittings). I also have Festool's Boom Arm which comes with a 5-6 ft length of 50 mm AS hose both ends of which have 2 1/2 inch (nominal size) retatable male fittings, and a 11.5 ft length of 36 mm AS hose which came as a component of a Festool cleaning kit. I keep my collection of fittings and the dusting hand tools in the Systainer 4 in which that cleaning kit came, and drape the extra hoses over a Rubber Maid garden hose hanger mounted on the wall of my garage/shop when not in use.
Here are some options for your consideration.
Buy a "Mr. Nozzle" hose (about US$40 through many on line and catalogue vendors) or one from Sears Craftsman or others with or without attachments and a short, standard grounded extension cord. The fitting on your Festool CT 22 E will accept any standard 2 1/2 inch (nominal size) shop vacuum hose. You may find it better to purchase an entire shop vacuum system from Sears, HD or Lowe's and plan on using the cheap vacuum machine for nasty and wet stuff. I have used my Festool C22 with hoses from Festool, Sears Craftsman and Fein and vice versa. The Mr. Nozzle hose, the Fein hose and most of the Festool hoses come with a 2 1/2 inch (nominal size) male fitting that is a direct fit to the Festool vacuum machine (and most any other USA shop vacuum). But the other end of the Festool hose, as you know, is of reduced size to fit Festool machines their dust collection hand tools. The Festool dusting tools fit the tool end of the Fein hose and the Fein dusting tools fit the Festool hose, too. In fact, I prefer to use the Fein tools most of the time. My Craftsman hoses are about 5 - 6 feet long and both ends are equipped with a 2 1/2 inch (nominal size) male fitting; the Craftsman dust collection tools all have a 2 1/2 inch nominal female fitting. So any Craftsman tool can be connected to any end of any Craftsman hose. And Craftsman has a double female fitting to connect two of their hoses together. Note that the exact dimensions of the Craftsman and Festool 50 mm hose-to-hose (double female coupling) are slightly different and due to subtle differences in the size and taper of the male (2 1/2") fittings sometimes I use the Festool connector and sometimes the Craftsman connector.
Bear in mind that the Craftsman hoses are flimsy relative to those from Festool, but priced accordingly. That said, my Craftsman hoses are still functional after 30 years of use/abuse.
For the electrical supply you can use any standard 3-wire (grounded) extension cord. I don't usually see them offered less than 25 ft in length. I bought a 50 ft 12/3 outside rated extension cord, one male and one female end fitting. Cut the cord into two shorter lengths. Make one correspond to the length you need for your shop setup and use the other wherever needed. Or you can buy 12/3 rubber covered wire of the length you need, end fittings and make up exactly what you need. You might also want to consider buying one of those "3-outlet" extensions that HD, Lowe's and others sell in lengths as short as about 15 ft. Check FOG for posts by Dan Clark on the utility of this type of extension with the Boom Arm, especially if you have any Festools that are not equipped with Plug-It cords. Festools not equipped with Plug-It include the earlier model RO 150 (no longer being sold in USA), and current models of RS 2 (half sheet sander) and DX 93 (triangular orbital sander). The multiple female outlet receptacles will allow you to keep a Plug-It extension in one outlet and to plug in a Festool not equipped with Plug-It at the same time so that triggering either one with activate your CT 22 E.
If you go with Mr. Nozzle or Craftsman, and the off-the-shelf power extension cord, your total cost should be less than $100, and give you added flexibility. Of course, if you choose not to use Festool's AS hoses, you may find static buildup becomes a nuisance problem under low humidity extended run circumstances. I have not experience much of a problem with the non AS hose supplied with my Fein vacuum. I have experienced static shock many times in the past when using my Craftsman vacuum to sweep the floor of my garage/shop, especially during the winter when the humidity is low. Although the Festool AS hoses are expensive, they work as advertised. I am thinking of purchasing at least one additional Festool AS hose for use with my Oneida Dust Deputy, and making up short lengths of 36 mm and 27 mm Festool hose to couple to my Boom Arm setup. The Festool 50 mm hose through an adapter available from Oneida connects nicely to the outlet of the Dust Deputy, and Festool's 36 mm hose without any fitting is a snug slip fit onto the inlet of the Dust Deputy. Several Festool products have oval DC ports (1010 router and DX 93 among them) and can only be connected to the elastomeric fitting supplied with the 27 mm hose. But using my TS 55 to rip or when routing with my 1400 router, a 36 mm hose works much better because it is much less prone to clogging.
Beware the black plastic connector fittings sold by many vendors, including those participating in the Woodworking Show that travels around USA. Most of these fittings are made of rigid plastic (?ABS?) and fall short of what is needed because they have zero or very little taper on the surfaces that are supposed to friction fit with another component. What is needed is for a manufacturer to step up and begin making fittings with tapered connection surfaces, preferably from a material that is somewhat elastic. Rubberized ABS or vinyl or TPE (urethane, e.g. Santoprene) would be a big improvement over most of what is now being marketed, and would enable a lot more connections to be successful. (The adapter I purchased from Oneida is somewhat elastic. but stiffer than the tool end fitting on Festool's 27 mm hose.
Now, if someone can help me with connecting a Hitachi CH 10 CMS to my Festool vacuum ...
Dave R.
