Hose Selection and Static

[JuliMor]

There's been some posts here and elsewhere about static buildup frying the circuitry in Festool vacs.  One owner said this happened with with an anti-static hose attached and no breaks between the vacuum and the tool.  Others have said when they inserted a plastic cyclone in between the tool and the vac, they fried a board within the vacuum.

Is there any connection between static buildup and fried circuit boards?  Will a complete static grounding path from tool to vacuum (plugged into a grounded outlet, of course) reduce or eliminate problems with static causing fried boards?  If you do insert a cyclone, such as the Dust Deputy, in between the vacuum and the tool, should you also complete the static grounding path with a grounding conductor? 

Or would none of this matter?

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Julie,

First, let me say that you have some nice work that you've done on your website.

A lot of questions there, but let me see if I can address them. If you are using Festool hoses, you should never have an issue. I don't recall reading about someone using one of our hoses and having a problem. But if, by chance, you do, it would be covered by warranty.

That being said, using a Dust Deputy or other third-party accessory may void your warranty.

Based on the evidence so far and testimony from users of the Dust Deputy, it would appear that the Dust Deputy does have a grounding issue which has resulted in several instances of CT's electronics being damaged due to static shock.

 

[JuliMor]

Thank you Shane!  For both the compliment and your reply.  As an electrician, when I heard about aftermarket cyclones being inserted in between the tool and vac and that possibly causing problems in the circuitry, it made sense.  I have a Deluxe DD that I connected to an old shop vacuum.  I was considering the Ultimate for my CT 26.  Several things have dissuaded me from making the purchase though.  With the possibility of ruining the CBs it makes more sense to purchase a Longlife bag, for the same price, than risk the change of frying a CB, especially if the DD voids the warranty!

Thanks again!
Julie

 

[TomGadwa1]

Hi Julie! Your logic is 1000% correct! Why take a chance? So a little more effort is required. The long-life bag sounds like the way to go!

 

[JuliMor]

You know, I looked at the Longlife bags and it says they are for large chips and debris.  There's no mention to what micron size it filters to.  The Selfclean bags ($7@) filter to 5 microns.  My only Festools now are sanders so the Selfclean bags are probably the better way to go. 

I really didn't like the tower effect created by the Ultimate DD.  And losing the ability to latch a Systainer on top of the vac didn't appeal to me either.  Now that I know breaking the static ground could cause problems and void the warranty, I'll just have to keep bags in stock.  From what I've seen with the DD connected to my shop vac, it can be a mess cleaning it.  With the bags, just take them out and throw them away.

 

[dicktill]

Julie,

First, let me say that you have some nice work that you've done on your website.

Shane/Julie: What website is that?

 

[tjbnwi]

Julie,

First, let me say that you have some nice work that you've done on your website.

Shane/Julie: What website is that?

Click on her name, her website is listed on her profile page.

Sailing on Lake Michigan?

Tom

 

[atlr]

Maybe Oneida should package the Ultimate Dust Deputy with the steel version of the cyclone.
Hmmmm, the  Industrial Steel Dust Deputy Deluxe product description states that the steel cyclone is powder-coat painted and comes with plastic hose adapters that are not labeled antistatic so perhaps it is not the ultimate conductive solution.

 

[rrmccabe]

Maybe Oneida should package the Ultimate Dust Deputy with the steel version of the cyclone.

I think that would be a good solution.

I have mine well grounded now and is working fine.  I still think the UDD is the best solution for me.  I clean the shop with it as well as use it when routing and cutting with the TS55.  I just removed and disposed of a UDD bag that was totally full. I checked my CT bag and virtually nothing in it.

I used to notice the performance of my CT go downhill as the bag filled up.  I no longer notice that.

So for me the cyclone on the CT is great.

 

[farms100]

Maybe Oneida should package the Ultimate Dust Deputy with the steel version of the cyclone.

I think that would be a good solution.

I have mine well grounded now and is working fine.  I still think the UDD is the best solution for me.  I clean the shop with it as well as use it when routing and cutting with the TS55.  I just removed and disposed of a UDD bag that was totally full. I checked my CT bag and virtually nothing in it.

I used to notice the performance of my CT go downhill as the bag filled up.  I no longer notice that.

So for me the cyclone on the CT is great.

how did you ground it, and pictures please?

 

[tbellemare]

You know, I looked at the Longlife bags and it says they are for large chips and debris.  There's no mention to what micron size it filters to.

To my knowledge, the Long-Life bags are also 5 micron filtration. I think the reason Festool doesn't considered them a good solution for fine dust is that you have to empty them and the dust will go airborne again. That's alright if you go outside and get up wind but if you are in a closed space, like a shop, you kind of defeated the whole dust free workshop concept.

Tom

 

[rrmccabe]

how did you ground it, and pictures please?

Some of these pictures are in other threads about similar issues.

The copper is a chunk of 1/2" water pipe I cut long ways, flattened and then formed to fit the cyclone.

Oneida has a fix that uses metal tape but its really crappy looking. I did the same thing but used copper and connected with wire.  They sent me some metal tape which I later added inside this the fittings where it doesn't show. Just extra surface area but I don't have to rely on metal tape that could tear.

The one picture below showing the elbow on the front of the CT has a black and blue wire. The black goes up to the cyclone but is hard to see in this picture.  The blue wire runs into the CT and attaches to the bus where the cord connects. This is what connects it back to house ground.

 

[farms100]

thank you.

whats the 1/4 nylon tubing for?

using the copper pipe is brilliant! did you extend the copper inside the dust deputy box or cyclone very far?

 

[rrmccabe]

The 1/4" tubing is part of the "ultimate" dust deputy kit.  Its used to suck the bag out to the box.

Everywhere the copper is under a fitting its bent around and 1/2 or so down into the stream.  Where it goes into the box its just about 1" long.  I don't know if I needed it there or not but can't hurt.

 

[BBuild]

You know, I looked at the Longlife bags and it says they are for large chips and debris.  There's no mention to what micron size it filters to.

To my knowledge, the Long-Life bags are also 5 micron filtration. I think the reason Festool doesn't considered them a good solution for fine dust is that you have to empty them and the dust will go airborne again. That's alright if you go outside and get up wind but if you are in a closed space, like a shop, you kind of defeated the whole dust free workshop concept.

Tom

I've found that my long life bag lets  through a lot more dust than the disposable bags. Whenever I open up my vac with the LL bag the filters are caked and there is a small pile of dust on top of the bag directly below the filters.(ct22) When I use the disposable bags the inside of the vac and filters remain very clean. I've gotten into the habit of only using my HEPA filters  with disposable bags because of how much dust bypasses the LL bag I'm afraid I would ruin an expensive filter.

 

[JuliMor]

Sailing on Lake Michigan?

Tom

That picture was taken in Annapolis last year at the boat show.  But most of my sailing has been on Lake Michigan.  My plans were to retire to full time living on a sailboat.  I took my eyes off the ball and I'm still stuck in my house.  [unsure]

 

[tbellemare]

I've found that my long life bag lets  through a lot more dust than the disposable bags.

I'm really not sure, but was taught, by a generally reliable source, that the bags were all (paper, fleece, and Long-Life) meant to filter down to 5 microns. I've never had a filter caked or even close but obviously, I'm not using my tools all day every day. I do use them all day some days and it's usually weekends or Holidays.

The only time I can remember seeing a caked Festool filter was related to a bag blow out. I've seen them in images from my customers and cleaned one up for a guy who was working on the road and came by on a Saturday to get a new filter. He was somewhat desperate because he didn't have a second vacuum to clean up the totally trashed one. We cleaned it up as best we could with my CT and then blew it out with air and stood upwind. It was really nasty. He was doing solid surface work for Military installations in the area. I felt bad about treating the air with plastic dust like that but couldn't figure out another way to deal with it within our mutual time constraints.

I haven't seen or heard of bag failures like that since the new fleece bags were put into service and the paper bags got out of service.

I sand with various grits and on various materials using a Long-Life bag and really haven't noticed a difference. I have to admit that if I'm sanding drywall, I use a disposable bag. I don't want that stuff in the bag that I'm planning to use for years. I also don't like to vacuum the house with a Long-Life bag. When cleaning the house, bags get pretty stinky about the time a MINI bag is getting about mini-full (not even full).

Tom