LS 130 Mod

[PaulW]

I bought a LS 130 about a week ago an have been using it on some woodwork refinishing projects around the house.
Great sander for its intended purposes! very well made.
I did feel the dust collection was a little lacking compaired to Festools other offerings but it is linear.

I noticed the gap between the pad and the machine.
There is a lot of wasted vacuum loss there.

So I thought I would close up the gap some with an leftover piece of guide rail rubber.
I turned on the vacuum only and picked up the cardboard that was in the make your own profile kit with the sander.
I gentle shake and it would fall off. Then I applied the guide rail rubber leaving a minute gap between it and the pad.
Did the shake test again and it took a decent amount more of shaking to make it fall off... sweet.

In use I have found IMHO the dust collection improved by about 40% using the flat pad.
I was removing  paint and finish from a door frame edge and found little dust and the paper seemed to stay cleaner.

The only drawback Ive found so far is the rubber could be a little thiner. The rubber keeps the pad about 1/16" away from the edge of my square on one side and dead even on the other side.

Thats my two cents..... here are some pics

 

[semenza]

Hi,

      Well thats certainly worth trying.  So nice and neat it looks like it is supposed to be there. It is very much like the Cover Plate concept for the TS55.

Seth

 

[PaulW]

Looks like it was made for it,  don't it Seth.
Let me know what you think if you try it.
Paul

 

[PaulW]

Update
I am a little embarrassed about this but I must be honest, this mod isn't necessary.
I didn't realize but even tho I knew the bag on my CT mini wasn't full, I had been doing some drywall sanding and my vacuum was down due to the drywall dust cloging the pores in the bag. :-\

I pealed off the rubber strip and ended up having to turn the vac all the way down to prevent hopping; dust collection is great with the flat pad on this sander as with all other Festool sanders I have tried.
Oops...rookie mistake, live and learn. :

The moral to this story is; never doubt a Festool , check the human factor first.

Paul

 

[semenza]

Hi,

  Thanks for the update I hadn't gotten to trying it yet, but now I don't need to bother 

Seth