MacGuyver me a dust extractor with a Rigid Vac that works with the Festo

[Red Lion]

I went down to the US last weekend and bought a TS75, OF 1400, Guide Rail Accessory Kit and an extra 55" rail.

Now that I'm broke, I'm thinking of turning my Rigid Vacuum into a "Dust Extractor". Anyone try this? Any advice.

Red Lion

 

[gkeas]

Duct tape.  Any size hose to any size port.  $2.75 US for up to 200 exact fit adaptors.

;D

 

[EcoFurniture]

He he good one ;D

I'm in the same boat--looking for options as the festool vacuums are not what I call affordable.... Darn, but I know they are amazing

 

[Red Lion]

Yeah the dust extractors are nice ... but not necessary. I like the automatic power on feature when you have your Fes on but the price doesn't justify the goodies. I'd rather get things that get things done. I bought the 4x Pro Hose for the Rigid Vac now I need to develop a nice light hose adapter that wont stress the Fes.

Red Lion

 

[gkeas]

Yeah the dust extractors are nice ... but not necessary. I like the automatic power on feature when you have your Fes on but the price doesn't justify the goodies. I'd rather get things that get things done.

Red Lion

I used a Rigid until I bought the CT22.  I still use the Rigid for sheet rock dust on job sites, but in my garage, I love the HEPA filter.  My 11 year old son w/ mild asthma can sand (for hours) without a mask, and can come to the shop while I'm working, if he wants (little wierdo likes to sand  ???).

It is not at all necessary, but it is nice.  Not spending another 30 minutes cleaning, 30 minutes after I've already cleaned, does, technically, help me get things done.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi there Red Lion! Prior to my CT-22 I was using a 12gallon, 5hp Ridgid vac with a auto-start adapter. Compared to my CT-22 it doesn't hold a candle, but for what it was it worked reasonably well. This is the auto-start adapter I used. It is essentially the same principal as a built-in starter like on the Fes and Fein vacs, you just plug your vac into the lower outlet and your tool into the upper outlet and turn your vac switch to the "on" position, and every time you turn your tool on the vac switches on.

For my miter saw, table saw and router table I used the supplied 2" Ridgid hose, and for my random orbit sander and other smaller tools I bought a 1 1/4" hose from the Despot. The arrangement works reasonably well, and I still use it for my tablesaw or other applications where the tool will be pretty stationary and be producing massive quantities of dust/shavings (jobsite tablesaw, router table). I disliked it when I used it with my random orbit sander sanding drywall dust, since the hose wasn't grounded I got some pretty wicked shocks.

So, anyways, if you want to (temporarily) bypass a CT, I'd say just get a run of the mill wet/dry vac, get yourself a auto-start adapter, and maybe a cheapy 1 1/4" hose. You can still upgrade hoses and buy the D36 hose for some applications, it should be compatible with most vacs and you'll need it for your CT eventually anyways  ;D I hope this helps!

 

[Mike_Chrest]

  The other thing to get is a disposable paper liner for the inside of the vac. They sell these for drywall dust and general thickness dust. Either will stop your filter from clogging really fast.

  If you want the ultimate set up, get a cyclone to go with the vac.

http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/Ridgid_Conversion.htm

Mike

http://www.gallery2.clearvuecyclones.com/v/Mini+CV06/

 

[Neill]

I went down to the US last weekend and bought a TS75, OF 1400, Guide Rail Accessory Kit and an extra 55" rail.

Now that I'm broke, I'm thinking of turning my Rigid Vacuum into a "Dust Extractor". Anyone try this? Any advice.

Red Lion

Red -

I had a Fein Turbo II that I bought a number of years ago to use with my P-C 6" variable speed, random orbital sander, which came in a kit with the hose and adapters in a steel carrying case.  It works great.  It has all the features of the Festool, except of course the ability to adjust the speed of the vac.

When I starting acquiring Festools, I did not want to dump a perfectly good vacuum.  The first thing I tried was a Festool adapter for the Fein hose.  It probably would have worked, but I would have had to cut the sleeve off the end of the hose rendering it useless for the Fein dust/dirt removal tools I have.  The next thing I did was to buy the Festool 27 anti-static hose.  For an investment of about $90, it works great.  I just have to swap my hoses as needed.

You might want to try this with your Ridgid vac.  I am sure that if the Festool hose does not wotk, there are some adapters out there you can try.

Neill

 

[Steve Jones]

You can also purchase a Porter cable dust control hose from a tool dealer (I think they go for about $20.00) it has two different ends (I brought two of them eventually) the ends "screw" onto the flex hose the large end fits the TS55 and larger Festool dust ports, the smaller end fits the sanders and other Festool small dust ports (fit is perfect) with two hoses I ended up with extra adapters, plus a hose adapter from Woodcraft to fit the standard size shop vac port.

This gives you (for about $50) a lightweight, very flexible, hose that matches up with any Festool, also any Porter cable or other tool, most routers (fits everything I have) between the two screw on ends I could fit any tool I owned in seconds (for example the small end fits the new Kreg pocket hole jig).

Have since brought a CT22 but I still use the PC hose for things like the Kreg jig (now with the new CT since the Festool ends will not fit it). The standard shop vac adapter fits the CT too.

 

[Wonderwino]

One of the best adapters I have found for hoses is in the plumbing department of most hardware stores.  If a double female adapter will work (goes on the outside of the pieces to be joined), rubber "no-hub" pipe joints are available in a variety of configurations.  They can be the same or different sizes on the ends of the same piece.  You just tighten a steel hose clamp and the whoe diameter shrinks as much as 1/2" without distortion.  They can be fully tightened for a secure connection or left slightly loose for a friction fit that can be pulled apart without loosening the clamp.  I used one to adapt my CT33 hose to my Bosch 5412 SCMS.  Works even better with the canvas skirt I added to the saw.

I almost forgot: They are cheap!

 

[Scott Rollins]

Here you go a ridgid vac and a cleavue cyclone.  The clearvue keeps the filter perfectly clean and it rolls around on a cart I buiilt into the bottom of the vac.  The t and blast gate arrangement allows me to vary the vac pressure for sanding.

 

[daves1996]

I went down to the US last weekend and bought a TS75, OF 1400, Guide Rail Accessory Kit and an extra 55" rail.

If by " extra 55" rail" means that you got a 55" with your saw, then you got ripped off by almost $70.00. The TS75 is supposed to come with a 75" rail, not a 55". The same thing happened to me and I made them give me the difference in a gift card I could use online.

Good luck, Dave

 

[Red Lion]

No worries - I got the 75" rail with the TS75.

That's very interesting you brought that up because I had to convince the sales rep the plunge saw comes with a 75" rail. I'm not suggesting that he was trying to pull a fast one but it seemed strange to me. I shouldn't be telling the sales rep what's included in the package.

 

[nickao]

Guys the 75" rail has only been given with the TS75 for about 3 months or a little more. Before that it came with the 55" rail. It would be easy for someone to still be selling the old setup or not know about the switch if they have not ordered new stock in awhile. I know, I purchased a TS 75 and two weeks later they made the switch. They switched to the 75" rail right after the Festool price increase.

Nickao

 

[Mike_Chrest]

it rolls around on a cart I buiilt into the bottom of the vac

Scott,
Nice rig!!! ;D ;D ;D