Manual extension switch for dust collector?

[upscale]

Used my CT22 today as a standalone vacuum/dust collector. Cut a little wood, reach down to turn on the CT22, vacuum some sawdust, shut it off.

It occurred to me that a manual switch extension plugged into the CT22 power on plug port with the vacuum set to 'auto', would make the process a whole lot easier to do. You'd place the manual switch where you wanted or perhaps clamped to something nearby enabling on/off convenience.

I don't know if this can be made to work, my electronics knowledge is very limited. And, I hope I've explained sufficiently what it is I'm looking for. I'm hoping the CT22 can be fooled into believing a powered tool is trying to draw electricity and turn the CT22 on. Any suggestions? Is this something that I might be able to build?

Thanks

 

[JJ Wavra]

I have been meaning to make a device kind of what you are talking about. I was going to take a junction box and attach a lite gauge extension cord to it and put one of the recpticle on one side a switch on the other and just put  a night light in the receptacle side turning on and off the light should activate the vacuum.

JJ

 

[Kevin D.]

Alternately, as my CT22 tends to have a few things in front of it in the way of the switch, i simply have the plug into a "Switched" recepticle.  Flick the switch, and the unit comes on.

 

[nickao]

I use a billy pedal for  every tool in the shop. I just step on it and the vacs turn on and anything I have plugged into the vacs as well. I can leave my hands on the work. I have 7 total from drill press to the the router. One has no tools attached, I just step and start vacuuming. The best thing is no bending over!

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/speed_control.html

 

[nclemmons]

Get a 15 amp appliance module for the x10 system and a keychain wireless receiver and remote from Radioshack or www.smarthome.com

I use one on my dust collector and my air compressor and both work great.  For the dust collector I had to power a re
Ay switch for current draw but it would work with a CT22 on manual easily.

Neil

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Just plug a lamp or something into the tool-port on the CT.

If you did this, and ran an extension around and up, you could viably have a light base with a pull chain.  Pulling that chain will turn on the light, and activate the vacuum.  Pull chain and turn off light, vac will power off.

This is utilizing the "tool" activated power outlet (in quotes, because in my example above it's a light, not a tool), with the switch set to Auto.  I don't know if this involves any wear on the outlet or "Auto" electronics.

Another option is to set the CT to Manual, and have the power cord plugged into a switched / remote outlet (as in the picture above posted by Kevin D.  This method is simply opening and closing the juice to the vacuum.  The power-down will be instant, not the 5-7 second auto-run.

I, for a very long time, used a pretty cheap remote outlet I bought online.  I think it cost me about $10, and I now see them at Menard's.  I used them with a full size shop vac, AND even with my JET DC-1100, which is a 1.5HP motor.  I doubt the CT would draw more power than that.  So, point it, there are multiple, and still cheap, solutions.

 

[nickao]

What I really want is a second little switch on my Rotex that turns on the vac, but not the sander so I can just pass the sander over the dust and pick it up using the Rotex as the dust nozzle..

Sometimes I just flick the sander switch real quick and I get 5 seconds and before it goes out click it again . It works great, but  I think I will ruin the switch if I do it to much. Mostly I do it when edge sanding, sanding when the entire sander is on the material surface there really is no dust  to clean up.

 

[Kevin D.]

Another option is to set the CT to Manual, and have the power cord plugged into a switched / remote outlet (as in the picture above posted by Kevin D.  This method is simply opening and closing the juice to the vacuum.  The power-down will be instant, not the 5-7 second auto-run.

That is correct.  I actually tend to use it as main cutoff switch more or less with the unit on AUTO.  It's when I'm hand vacuuming or floor vacuuming that the wall switch comes in handy on Manual.  Just hate bending over.

What would be ideal is a voice activated switch that comes on when you say "Honey", and alternately turns off at your favourite swear word.  Would drive the wife batty!  [big grin]

 

[Corwin]

Why not try the Clapper?  That would, of course, require both hands.  [tongue]

 

[upscale]

a switch on the other and just put  a night light in the receptacle side turning on and off the light should activate the vacuum.

Anybody know what the minimum power draw is required for the CT22 to turn on through the auto-on function?

 

[Wood_Junkie]

a switch on the other and just put  a night light in the receptacle side turning on and off the light should activate the vacuum.

Anybody know what the minimum power draw is required for the CT22 to turn on through the auto-on function?

I'm not exactly answering your question, as I have a Midi, not a CT22.  BUT, I would imagine the tool-sensing ports are the same on all the CTs.

I did a Youtube review/demo of the Midi, and used a 60 watt light to demonstrate the auto-on feature.  Worked like a charm.  So it apparently doesn't take much juice.

Skip up to 1:40
http://www.youtube.com/user/hokoook#p/a/u/1/HikOLDxgyCY

 

[Corwin]

Yep, a 60 Watt light works to activate the CT22 also.  I've used this trick a few times in my shop too.  [big grin]

 

[upscale]

I did a Youtube review/demo of the Midi, and used a 60 watt light to demonstrate the auto-on feature.  Worked like a charm.  So it apparently doesn't take much juice.

Just took a closer look at your Youtube video. I noticed that you've got a sleeve over the vacuum hose. I'm assuming that's so the hose will slide over things more easily.

If I may ask, where did you buy the sleeve and what is it constructed of?
Thanks

 

[NuggyBuggy]

I want a real, RF remote control with a speed control.  I don't want to jury rig a solution, either by leaving the vac on Manual and running a power switch, or by plugging in some other device into the power switch and turning that on and off.  I don't want to be dragging around foot switches or lamps to be able to turn the vac on and off.

If a new vacuum had a remote and the CT dial could select from Manual, Auto, and remote, I'd buy that.