New Plastic Dust Deputy

[wnagle]

Guys I have the Clearvue plastic and had the clear Oneida(gave to my bro) and I can say that the metal dust deputy is the one to get no matter the cost, it is that much better with with AS and much more durable. I cracked the Clearvue and cringed when I knock the Oneida over, but it did not crack. 

The Oneida plastic seems stronger than the Clearvue plastic, but for some reason I just liked the Clearvue better, though my favorite is the metal Dust Deputy and now I have two and do not regret going that way. The metal buckets sold by Oneida are the shi*! Worth every dime to me.

Add my vote to nickao's on this one. I have the Clearvue plastic and am on my second bucket. Crushed the first Penn State fiber one. The Clearvue plastic just seems wimpy to me. I wanted it so I could see the dust swirling around but that was sort of a honeymoon thing.

If I had to do it all over again it would be the metal dust deputy without a doubt.

Cheers, Bill

Bluenose,

I'm not sure if the plastic on the new dust deputy is the same or not, but i can't forsee this breaking very easy... that said, I think the weak point might be the lid on the bucket... It seems a little flimsy an might crack if contiually flexed back and forth.  I don't think it would be an issue at all on the kapex where it sits still, but yanking it around by the hose all day might be a little harder on it.  I think the best combo would be the metal cyclone and metal lid with a plastic bucket that you could see as it fills up.

 

[CNC Paul]

Wayne,

Thanks for the update

 

[Greg_R]

Guys, how much suction is lost with the cyclone in the vac chain?

 

[Steve Jones]

As an aside to those that are (like me) too cheap, broke, or would simply like to spend all available cash on Festools, I use a cheap cyclone lid from Woodcraft and two plastic buckets from HD (A CT22 will suck a single bucket flat, yes even those heavy thick ones) one bucket inside another has held up so far...

And the bucket does fill fairly rapidly, and the CT bags at least last four times as long. not as efficient as the true cyclone, but a total investment of about $30.00

 

[tbellemare]

I'm just curious here...

Is all of the difficulty of the pre-dust extractor dust collection really worth it monetarily or is it something that is kind of an inventor's point of interest?

I am sincerely interested in all opinions.

Tom

 

[nickao]

Well if going from 4 bags a week to one every month(per machine) does not convince you I do not know what will. It pays for itself in one month, after that its gravy.

That is why I suggest getting the metal everything right down to the drum. At 160.00 each including shipping I paid for two of them I saved on 64 bags I regularly use in two months time. That's about break even right there. Now I am saving loads of money buying less bags and it is pure profit.

It does depend on what you are sanding, but over a period of time you will save by using 75% less dust bags for sure.

 

[wnagle]

I'm just curious here...

Is all of the difficulty of the pre-dust extractor dust collection really worth it monetarily or is it something that is kind of an inventor's point of interest?

I am sincerely interested in all opinions.

Tom

Tom,

Pre dust extraction isn't difficult or costly at all... $99.00 Dust Deputy, and hook up two hoses.  Done.  It saves money on bags and increases the performance of the CT's by not having loss of suction as the bag fills.  Much of the discussion is in different ways to mount it to make it mobile.  Festool should offer this as an option that latched on top of a CT the same way the systainer does.

The downfall of dust extractors is not knowing when your bag is full until you lose suction, overload your bag,  and or spoil your hepa filter.  This creates a mess to clean and takes time...or you take extra time to constantly check your dust extractors to see how full they are getting.  It would be nice to know when they are getting full and it would be nice not to start losing suction when the bag is over half full.  This is why I like the see through bucket that you can see filling up without opening it. 

The dust Deputy keeps the CT running at peak performance while using fewer bags saving money.  For me it's a no-brainer.

 

[nickao]

I do not think Festool is going to do anything to sell less bags. I think a lot of profit must be made on the consumables.

I hate over filling the vac as well I wish there were an alarm or light or something. I never had an issue with the metal drum, though having the CT itself clear might be helpful. 

 

[butzla]

Tom,  What Wayne and Nick said.  I would like to add that it might also sift out any metal or sharp debris that might otherwise breach the paper bags and make a mess inside your CT.  I use mine to clean up my floor and often hear a clanging going up the hose. 

 

[tbellemare]

I agree with you guys. I rarely use the paper bags but rather the long-life bag. I have a pretty good sense for when it needs to be emptied, I try to not fill it more than about half-way. The point about sharp or hard objects is a good one. That's what the Festool spark trap is for, ostensibly while cutting metal but it will catch a rock or glass also.

Our house vacuum has a see-through dirt trap that swirls, a similar concept to the DD. I can tell when it's time to empty it and clean the filter because the cone of dog hair swirls slower.

As I understand it, the official Festool philosophy about dust management is that you want to capture the dust in the bag, close the bag with the cap as soon as you remove it, and thow the whole thing away without releasing the dust into the air. That's why they only recommend the long-life bag for chips or larger particles but not for sanding. I use it for everything but I don't empty it inside so I'm not releasing the dust back into the room.

Tom

 

[wnagle]

Nick,

I agree, I doubt Festool will do anything to reduce the amount of consumable purchased.

Tom,

I agree, the trade off is emptying the bucket and possibly getting a cloud of dust.  My Pennstate cyclone is easy to empty without raising much dust because its already in a bag.  I use a bag retainer to keep it from collapsing.  The retainer has to be removed and creates some dust but not near as much as emptying the container.  I may even put a 4 inch gate on the side of my stationary dust deputy so I can empty it into the cyclone quickly and dust free.  I'm also thinking of upgrading  the pennstate to a dual 35 gallon container instead of just one to get a little more time between empties.

I did do some work on the miter station today... made the table top and I'm leveling everything co-planer with my bench.  I'm not sure if I'm going to use the bucket with the dust deputy or build a container that is a little larger and has a blast gate.  I'm kinda changing things as I go here.  Hopefully I'll be done soon and have some pics.

 

[tbellemare]

Wayne:

Can you please post some pix or point me toward what you've done to contain dust during changes?

I solved my problem  by dumping outside and being cognizant of the airflow. I can't quite picture what you're doing.

I am curious about all of this because I try to inform myself and my customers of the options so we can all make a decision that best fits our situation.

Tom

 

[wnagle]

Tom,

You mean when I change and empty my bag on the pennstate cyclone?

 

[tbellemare]

'Sorry for my ignorance of the Penn State cyclones, Wayne. I looked them up and now I see what you're talking about.

They're pretty slick looking...

Tom

 

[wnagle]

I have this cyclone.  I use a contractor bag in the barrel which is held open using a retainer also sold by pennstate.

 

[wnagle]

Tom,

The retainer is a sheet of thick plastic that fits inside the barrell holding the bag open against the sides of the barrel.  When you go to change bags, you slide out the retainer and close the bag.  Remove it form the barrel.  Put a new bag in and slide the retainer back in the new bag.  I couldn't find a picture of the retainer.

 

[tbellemare]

Thank, Wayne.

That looks like maybe a Tempest "S"? I'm going to have to look into them more closely.

Tom

 

[wnagle]

Tom,

Yes it's the 3.5 hp.  Here is a picture of the dual barrel I was thinking about adding.  I have to see if I mounted the cyclone high enough to add the Yand longer drops.  I have a nine foot ceiling and it is almost all the way to the top, So it will probably work.

 

[wnagle]

Here are a few pics of my set up as it progresses...

[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

The Production stop on the right side (with board attached) is set up to read from zero on the blade for small pieces...  The flip stops on the left start at 18 inches to 63 inches.  I may add 7 feet of length to the left side that slides into place blocking the door and then retracts back into the lumber storage when not needed.  Not sure if its worth all the effort yet.

 

[butzla]

Lookin good Wayne!  How do you like them Kreg flip stops?  I think flip-stops are the only way to go.  Flip the stop up, square one edge, flip the stop down, spin the work piece end for end and make the length cut.
And BTW,  I'm catching more glimpses of that workshop hutch you made.  Ahem.