Reusable Self-Cleaning Filter Bag for CTL Midi

[r_e_endymion]

Hi all,

I'm french and not a native english speaker, so please, be indulgent with my messages. I'll try to be the most understandable as possible.
I've bought a CTL Midi, but there is no long life filter bag for it. And the self cleaning bags are quite expensive, so I convert my self cleaning bags into re-usable self-cleaning bags.
OK, I don't use a self cleaning bag 500 times, but only 5 times before trashing it. But the bag bill is divided by 5.

Here is my trick : 1 long dowel (a little bit larger than the self cleaning bag) and 5 clips. Very simple and effective. There is no no dust outside the bag

Hope that can help someone.

 

[Memphis Larry]

Thanks for your suggestion.  It looks better than the ideas I have tried. 

To Festool:  I would buy a long life bag for my Midi if it was available!

 

[Eastbourne Handyman]

Pure Gallic Genius! [thumbs up] [thumbs up]

 

[EquatorTwo]

Thanks for the tip. I'll try this the next time I change the bag.

 

[r_e_endymion]

Thanks all for the compliments.

I like very much my solution because :
1- it's a simple, easy and cheap solution
2- I have choose the CTL Midi because it is compact and I have a very small workshop (my garage) so I have no place to store a cyclone when my car is inside
3- because it is not attached to any cyclone, bucket or additional pipe, I keep the CTL Midi ability to move around my shop.

As we said in french "Bons copeaux" (good wood chips)

 

[Tinker]

That is a great idea.

I have a couple of full bags in a corner of my shop that are in perfect condition.  I was trying to figure out a way to cut the tops out to empty. I have emptied one by working dust out thru the top hole, but that is a very big PITA.  I tried using duct tape to close a big cut I made once, but that was not satsfactory.  I do use a type of cyclone, but the bag still fills eventually with very fine dust.  without coarser dust chips from saw and router, i create a lot of dust when emptying the bags.  Sort of counter productive.  I go outside to do the emptying.

I will try your method
Tinker

 

[r_e_endymion]

I have a couple of full bags in a corner of my shop that are in perfect condition. I will try your method
Tinker

Hi Tiker, it's simpler to perfectly cut the dust bag while it is empty, but I'm quite sure that you can try this tips with full bags.

Good try and let us know

 

[green fever]

Take a look on the UK eBay site as for the past month someone has been selling a reusable bag although not a genuine festool accessory it looks okay I guess we would like to have a review on one , I may have a try to contact the seller to obtain some more detailed information , watch this space .

 

[Samo]

Thanks for your suggestion.  It looks better than the ideas I have tried. 

To Festool:  I would buy a long life bag for my Midi if it was available!

I find the Midi to be just the right size.  You pay more for bags, as they are so small.

Thanks for the tip [big grin]

 

[ajones]

Take a look on the UK eBay site as for the past month someone has been selling a reusable bag although not a genuine festool accessory it looks okay I guess we would like to have a review on one , I may have a try to contact the seller to obtain some more detailed information , watch this space .

I bought one it is rubish the inside of vacuum  was covered in dust very quickly I sent it back, it was not that easy to get my money back from the seller.

 

[Laminator]

Great tip!  I had enough clips just laying around and enough dowel rod to do this to a ct26 bag and 2 ct mini bags.  It works perfectly [smile].  Got more clips and more dowel rods to do all of my bags.

 

[green fever]

Thanks for the response festoolfootstool, good to know they are rubbish, i cant figure why festool do not make a reusable bag which doubles up for the mini and midi or for the individual vacs, maybe the sales and demand for both bags / self clean and the paper type are selling in larger volumes and the company feel the end users are being catered for with the two options ?

 

[ART at WORK]

I also don't understand why no reusable bag from Festool for the Midi. It would be on my shopping list.

Love the clips idea thanks will try it out.

Pip

 

[NoBreyner]

If this trick is working then why would people still want to shell out 200+ for a bag?

 

[r_e_endymion]

If this trick is working then why would people still want to shell out 200+ for a bag?

Believe me, this trick works very well.

But here'is the mathematical equation :

If I use a Self Clean bag 5 times, and if I want to equal the 500 times of a Long Life bag, I have to buy 100 SelfClean bags 100*28$/5 = 560 $

So a Long Life bag is still a good buy on the long run!

 

[ART at WORK]

If this trick is working then why would people still want to shell out 200+ for a bag?

Believe me, this trick works very well.

But here'is the mathematical equation :

If I use a Self Clean bag 5 times, and if I want to equal the 500 times of a Long Life bag, I have to buy 100 SelfClean bags 100*28$/5 = 560 $

So a Long Life bag is still a good buy on the long run!

Pure mathematical  genius 

 

[NoBreyner]

I'm sure using clips up to five bag emptying is cheaper than replacing the bag every time, but with the consideration to space and aesthetics with the dust deputy I've had my CT Mini/Dust Deputy for 14 months and I'm still using the same bag the unit had installed at the factory.  Heck, just yesterday I took out the bag for the first time and shook out the fine dust from the hole which amounted to about a quarter cup of dust, and I'm back in business.

With the tip the OP suggested I would literally never need to buy a bag.

 

[r_e_endymion]

I've had my CT Mini/Dust Deputy for 14 months and I'm still using the same bag the unit had installed at the factory.  Heck, just yesterday I took out the bag for the first time and shook out the fine dust from the hole which amounted to about a quarter cup of dust, and I'm back in business. With the tip the OP suggested I would literally never need to buy a bag.

Hi NoBreyner, we do not have dust deputy here in France, or such cyclonic systems. So we have the choice to buy in USA, and pay a lot for travel and taxes, or do a cyclonic system by ourselves, our find an alternative.

Perhaps, one day, if I move, I'll have more space for my workshop and I will do a cyclone, but at the moment, I've no place to store an additionnal bucket with a cyclonic system!

 

[neeleman]

Dust Deputy's are also sold in Europe.
In Germany there is an online shop: Sorotec
Prices are from €75-249 incl.VAT.

 

[r_e_endymion]

Dust Deputy's are also sold in Europe.
In Germany there is an online shop: Sorotec
Prices are from €75-249 incl.VAT.

Thanks you very much for this information neeleman!
I've many times search the web to find this kind of cyclone in Europe, but never find an Europe seller! It's great, and the price seems also interesting!

Now, I totally agree with No Breyner. My trick associated with a Dust Deputy => no need to buy a bag anymore!

I'll probably have to think a new way to store a cyclone in my small workshop (garage).