Shop made vacuum silencer and overhead boom arm.

[rjwz28]

Just finished my vacuum silencer and overhead boom arm. Vacuum box has casters to move around the garage. It is lined with carpet and foam packing. There is a channel on the bottom that flows the air out the back. I hook it up to an automatic vacuum switch so it powers up when I run my Festool Domino and sander. I drilled holes in the inlet adapter so I can vary the flow from full on to partial. I have a rubber ring around it so I can cover all the holes or none. The boom arm swivels to wherever I want it. It is made from 2" PVC pipe. I had to install a steel pipe in the vertical portion as it was bending. The vacuum is really quiet in this housing. When the sander is running, I can't hear the vacuum whether it's on or off.

Thanks for looking,
Rob

 

[sgryd]

Nice!
I'd guess that you could get rid of quite a bit more noice if you put som foam or soft rubber feet under the vacuum. As it seems on the image the vibrations from the vacuum could travel out through the ply shelf.

 

[ROb McGilp]

Very neat. Think I might try and put my CT26 in one.
How difficult is it to remove for emptying? Does the shelf the vac sits on slide out the back maybe? [thumbs up]

Regards

Rob

 

[erock]

what did you do for air flow for the motor on the shop vac?

looks like the foam on the top is resting on top of  the fan for the motor.  Are you worried about over heating the motor?

just my observation. 

Eric

 

[ajones]

Hi I dont like that at all, looks like an accident in the making to me [2cents]

 

[rjwz28]

Very neat. Think I might try and put my CT26 in one.
How difficult is it to remove for emptying? Does the shelf the vac sits on slide out the back maybe? [thumbs up]

Regards

Rob

Real Easy. Just slides out. I really wanted it a little bigger, just didn't have enough ply.

 

[rjwz28]

what did you do for air flow for the motor on the shop vac?

looks like the foam on the top is resting on top of   the fan for the motor.  Are you worried about over heating the motor?

just my observation. 

Eric

Eric, that's a valid point. I too am worried about the heat. I would have liked to make it a little larger for more space, bit that's all the spare ply I had.  I may make it over some day.  The foam is close but not really resting on the vac.  What I do to keep it from overheating is I open it once in a while to let it cool when I'm not sanding.

I was thinking about instaling a fan on the exhaust port.

 

[rjwz28]

Hi I dont like that at all, looks like an accident in the making to me [2cents]

Why is that? I've seen a lot of people do this to their vacs.  What type of accident?  When I'm done using it, I always open it up to cool off and not cause a fire or something.

 

[rjwz28]

Thanks everyone for your comments and I am concerned about the heat build up.  I know other people have built these and haven't heard if any of them had problems or not.

Now I would like to ask you all what ideas would you have to cool this box without adding more considerable noise. I think that is my challenge as the more openings you have, the more sound escapes.

I plan on making another box a little larger to give it more "breathing room" too.

Rob

 

[erock]

Rob ,

  Do you need the box?  I only ask because the festool  CT  vacuum is fairly quiet .
And they wouldn't take up as much space as the box .

Eric

 

[rjwz28]

Rob ,

   Do you need the box?   I only ask because the festool  CT  vacuum is fairly quiet .
And they wouldn't take up as much space as the box .

Eric

I heard the Festool vacs are quiiet, but for that price I would rather use it for more tools if I can get away with what I have now.

Rob

 

[Steve R]

Your box will keep the Fein Vac quiet.... the problem is without ventilation to the motor... you vac will soon become very quiet.... when motor burns up and takes the box and shop with it. [scared]  The CTs put out a fair amount of heat when running... I would not enclose the Fein or any CT as you have and expect it to last more than a few hours of use. [blink]

I have seen other enclose vacs in carts but they are not sealed up like you have done to your Fein. Most are place to put the vac to get it out from under foot, not a sound insulation enclosure and they sure don't limit air flow to the motor.

Get a longer hose and extension cord and put the bloody thing outside and run Elec and hose into the shop if you need the shop to be quiet.

Otherwise, I would sell the now working Fein today and  use the money to get a quite CT and use the box for something else. such as a place to suffocate things. [poke]

Cheers,
Steve

 

[rjwz28]

Your box will keep the Fein Vac quiet.... the problem is without ventilation to the motor... you vac will soon become very quiet.... when motor burns up and takes the box and shop with it. [scared]  The CTs put out a fair amount of heat when running... I would not enclose the Fein or any CT as you have and expect it to last more than a few hours of use. [blink]

I have seen other enclose vacs in carts but they are not sealed up like you have done to your Fein. Most are place to put the vac to get it out from under foot, not a sound insulation enclosure and they sure don't limit air flow to the motor.

Get a longer hose and extension cord and put the bloody thing outside and run Elec and hose into the shop if you need the shop to be quiet.

Otherwise, I would sell the now working Fein today and  use the money to get a quite CT and use the box for something else. such as a place to suffocate things. [poke]

Cheers,
Steve

Steve, thanks for the advice and concern, but I wonder why you think I have a Fein? If you look in my pictures I have a Ridgid Shop Vac type vacuum.  That is why I made the box in the first place.  If I had a Fein or Festool CT, I don't think I would need it.  The thing is those vacuums are quite expensive.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[erock]

Rob,

I am in no way trying to sell you a Festool vac.

But, if you are hooking up a sander to the  Ridged vac.  With a CT vac you get veritable speed control.  Which will reduce the swill marks on a work piece.

I know CT vacs are expensive.  I have a CT midi and a CT 26.  But,  they are worth it to me because they complete the Festool system.

I am just a hobby wood worker maybe just as you are.  If you where to  pick up a CT mini (the smallest festool vac)  I truly think you will enjoy it.

With the mini, you could make an open faced box to house the vac in and would be able to add a shop made boom arm and use the top of the box for

housing any systainers you may want to stack on top. With the front of the box open you wouldn't have to worry about air flow.  I did this when I bought

my CT midi.  Just a thought.  I know the price tag is big, but if you are like me, buyers remorse goes way as soon as you plug it in and turn it on  [big grin]

Eric

 

[lino-man]

Rob,

I think what everybody is trying to say is that there is no substitute for a Festool Vac. It took me several years to be convinced of that, but in the end I found it to be true. I suggest borrowing a friends Festool Vac for a half day and just comparing your work results with the other Vac. Thats usually the only way to prove to yourself.
One option is to buy a use Ct22 from someone who is upgrading to the newer 26. I bought my Ct mini used ( 5 years old) and it still runs flawlessly.

Jeff

Sent from my A200 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ajones]

Hi I dont like that at all, looks like an accident in the making to me [2cents]

Why is that? I've seen a lot of people do this to their vacs.  What type of accident?  When I'm done using it, I always open it up to cool off and not cause a fire or something.

Hi you could build a sound attenuating cabinet but there must be an ample flow of air and the use of flamible sound deadening material is just plain daft

have you ever seen foam on fire it will kill in miniutes..

take it apart keep the ply for another project and buy yourself a good pair of ear defenders until you can get a better vac.

a secondhand fein should be fairly cheap

good luck

 

[Laminator]

I wonder if the Ridged vac has thermal protection?  If not, that is a very real fire danger!  If the vac will shut itself down when it overheats, then it should be safe, but it still looks kinda scary to me. 
I still have a craftsman vac from about 1988 and it hurts my ears even with foam earplugs in. It looks very similar to your vac and if it sounds at all similar, I totally understand trying to get away from the noise.

 

[Steve R]

Your box will keep the Fein Vac quiet.... the problem is without ventilation to the motor... you vac will soon become very quiet.... when motor burns up and takes the box and shop with it. [scared]  The CTs put out a fair amount of heat when running... I would not enclose the Fein or any CT as you have and expect it to last more than a few hours of use. [blink]

I have seen other enclose vacs in carts but they are not sealed up like you have done to your Fein. Most are place to put the vac to get it out from under foot, not a sound insulation enclosure and they sure don't limit air flow to the motor.

Get a longer hose and extension cord and put the bloody thing outside and run Elec and hose into the shop if you need the shop to be quiet.

Otherwise, I would sell the now working Fein today and  use the money to get a quite CT and use the box for something else. such as a place to suffocate things. [poke]

Cheers,
Steve

Steve, thanks for the advice and concern, but I wonder why you think I have a Fein? If you look in my pictures I have a Ridgid Shop Vac type vacuum.  That is why I made the box in the first place.  If I had a Fein or Festool CT, I don't think I would need it.  The thing is those vacuums are quite expensive.

Thanks,
Rob

Rob,  it is about the same color... it could be a "ShopVac" and it would not make any difference.  You're missing the point. It is a fire hazard whatever brand you put in the box! Expensive? Not compared to the insurance deductible and the time to rebuild the burnt down shop and house.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[rjwz28]

Thanks everyone who is pointing out the safety hazards in this. I get it.  You are just trying to save me a lot of grief.

Rob