Thread: Dust Extraction for Hand Held Power Tools

I don't have a dusty yet so I have a shop vac and cyclone in a cart. This is contected to my sander most of the time. My assembly table is on wheels and I have a carport. So come sanding time and everything gets rolled outside. I also wear a mask.
The flex is 3m long so I can get right away from the shop if I ever need to.
From a dust collection point of view this is very effective.
I got the vac from Swarts tools. The cyclone and casters from eBay. The connections and cart was my own design. Total for absolutely everything would be $200.
The problem with it is that a shop vac is loud.

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Originally Posted by MikeJ

Hi

I am well underway to sorting out dust extraction for my "big" machines thanks to the advice on this forum - especially from BobL.
I now have to consider dust extraction for my hand held tools especially my random orbital sander.
I will only need to run this for at most half an hour a couple of times a week.
I currently have a BobL'd 2HP dust extractor in an air tight cupboard vented to outside. Am I best to use this somehow or is a vacuum cleaner with various attachments a better option. I will find it very difficult to vent a vacuum cleaner outside or place it outside. If a vacuum cleaner is the best option advice on which brand is best would be appreciated.

In terms of chips, especially If the tool itself has a well designed and made chip collection and Vac connection system, vacs are definitely superior to DCs. The dedicated connection systems are made in such a way to constrict the air flow to speed it up so the air will catch the chips. Now while the vac will catch the chips it may not capture the fine dust.

In terms of fine dust extraction, hand held power tools can be divided into two groups,
a) those that have build in fans, like some ROS and belt sanders,
b)and those that have nothing like most circulars or routers.

Tools without fans work better with as high a vacuum or suck as possible, so a vacuum cleaner will get the most air and hence fine dust though them.
DCs don't have enough vacuum to successful pull air though resistive air vents in the tool and the small outlets/ports.

Those tools that have fans will have a "through flow" limited by what the fan can deliver - I have tested this on a Makita belt sander and an Ozito and Festool ROS.
In most cases the fan delivers less than what a clean vac OR DC (even when its moderately clogged) can carry away, so either will work just as well. If the fan delivers MORE than what a vac can handle then its better to use a DC. If a DC is used then at least 50 mm flexy/ducting must be used.
Like DCs, vacs should be located or vented outside - seeing as you already have an air tight cupboard for your DC why not locate it in there? That will also help with the noise! Even the very best vacs eventually leak and should be treated this way. Venting the vac outside means you don't need to spend a lot of money on one with fancy filters although they do have the benefit of being slower to clog and so work better between cleaning.

I usually use power tools that have no fans (i.e. hand held circulars and routers) or no dust collection at all (arbortech) outside, while those with fans are used inside and connected to my DC.
50 mm hose attached to a power tool can also be quite cumbersome but there are ways using flexy suspension systems from above the work - if you wish to see an example ask and you will receive.

Vacs and DCs can be supplemented by additional ventilation, and structures look back or down draft tables or hoods.