Thread: Festool vac and metal?

Should be fine Shane. Just not if they're hot (they make a spark arrestor to fit it for hot stuff). The very fact that they make a spark arrestor tells us that cold metal filings are no worries.

I'd assume they'd be fine. There's a Festool 'AluminIum Milling Machine' (for Alucobond etc) which is designed to be used with their dust extractors, and they don't specify which. You can also get an aluminum cutting blade for the TS55.

If you want to know for sure - give them a bell D

Should be fine

The earlier CT series vacs made for Festo by Kraenzle had specialised swarf collection buckets to fit most of the range. Still available from Kraenzle (Ventos 25 & 35 respectively) for the CT 22 & 33.

Maybe Festo still onsells the Kraenzle original parts for some of the others?

Just thought of something.I bought a magnetic pick-up from total tools (I think). You can wrap it in a shopping bag and run around the floor or wherever to pick up filings if you don't want to suck them up. When done. turn the bag inside out (whilst still being stuck to the base by the filing) and then pull the release lever - all nice and neat without spilling any of the filings.

As already mentioned by other members, for cold metal in small quantities it should present no problems. Drilling swarf, cold cutting aluminium and steel. Sparks are a real issue, so any process that could product sparks, don't use a standard extractor without a compatible spark arrestor fitted. If at all concerned, another option might be to buy a wet filter and fill the extractor container with a couple of inches of water. Anything potentially hot (again not intended for actual sparks) would extract into the water filled container. I have not tried this myself, just thinking on it.