That Giant Sucking Crushing Sound Part I

My Ridgid blower/vac
ClearVue Cyclone

Hi. My name is Dyami and Im a Vacuumaholic. While Ive previously confessed my obsession with routers (Im now up to 9) I must also confess a somewhat smaller obsession with vacuums and dust collectors.

I have two (2) Dust Boy style dust collectors I picked up off Craigs list. Theyre both in the attic now, but an extension to the woodshop is planned to help fit them in. I also have a Ridgid portable "suitcase" style vacuum, a Shop Vac, a Ridgid Blower/Vac with Clear Vue Cyclone attachment and the requisite Festool CT22. Based on my current quasi completed shop setup, the Ridgid Blower/Vac with Clear Vue cyclone serves as the dust collection for my table saw, jointer & planer. It has a 16 gallon capacity, and I often fill it. Like you, I hate emptying it.

I hate emptying it so much that it got me thinking. While it would be much work to re-purpose the Clear Vue cyclone to fit a bigger container (and for what I paid for it, I dont think I could bring myself to modify it), Dust Deputy cyclones come as a kit and can be attached to any container. I ordered one and set to work.

My elbow assembly to prevent kinking the vacuum hose.

Never one to shy away from over complicating a project, I decided that I needed to make some improvements on the suggest Dust Deputy set up. I began by picking up some schedule 40 PVC pipe and a few Ferncos. I wasnt happy with the idea of a vacuum hose kinking as it exists vertically from the top of the Dust Deputy. With the big elbow assembly I made, the hose now hangs from the PVC, eliminating the possibility of kinking.

My completed initial setup.

I then had to decide on a container. As I own a full complement of sheet metal tools (I used to be a sheet metal mechanic at work) I began with a simple metal garbage can. I had Tom Iovinos tale of the metal garbage can dust collection in my head as I cut the top and fit the Dust Deputy, yet I failed to pay it any heed.

When I finished the metal bodied Dust Deputy setup I connected it to my CT22 and began to vacuum. Instantly I realized than on all but the weakest settings the CT22 would deform the metal can. At this point I scrapped the metal can installation and went looking for a more rigid dust collection bin.

We’ll reveal what I came up with in the exiciting conclusion of That Giant Sucking (and Crushing) Sound. Until then, what sucks so badly in your shop that you had to scrap it?

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OK so I totally lied yesterday

I said yesterday that I would finish up the poly on the table when I returned from SEMA.  I couldnt help myself and put on the first coat of poly about a quarter to midnight last night.  I checked it this morning and it is definitely going to need a good sanding before I put on the next coat.



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Do As I Say Not As I Do

A few weeks ago for safety week I wrote about a friend of mine who lost two (2) fingers to his table saw. In that post I emphasized that you must respect your tools.

Listen to that advice: Respect Your Tools. By that I mean pay attention; know how they work, where they are & what theyre doing.

It is important you do as I say, not as I do. For if you do as I do, then youll be an idiot too.

My Birds Mouth Jig

You see, last Sunday I wasnt paying attention,I wasn’t heeding my router any respect. I was routing some birds mouths for some window trim. Completing each joint took many back & forth passes with the router. As I finished the last pass, I wasnt paying attention. My right arm maintained the fluid back and forth motion as the router came off the jig. I’m not sure what my left hand was doing, but the next thing I can remember is pulling my left hand away, realizing that I had just made contact between my palm and the 1” x ¾” pattern bit which was fully extended beneath the router base.

Thankfully a trip to the ER revealed nothing more serious than a laceration about an inch long just below where my index finger connects to the palm. Eight (8) stitches later I got back home and finished the trim piece I was making.

My Trusty Old Porter-Cable 6912 D-Handle.

Why’d I make out so well? Just dumb luck. The router I was using was a trigger activated D-handled 1-1/4 HP Porter-Cable, actually the first power tool I ever owned. Thankfully, though the bit was still spinning when the accident occurred, I had already released the trigger, turning the machine off and leaving no power behind the rotation.

Will you be as luckly? We can only hope so. Better yet, Respect Your Tools. Don’t let your mind wander off and your router wander into your hand in the first place.

Have you been an idiot too? Comment here or use the hash tag #WWSW (WoodWorkers Safety Week) on twitter.

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