Workshop hoover

[Peter Simpson 3Participant @petersimpson3]

Sick of swarf on the lathe and milling machines. Does anybody use a hoover to clean up after jobs. Loads of “Work shop” hoovers on the net. Any recommendations ?

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

I use an ex SWMBO Miele. It work very well for me but I don’t produce huge volumes of swarf. It is a dog and cat model so has a secondary filter, supposedly HEPA, that stops any fine metal dust that the bag does not trap getting into the motor. It also stops full size swarf if you forget that you took the bag out but not put a new one in. Don’t ask me how i know this…..

Robert.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Yes, I use a Numatic George and a somewhat bigger Nilfisk model.

Beware, however, of trying to suck up long lengths of swarf or more than an absolute minimum of cutting oil; both will clog up the hose.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Henry.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Very cheap one in Lidl this week.

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

my mobile one is a 40yrs AquaVac tho the plastic cover has needed much repair – I have a lidl ash can model that sits in a small cupboard but with a hose from a scrapped dyson (a friend very kindly printed me the necessary adapter to connect the two) – the dyson hose will extend some 8 feet or so which is enough to reach my mill + lathe.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Old 1950s cyl cleaner in one place and an old household Miele in another, the hose can be cleaned with the unleaded stuff every couple of years or so or buy it by the metre on the net.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Also an original Aquavac, but more recently bought the larger of the Lidl workshop vacs.
It has a remote start for coupling up to power tools, but is quite a bit bigger than the cheaper option from the same store.
I picked up mine during a Parkside discount week and also had a 10% coupon from a previous high spending month.

Not a bad review, but it does show the EU model, whereas mine has a UK 13A plug and socket

 

In the other workshop, I still use the Aquavac with the sandblasting cabinet, but with a coarse internal filter in the cabinet and a vortex/cyclone dust extractor in line before the vacuum.
Mine is an alloy one off ebay on top of a plastic contained which originally houses suet balls for the birds.

 

[MacolmParticipant @macolm]

I use a large canister unit with a Nilfisk motor and filter, and it takes many months before it needs emptied. I am a bit worried about the mixture of steel, rust and aluminium swarf that accumulates, in case a thermit reaction starts, but so far so good.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Greatest thing ever for keeping the workshop clean. I use a a ccheap hardware store wet and dry vac a bit like the one Peak4 posted above. Works a treat on everything from the lathe to the floor. Highly recommended.

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

A bagless one can be good for workshop use. The part that contains the material will be washable and does not care if the contents have some oil on them. Similarly, the hose can be cleaned with very hot water and washing powder.

Make yourself something close to the ID of the hose that fits on a broom handle to unblock the hose when a longer chip clogs it.

An initial pass with a magnetic pick up tool or a pair of BBQ tongs will remove the longer swarf.

If you drop some tiny part and it rolls into a place where you cannot see it, use an elastic band to secure some gauze (insect netting) to the end of the hoover pipe and use the hoover to find the part.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

 

I use one of these from Wickes: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Wet+Dry-Vacuum-Cleaner-With-Blower-20L—1250W/p/215735

The workshop is a lot tidier now and I seem to be inclined to do more intermediate dwarf clearance since I got it.

Rod

[Roderick Jenkins]

On Roderick Jenkins Said:

 

…I seem to be inclined to do more intermediate dwarf clearance since I got it.

So many questions…

Does it have a bag capacity of only 7?

Is an intermediate dwarf somewhere between a child dwarf and an adult dwarf or between an adult dwarf and a person of normal height?

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

I use a very old Henry, he has even survived having his head blown off, when I decided, unwisely, to hoover a motorcycle petrol tank out to get rid of some sand from blasting. Despite being unused and empty for some time there were enough fumes left to cause a very large bang and his head flew across the workshop. Two new clips from Ebay and he is still going and still smiling!

Never asked him to hoover up a Dwarf though.

[Ches Green UKParticipant @chesgreenuk]

Peter,

I use an older Dyson V6 with the short crevice tool attachment. It sits next to the mill …battery powered so always ready. Works very well.

Looks similar to the top image on this iFixit page …. https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Dyson_DC58

There may be cheaper alternatives these days.

Ches

 

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

1 more user of an old Henry, milling chips and cast iron turnings quickly dissapear, as said though watch you don’t block the tube with long pieces of steel swarf, I pick those out of the chip tray before using Henry.

Emgee

[NealebParticipant @nealeb]

I also use one of the cheap Wickes machines. It’s suffered quite a few years of abuse and is particularly useful on the mill to pick up chips. Not so much use on the lathe as the swarf tends to get stuck in the hose. Good for concrete dust, household spills – I’d buy another one of these if and when this one packs up. But it just keeps going…

I do find that I need to keep the paper filter element clean, but still using the original after probably more than 10 years.

And it’s best with hearing protection!

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

I’ve had a Parkside (Lidl) PNTS 1500 B2 wet and dry one for about 7 years now.  It’s best feature is the power socket on the top for your power tools so that it automatically starts when your sander etc., is switched on.  I seem to remember it cost about €50.

Russell

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

I think there was an EU energy efficiency directive that limited vac to 1000W? I might be wrong – misled by some brexit fan.

I have Henry big brother, a 2000W numatic with bigger hose, bigger capacity. I leave it in corner, I have long hose that can reach everywhere and a remote control plug socket so I can turn it on/off from anywhere.

Fat hoses or smooth bore hoses are better for swarf if you are not making perfect little chips.

A cyclone attachment over a big barrel would be useful – esp if you go with a small henry.

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

I have a Numatic twin motor but the single motor ones work perfectly well. Very robust they will even  tolerate sucking liquid through the motor for a while if you don’t. Fully rebuildable motors too the motor units are modular so you can swap the motor/fan  assembly instead of the whole head.

You cn use them bagged or bless, wet or dry. Hot swarf or grinding g dust will melt the hose but otherwise pretty indestructible in normal use.

Numatic also make the Henry range of vacs far as I know.

[Steven ShandParticipant @stevenshand77617]

I use a 30L food barrel with a cyclone attachment fitted to the top. That is powered by a standard shop vac that I think I got from Screwfix. The Cyclone attachment and barrel is a game changer as nothing really ever gets to the vac so you never have bags to change. It’s something I setup when doing more wood stuff but it works great for swarf. I have a 5M hose on it and so can reach anywhere in my small workshop with it.

 

[Steven Shand]

On Steven Shand Said:

I use a 30L food barrel with a cyclone attachment fitted to the top. That is powered by a standard shop vac that I think I got from Screwfix. The Cyclone attachment and barrel is a game changer as nothing really ever gets to the vac so you never have bags to change. It’s something I setup when doing more wood stuff but it works great for swarf. I have a 5M hose on it and so can reach anywhere in my small workshop with it.

 

I use almost exactly this, powered by an old Sealey wet n dry shop vac. I have 2 barrels, 1 for swarf and 1 for everything else. Absolutely brilliant – if it will fit up the hose it will suck it up no bother – wet or dry, although with a spiral wound hose the longer swarf can be an issue as has been said. I have fitted a relief valve to the barrel lid to stop it collapsing though and that is great (can get them on amazon).  I’ll get a smooth bore when I get a ’roundtuit’.

Highly recommended if you have the room.

[DC31k]

On DC31k Said:

On Roderick Jenkins Said:

 

…I seem to be inclined to do more intermediate dwarf clearance since I got it.

So many questions…

Does it have a bag capacity of only 7?

Is an intermediate dwarf somewhere between a child dwarf and an adult dwarf or between an adult dwarf and a person of normal height?

🤣

Intermediate dwarves are a small species that are particularly troublesome since they are the little men who hide the tools that I have just put down.  Regular hoovering is necessary to prevent all my hand tools from disappearing.  They also mischievously use predictive text to change my words while I am not not looking.

Rod

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

I use a Ryobi wet n dry vac. No bag but internal filter. Works ok  unless you make long stringy chips. Got a large plastic barrel to make a separate collector with a cyclone but just not got a roundtuit yet

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Sorry Rod but they change mine while I’m looking!

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