# A different kind of Dust Deputy Mobile Cart....



## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

I'm going to attach the motor housing and filter from this Fein vacuum dust extractor



to the top half of this split drum with a plywood disc,



sandwich this Oneida Dust Deputy between the top/bottom halves of the drum using some plywood discs connected by some type of support rods



and add this Rockler adjustable height hose/cord support



to somewhat resemble this fancy sketch up drawing :smile: of my vision for a mobile mini cyclone to use with my sanders/routers etc...



It may take me a few days since I'm busy right now but stay tuned if you are interested in the build progress and impressions once I'm done!


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

I'm looking forward to seeing the final build! That's a great way to save some floor space and have effective and easy to move around "at the tool" dust collection.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Looks interesting. Can't wait to see it.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Got started on the plywood discs today...


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Dan3103 said:


> I'm looking forward to seeing the final build! That's a great way to save some floor space and have effective and easy to move around "at the tool" dust collection.


I originally built one of the typical style carts you see based on the Shop Notes plan however it was cumbersome, had a big footprint and I got tired of constantly emptying the 5 gallon buck (this one is about 20" round with a 15 gallon capacity so I think it will work out better! :smile


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

This should be cool. I bought the dust deputy (which I don't like as it didn't work for me) and was going to build the shop notes design, but I too thought it was going to take up too much space.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Did a quick mockup and so far it looks like it will be pretty stable however I'm probably going to use some 1 1/2" ABS pipe over the threaded rods.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

It looks neat and functional.....is it top heavy?


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

You could put some bricks on the plywood shelf to make it less top heavy.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Surprisingly it's not top heavy and I think it may have something to do with the way the casters are set a bit outboard on the drum.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Certainly is interesting. I know if i say that walking into someones shop id be a little confused


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Made a design change and built a "filter box" instead of using the top half of the drum. This will make it easier to attach the cord/hose holder and will also allow me to add holders for the hose/hose accessories.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Found a little more time so I added some black Formica to the top, installed the hose hanger and made a hole for the viewing window. Just need to make some accessory holders, attach the boom arm, add some gaskets and attach the plexi for the viewing window.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Made some accessory holders and a mount for the hose/cord support..


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Marv
How does the unit now compare with the shop vac you started with?


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Toolman50 said:


> Marv
> How does the unit now compare with the shop vac you started with?


I don't even have it totally sealed up yet Toolman yet there is no real performance difference to speak of as it still has too much suction for the sander so I may add a speed controller to slow it down a bit. The benefits for me are the added capacity, smaller footprint than my previous Shop Notes style cart, it's very easy to move around, has more convenient hose/accessory storage and I no longer have to bend over to plug/unplug or turn it on! :smile:


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Marv said:


> I don't even have it totally sealed up yet Toolman yet there is no real performance difference to speak of as it still has too much suction for the sander so I may add a speed controller to slow it down a bit. The benefits for me are the added capacity, smaller footprint than my previous Shop Notes style cart, it's very easy to move around, has more convenient hose/accessory storage and I no longer have to bend over to plug/unplug or turn it on! :smile:


You may want to reconsider adding a speed controller for the motor. Usually the motors used in shopvacs also power their own cooling system, so if you slow the motor down you'll lose cooling and possibly burn the motor out. A pvc ball valve would likely work better for limiting the suction


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Marv said:


> I don't even have it totally sealed up yet Toolman yet there is no real performance difference to speak of as it still has too much suction for the sander so I may add a speed controller to slow it down a bit. The benefits for me are the added capacity, smaller footprint than my previous Shop Notes style cart, it's very easy to move around, has more convenient hose/accessory storage and I no longer have to bend over to plug/unplug or turn it on! :smile:


Marv
I've been watching all the post and pictures. You've done an excellent job designing the new unit. The added capacity and storage for all the accessories will be a real benefit. Good job. 
Jim


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

epicfail48 said:


> You may want to reconsider adding a speed controller for the motor. Usually the motors used in shopvacs also power their own cooling system, so if you slow the motor down you'll lose cooling and possibly burn the motor out. A pvc ball valve would likely work better for limiting the suction


This vac has a second fan specifically for cooling epic and the newer version has a speed control so I figured it would be OK. In any case it's already quiet so I think I'll try that ball valve you suggested or maybe put a y fitting with a blast gate I can/open close as needed.



Toolman50 said:


> Marv
> I've been watching all the post and pictures. You've done an excellent job designing the new unit. The added capacity and storage for all the accessories will be a real benefit. Good job.
> Jim


Thanks Toolman! I had a general idea in mind to reduce the footprint/add more capacity and as usual I made changes along the way. So far it has worked out well however I have a couple of other ideas for added improvement including a swiveling boom arm to attach to the top of the hose/cord support when needed and a hanger for the RO sander so I don't have to stand there holding it while it winds down. I'll post more pics as soon as I can.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Got started on the final construction today by spraying the lid with Duplicolor truck bed coating and making some MDF discs to keep the ABS pipe centered. After taking the pictures I realized I put the Dust Deputy on backwards so I had to change that.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

My "simple" project has gotten a little carried away but I'm almost done. Today I sprayed the filter box with bedliner, made some new accessory/tool holders out of 1" HDPE plastic and added the decals I had made. Just need to add some gaskets, install the spring latches for the motor and lid, make the swiveling boom arm, attach the sander hanger and install the hose from the cyclone to the hose/cord holder.


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

*Cool!*



Marv said:


> Made a design change and built a "filter box" instead of using the top half of the drum. This will make it easier to attach the cord/hose holder and will also allow me to add holders for the hose/hose accessories.



Marv, this is a great project! I have the same Vac and have been toying with almost the exact same idea, except that I'm inclined to use a Thien separator instead of the DD so that the height is cut down. I chose to reply to this entry because I have been inspired by the Festool suped up vac rig that has the hose arm and good storage for the hose (the Fein hose storage is a bad joke).

I have been intending to go in the direction of a side-by-side arrangement so as to minimize the tippiness, but I'll wait to hear your final comments on that one before I decide. Which ShopNotes issue has their design you're describing?

It looks like you've upgraded to your hose. What diameter and length is it? Their 1-1/4" supplied hose seems to work well but is a PIA when it comes to accessories and connections to onboard tool DC ports. Does your larger diameter hose offer enough static lift for the length of the hose?

How do you access the 2 collection containers when it's time to empty them? I built a similar format Thien collector for my Harbor Freight DC and added a Plexi observation window for monitoring the waste level of the coarse waste container.

-- Bradley


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Scurvy said:


> Marv, this is a great project! I have the same Vac and have been toying with almost the exact same idea, except that I'm inclined to use a Thien separator instead of the DD so that the height is cut down. I chose to reply to this entry because I have been inspired by the Festool suped up vac rig that has the hose arm and good storage for the hose (the Fein hose storage is a bad joke).
> 
> I have been intending to go in the direction of a side-by-side arrangement so as to minimize the tippiness, but I'll wait to hear your final comments on that one before I decide. Which ShopNotes issue has their design you're describing?
> 
> ...


Thanks Bradley! I originally thought about making a Thein "top hat" to keep the height down however I already had the Dust Deputy so I decided to just use it.

I originally built a side by side similar to the Shop Notes plan here dust deputy cart shop-vacuum.pdf however it had a big footprint, I didn't like the hose storage, the hose would constantly come off of the Dust Deputy and I got tired of bending over to plug/unplug or turn it on/off! Surprisingly this design is not tipsy at all and I believe that is due to the way the casters are set outboard from the drum. (this is the drum I used http://www.ebay.com/itm/390933512520 )

As you know the Fein hose is kind of stiff as well as way longer than I needed and the hose/accessories I am using came from an old ShopVac I bought over 25 years ago. This one is super flexible, has swivel ends and uses standard 1 1/4" accessories however I have to use an adapter to fit my sander (I'll tie it in knots and post a picture later so you can get an idea of just how flexible it is and will measure the length which is quite a bit shorter than the Fein).

I use a hose form my dust collector to clean the "filter box"/filter and with the motor out it is easy to lift the unit off of the drum to empty that (eventually I will add the bag capabilities using the idea the Ultimate Dust Deputy uses to keep the bag from getting sucked in).

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions or would like to see pics of anything not shown!


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## John Kos (Apr 7, 2015)

Not as pretty as yours but I did mine this way, we call it R2D2. I'll be OK until my wife wants to fry a turkey.....


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

Super reply Marv, thank you for that and you successfully anticipated other questions of mine as well! I suspect yours isn't too tippy because the motor head really isn't all that heavy itself and those steel drums are quite a bit heavier. Your input about the SN footprint size and bending over issues are useful -- the darn things we can only figure out after a complete build-out. I also agree that the SN hose storage is awkward, why not put it on one side and the cord on the other?

My only lingering concern about a vertical configuration is that of the unit being so tall as to interfere w/ other bench activities or not being able to fit under a bench for storage (this is a challenge for me due to the dreaded tiny shop phenomenon).

You hit the mark for me when you noted the increased waste capacity (~15 gal.), as I fabbed up a little 5 gal. tumor-style Thien separator. It works really quite well for such a half-hearted effort (I utilized an old bucket cyclonic lid gizmo), but it seriously lacks the necessary capacity. For ease of construction, I'm likely to either use a scrap of 18" Sonotube (left over from my Thien DC project) on a wheeled plywood base as my waste bin, or a simple plywood box.

The waste bag in my DC is a Jet canvas model w/ a vinyl window (~$30). It does get a bit of suction, which implies that the darn waste box isn't 100% airtight, and that's bad, but so far it hasn't been a problem. The box has a hinged door so emptying is pretty easy.

-- Bradley


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

John, I like that in a quirky way. Once you get it performing at its peak, then you'll be able to streamline its appearance.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

John Kos said:


> Not as pretty as yours but I did mine this way, we call it R2D2. I'll be OK until my wife wants to fry a turkey.....


Very nice and I've learned not to borrow my wifes kitchen utensils as when I do she feels that allows her a free pass to borrow my tools and not put them back! BTW, many have mentioned mine reminds them of R2D2 as well however one of the guys on another forum named it "DustExtractoBot" so I'm gonna stick with that on!


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Scurvy said:


> Super reply Marv, thank you for that and you successfully anticipated other questions of mine as well! I suspect yours isn't too tippy because the motor head really isn't all that heavy itself and those steel drums are quite a bit heavier. Your input about the SN footprint size and bending over issues are useful -- the darn things we can only figure out after a complete build-out. I also agree that the SN hose storage is awkward, why not put it on one side and the cord on the other?
> 
> My only lingering concern about a vertical configuration is that of the unit being so tall as to interfere w/ other bench activities or not being able to fit under a bench for storage (this is a challenge for me due to the dreaded tiny shop phenomenon).
> 
> ...


You're welcome Bradley and I understand your dilemma as I have bumped this while using my table saw sled etc. The Thein plan I had in mind was actually going to be a square box housing a bin behind a door and the "top hat" was going to be built into the top of the box with the Fein motor sitting on top. This could have made it quite a bit shorter since the box could be built at any height (if you can't visualize this I'll draw a picture and post it)


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

Marv said:


> You're welcome Bradley and I understand your dilemma as I have bumped this while using my table saw sled etc. The Thein plan I had in mind was actually going to be a square box housing a bin behind a door and the "top hat" was going to be built into the top of the box with the Fein motor sitting on top. This could have made it quite a bit shorter since the box could be built at any height (if you can't visualize this I'll draw a picture and post it)


HA, dust-sickened minds think alike!! That's exactly what I did w/ my HF dust collector (I have pix if you're interested), and now that I've seen your DustRobot-1000 that was my next approach, specifically because I can get it a bit shorter for clearances.

Here's a question: I often use the Fein paper bags w/ my HEPA filter when I cleanup or sand sheetrock. What about you, do you have that need or consider it?

-- Bradley


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Scurvy said:


> HA, dust-sickened minds think alike!! That's exactly what I did w/ my HF dust collector (I have pix if you're interested), and now that I've seen your DustRobot-1000 that was my next approach, specifically because I can get it a bit shorter for clearances.
> 
> Here's a question: I often use the Fein paper bags w/ my HEPA filter when I cleanup or sand sheetrock. What about you, do you have that need or consider it?
> 
> -- Bradley


I'd like to see a pic of your dust collector setup Bradley and below is a pic of mine with a Super Dust Deputy. 

I always used the paper bags with the Hepa filter when I had the vacuum in the original drum to keep from having to clean the filter so often however very little dust gets by the Dust Deputy. 

BTW, I just noticed you are in the Bay Area and if you ever get down to the Monterey area you'd be welcome to stop by and check it out!


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

Marv said:


> I'd like to see a pic of your dust collector setup Bradley and below is a pic of mine with a Super Dust Deputy.
> 
> BTW, I just noticed you are in the Bay Area and if you ever get down to the Monterey area you'd be welcome to stop by and check it out!



Oh that's the Super Sucker version, nice! I am behind on a home project for the "Boss," but will try to get some pix up in the next few days. Yes, I saw that Monterey, and yes, it will be nice to connect either there or here (no workshop as of yet, just an EZ-UP). I bought my Laguna 16HD band saw from a very nice fellow down there in Pac Grove.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Scurvy said:


> Oh that's the Super Sucker version, nice! I am behind on a home project for the "Boss," but will try to get some pix up in the next few days. Yes, I saw that Monterey, and yes, it will be nice to connect either there or here (no workshop as of yet, just an EZ-UP). I bought my Laguna 16HD band saw from a very nice fellow down there in Pac Grove.


I was just up your way picking up a bandsaw last Sunday! Did you happen to get that Laguna from a Military guy who was heading overseas?!


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

A military guy? Naw, just a typical middle-aged garage woodworker. He upgraded to a very cool industrial gear-drive VS bandsaw.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Gotcha! I picked up a few things from a Military guy in PG who was heading overseas and he had a Laguna bandsaw as well.


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

*My DC*

Okay, after much pain, I have some pix of the Dust Collector. Here's a Flickr link; I hope the pix show up here, the captions on available via the link.














































































Well that worked just great, NOT!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hufbdsxvm3vqvhh/IMG_1038.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ydlmyiolroglbfl/IMG_1039.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q7ov2rifmo3vkmv/IMG_1041.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8iqt276ztjcbdvj/IMG_1043.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g74kv4rjeep1vox/IMG_1040.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xtei0bnkqi2p2fa/IMG_1042.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l4jvbe4ise5qqz3/IMG_1036.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/81gryu69stffhky/IMG_1037.jpg?dl=0


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

That is pretty slick!


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

Marv said:


> That is pretty slick!


Marv, can you see any of the pix? All I see are the URL links! At least the 1st Flickr album link works (takes you off to Flickr-land).

One question that has come to mind about your shop vac version is, "How heavy is it now? Is it still portable enough to take upstairs, out to the car, over to the mother-in-law's house?" I still use mine for that. As I think about it, your set up doesn't seem to mess w/ the original in any way, does it? If you needed to, you could just grab the old orange bucket base, and unclip the suction head from your build, and you'd have exactly your original Fein Turbo II, wouldn't you?

If that's the case, then my unease is really a thing of the past! :thumbsup:

-- Bradley


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Scurvy said:


> Marv, can you see any of the pix? All I see are the URL links! At least the 1st Flickr album link works (takes you off to Flickr-land).
> 
> One question that has come to mind about your shop vac version is, "How heavy is it now? Is it still portable enough to take upstairs, out to the car, over to the mother-in-law's house?" I still use mine for that. As I think about it, your set up doesn't seem to mess w/ the original in any way, does it? If you needed to, you could just grab the old orange bucket base, and unclip the suction head from your build, and you'd have exactly your original Fein Turbo II, wouldn't you?
> 
> ...


You are correct Bradley as I kept the original bucket and hose so all I have to do is switch the motor to make it transportable when needed!

Also, I can only see the URL's as well so I just clicked on your Flickr link to view the pictures!


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## John3075 (May 1, 2015)

It looks like a little robot.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

John3075 said:


> It looks like a little robot.


That's the first thing my daughter said and it is now known as the "DustExtractoBot"!


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

*update...*

So far this has been working out very well and although I haven't had to empty it yet I found it only takes a couple of minutes to remove the boom arm, sander and motor to make lifting the top off easier. I added a couple of features including the sander hanger and boom arm along with a second hose which allows me to leave the sander within arms reach as I use it frequently and switching over to the boom arm hose for other tools only takes a few seconds. I just need to paint the tubes and add the plastic end caps however I may move the sander hanger higher if I can figure out a simple way to do that without it becoming too obtrusive.

swiveling boom arm and sander hanger arm made from 3/4" square tube...







I found the hanger at Home Depot and made the mounting block from 1" HDPE with 1/4" threads tapped into it for attaching....



boom arm attached to the top of the Rockler hose/cord holder which happened to already be threaded for the 3/8 plastic knob and the end of the hose is stored in one of the extension wands on the side to keep it from flopping around...



boom arm extended for use.....



boom arm hose holders made from 1" HDPE and cord holders made by clipping off a wire clamp...


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

*Another step ahead*

Dang it Marv!!! AGAIN, you are a step ahead of me on this, LOL :thumbsup:

I just got my Thien section fine tuned today, have a plan for a mobile set up that was going to be a variation on what you did, but then I was gonna come in w/ the sneak-attack boom arm, so I could get my 3-pt shot contribution to this thread, just like Steph Curry.... But NOT!! Just like Steph Curry tonight, shut down :blink: ....


*Mini-Review of Rockler's New Small tool multi-adapter 2-1/4" hose + adapters kit*:

FYI, I just bought one of Rockler's new Small tool multi-adapter 2-1/4" hose + adapters kits, the one w/ the black slinky hose and the blue adapters (~$40).

The hose is very pliable, which is nice, but they accomplished this by making the hose from a double-walled vinyl, like a slinky inside another slinky but w/ opposite twists, which is quite heavy and not elastic despite the double helices supplying the flex. Let me be clear, the hose itself stretches between 3' - 10', which is quite good and helpful, but that's accomplished by the springs and not the "fabric" of the hose. That means the hose doesn't have a very tight grip on the adapters and I am concerned about the long-term health of the hose just away from where it threads onto the adapters, as there can be a lot of flex there and the vinyl is clearly under quite a bit of stress -- time will tell.

The blue adapters are thick silicone, so they are pliable, but their range of stretch/elasticity is limited or is going to take a very, very strong hand of persuasion to connect to some tool fittings. This means they aren't supple enough to form a tight, well gripped seal in many situations, and will pretty easily slip off unless they can be seriously manhandled onto the tools' nipples. The adapters do have a swiveling connection and that is a big plus.

This adapter stretch issue leaves lost middle ground between the 2 natural sizes of the adapters. I'll try to use soapy water to get the small adapter to somehow find some middle ground between what the smaller seems likely to fit and something that's smaller than the bigger adapter's minimum size. Rockler is considering selling the adapters as solo pieces. All-in-all these are a good first whack, but there's definitely room for improvement.

-- Bradley


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Scurvy said:


> Dang it Marv!!! AGAIN, you are a step ahead of me on this, LOL :thumbsup:
> 
> I just got my Thien section fine tuned today, have a plan for a mobile set up that was going to be a variation on what you did, but then I was gonna come in w/ the sneak-attack boom arm, so I could get my 3-pt shot contribution to this thread, just like Steph Curry.... But NOT!! Just like Steph Curry tonight, shut down :blink: ....
> 
> -- Bradley


 Yeah I think we are on the same wavelength here Bradley and I don't know what was up with Steph tonight but it sure didn't look like he was playing for a championship! 

I saw that kit in an email from Rockler however between the 2 hoses I can fit all of my tool ports as well as vacuum attachments without any adapters!


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## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

Marv said:


> I saw that kit in an email from Rockler however between the 2 hoses I can fit all of my tool ports as well as vacuum attachments without any adapters!



Really? What are your hose diameters? Are you still using the OEM Fein hose? What type of attachments?

I have had some success creating my own custom adapters by following what I learned from a Russian YouTube blogger named TehDoor: He showed to take a slightly over-sized disposable beverage bottle and shrink it to fit w/ a heat gun. The method works quite well, as does his trick of using sheet vinyl flooring scraps for the larger hoses.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Scurvy said:


> Really? What are your hose diameters? Are you still using the OEM Fein hose? What type of attachments?
> 
> I have had some success creating my own custom adapters by following what I learned from a Russian YouTube blogger named TehDoor: He showed to take a slightly over-sized disposable beverage bottle and shrink it to fit w/ a heat gun. The method works quite well, as does his trick of using sheet vinyl flooring scraps for the larger hoses.


The gray hose on the Ridgid (Metabo) sander is the original Fein and the slightly tapered end measures about 1 5/16" OD at the tip while the black ShopVac hose is tapered more and measures about 1 3/16" OD at the tip. 
One or in some cases both will fit my vacuum accessory tools, Porter Cable plunge routers with through the shaft dust port, PC D handle fixed edge work shroud, Bosch plunge router shroud/D handle edge work shroud/fixed base shroud/router edge guide (these all came with an adapter so they will work with either hose), Ridgid R2610 sander, Dewalt and PC compact router shrouds, Bosch jigsaw, Dewalt Biscuit Joiner, Kreg Pocket Hole jig, PC 5" random orbit sander and a few others I can't think of right now. The only tool I can think of off hand that the hoses won't fit is my Makita belt sander which has a funky rectangular port for the special bag.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Made a couple more changes using 2” abs pipe/fittings. The new sander location is much more convenient and I can also reach further with it.


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

Nice work! 

Do you ever find yourself pulling a bit too much and tipping it over?


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks Dan! Contrary to it's appearance it is very stable so I have not had any issues with tipping and I believe the reason is the large diameter of the drum in conjunction with the way the casters stick out from the side instead of being under it.


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

I'm sure I'd find a way to tip it right over


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