HEPA vac and sanding advice sought.

[Joe Fast]

I need some advice before making a significant tool purchase. I am undertaking an interior finish job within the near future that will entail significant sanding of wood trim. The building is a NYC townhouse with tons of woodwork that had been poorly prepped before the previous paint (uneven joints, rough texture, bleed through etc.). It all needs sanding smooth and painted. My dilemma begins with the fact that the space is occupied (by a family with kids) and dust mitigation is a primary concern (lead has been ruled out already by inspector). I have decided on using a Serfprep sanding system (maybe?) but have not decided on the dust extraction. It must be HEPA rated and efficient. Noise can also be a consideration. I have heard great things about Bosch and Festool HEPA vacs but want opinions from people with actual experience. Any thought/insight/help would be greatly appreciated before this pricey purchase.

 

[Roju1985]

I bought myself a Festool CT midi for Christmas, my wife and I bought our first house last year and my shop is in the basement so I've been doing everything I can to really up my dust collection game. This was the first festool purchase i've ever made and I would say the price put it firmly in the "this is a dumb amount of money for any tool" category. That being said it's amazing, one of the first things I used it for was sanding a door frame I wanted to strip down and re paint, connected to my bosch 5" random orbit I'd guess it collected over 90% of the dust. Keep in mind the dust collection ability of the tool producing the dust is likely more importatant than the tool sucking it up.

 

[Joe Fast]

What is the bag capacity in the midi? also how loud is it compared to typical wet/dry vacs?

 

[rlitman]

...(lead has been ruled out already by inspector)...

Was this a surface test, or was the paint tested through its full depth? I find it hard to believe that lead was not in at least the lower layers unless you know the construction was after 1979.

...Keep in mind the dust collection ability of the tool producing the dust is likely more importatant than the tool sucking it up.

+1 This is by far the most important part. And keep in mind that when it comes to sanding, the system is designed around mating sandpaper to pads to sanders, and all three work together.

Festool makes great vacuums. I happen to own several Fein Turbo vacuums. Both are high performance and very quiet.

 

[jonshonda]

Festool has been making them for a while, and there is obviously a reason people continue to buy them. Same can be said for Bosch.

If you are removing a lot of material look at the Bosch GET75-6N sander. It has a twin personality and can remove material a lot quicker then a ROS, but also becomes an ROS with the flip of a switch. I do not suggest it for detail work though, as it is rather large and has weight to it.

I also suggest the Mirka Abranet sand paper and backing pad. Rather then having just a few holes for dust extraction, it has hundreds. High end cabinet shops use them, and there are lots of positive reviews. It also lasts forever and won't clog like typical paper does.

Pro tip. Buy a file card (flat wire brush used to clean debris from hand files) and use that to remove clogged material from the paper

 

[rlitman]

...Pro tip. Buy a file card (flat wire brush used to clean debris from hand files) and use that to remove clogged material from the paper

I guess that might work. I use a rubber block made to clean belt sanders. Stearated paper with the white coating is treated to prevent clogging, but the residue can interfere with water based finishes unless it is cleaned off with mineral spirits before finishing.

 

[Roju1985]

What is the bag capacity in the midi? also how loud is it compared to typical wet/dry vacs?

The midi is 4 gallon, its a much quieter than my old ridgid 16 gallon, and whats also nice you can turn the suction down to make it even quieter if you were so inclined.

 

[neophyte]

Anything made by Nilfisk/Alto/WAP should be good.
Hilti also supposedly nakes really good vacuums, but you would be tied to Hilti for parts and support, and the vacuums are expensive.

If the size isn’t a major issue for transport etc. , you would be better off with a larger capacity vacuum.
Both the smaller older Fein vacuums, and the smaller Festool vacuums were louder than the larger capacity versions for some reason.
Larger capacity will also save money on bag costs.
The older Fein vacuums were supposedly made by Nilfisk/Alto/WAP( I’m not sure which division) and were excellent.
The current Fein vacuums have a good reputation, but the OEM has likely changed.

 

[gmcgeo]

Wet/Dry Dust Extraction | FEIN Power Tools, Inc.

For clean results and healthy working conditions. Powerful, reliable and mobile – FEIN vacuums ensure effective dust extraction in the shop and on-site. Compact, Auto-Clean and HEPA models with a wide range of filters and accessories.

fein.com

one of the best hepa vacs around and very quiet!!!

 

[FMC1959]

Anything made by Nilfisk/Alto/WAP should be good.
Hilti also supposedly nakes really good vacuums, but you would be tied to Hilti for parts and support, and the vacuums are expensive.

More than 50% of the vacs on the market are OEM'd by Nilfisk. Milwaukee, Metabo, Flex (German not Lowe's Flex), Mirka, some Makita models, and others I am not sure of. Not sure but Bosch and Fein could be also...and as Neophyte stated, they make some of the best.

I personally have a Flex and it works great. As Roju1985 said, the tools collection system is very key. Hand tools like a grinder or the newer rotary hammers with collection attachment can have decent results. Some stationary tools also can have good collection but require stronger suction to be effective, like dedicated dust extractors that are 2-5 HP.

I used mine with a 9" wall sander and a track saw and got good results. You will always have some dust that gets away right at the work piece, but I find the really fine stuff that normally floats around the shop are eliminated.

 

[dnschmidt]

Your best bet to to buy the complete Mirka or Festool system which has a cart, the sander and the vacuum all in one package. These are common in bodyshops as that was the initial market being addressed. Contact a local Mirka distributor and have them demo it for you. Otherwise you're going to have hoses and wires all over the place and that's a pain in the ***.

 

[Joe Fast]

Does anyone have any experience with the Serfprep sanding system. I have seen a few YT videos

, and it seems like a decent setup especially with the thicker pads for more detailed work. Any thoughts will be appreciated.

 

[LXCam]

I just bought a hilti dustless coring set up with their HEPA vac a couple months ago. The vac works insanely well and I highly recommend that aspect of it, but is not very quiet. It makes considerably more noise then the coring system turning a 3" bit.

 

[dnschmidt]

The Surfprep sanders are made by AirVantage and are excellent.

 

[Joe Fast]

Sorry to beat this to death, but..... Thinking about brand consistency. Wondering if anyone has any experience with the Festool Linear Detail Sander LS 130 EQ-Plus DUPLEX?

 

[tarbellb]

Im not sure why linear sanders exist... not sure I want to know.


I hate sanding, but I do mostly woodworking and some metal (no auto) and a random orbital is what you want.

My hate for sanding went way down after buying a quality orbital (Bosch dual action) and dust collector (Flex)

 

[rlitman]

Im not sure why linear sanders exist...

Body work, or when used with profile pads, to sand inside moldings.

 

[toddoky]

Does anyone have any experience with the Serfprep sanding system. I have seen a few YT videos

, and it seems like a decent setup especially with the thicker pads for more detailed work. Any thoughts will be appreciated.

I bought one last year for use in refinishing my kitchen cabinets, works every bit as good as they say it does. When connected to my up Ridgid shop vac, it captures almost every bit of sanding dust.

 

[Joe Fast]

Thanks Folks.... I'll let you know what I wind up with and how the job goes


JOe