D/A With Vacuum

[red vette mike]

I am going to do a bit of body work in my garage addition. I recently went to a Akzo/Nobel (Sikkens/Lesanol Paints) school. They had the best of equipment. They had dual action sanders that had a vacuum attachment that sucked up most of the dust and grit produced. They had an expensive central vacuum system designed for multilple d/a's. I would like to be able to work in a dust free environment like this. Those guys said I might be able to just hook a vacuum equipped d/a to a good shop vac. I was wondering if any of you folks had ever tried that. Thanks.

 

[ZRX61]

The noise would drive you to distraction...

 

[red vette mike]

The noise would drive you to distraction...

I bet that is true. i have pretty much destroyed my hearing anyway and have to use hearing protection in about everything I do. I might check into a system where the vacuum motor/canister is not in the same room. My new garage is nice enough that I hate to get body dust on every square inch of it.

 

[Bill K]

Most sanders exhaust just below or above where the air line connects. One trick I have seen with the D/A is to take a 6ft lenght of air hose with a coupler one one end and connect this to the sander. Then take large dia. piece of thin wall flexable hose or tube, sortta like shrink wrap. and put over the supply hose then clamp or duct tape it at the tool. The exaust air is directed down the hose and blows out on the ground away from where your sanding and causes no big dust cloud.