I’ve done a little research and not sure which dustless drywall sander model will suit my needs. I only need it for my DIY DW repair…… sparky’s punch holes(literally!) behind kitch cab’s, ceiling repair to install range hood exit, minor DW repair, etc. Is it possible to use my shop vac(have 2)with the correct filter or buy the kit? I would rather buy than rent.
thanks in advance
Bob
A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work
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Replies
For the minor stuff like this, you can buy a bucket deal (Home Despot etc) where the foam sanding pad has holes in it and is hooked up to the bucket lid. Put the sanding screen on there, hook the shop vac up, put some water in the bucket, which catches most of the dust. Awkward as h***and noisy, but keeps the dust down to a minimum.
And alot less $ than one of those pro sanders. Like $16 or something.
Edited 2/6/2004 11:02:36 AM ET by johnnyd
For simplistic DIY stuff, there's also just a sanding pad you can buy - geez, they're all of ten bucks or something. Handle and two clips, and the face is perforated, the back has a hookup for a small dia. vac hose. You put your mesh sanding screen on, hook it to the vac, and sand away. Would you do an entire room with it, heck no, but for what you're talking about, it's pretty effective and pretty cheap.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
johnnyd & RW
Thanks for the info. I did find some info about the simple ones you both mention, but was not sure how the vac would be attached. I do like the bucket full of water type...as my main concern is dust control. That dust goes everwhere! A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work
BIG NOTE:
In my handyman business, I often use the one that hooks up to my small shop vac. But it is only "dustless" if you have one of the HEPA filters in your vac. If you don't, you'll have a combination sander/dust spreader. (And it will do an amazingly good job of spreading the dust.)
As an option, the water-bucket thing probably works as well as the HEPA, tho I haven't used one.
Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.
If you don't, you'll have a combination sander/dust spreader. (And it will do an amazingly good job of spreading the dust
LMAO....BTDT!!
Found out the hard way. After grinding some concrete last year and vac'in up the mess, what a smoke stack that shot out of the vac. and it had 2 filters in it too. Looked like a snow storm!
BTW..I still want to go to HomePeepshow and see about the water bucket one, but where can I get a HEPA filter for my 2 shop vacs. One is a large Dirt Devil and the other is a small cheapo. A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work
Bob,
I bought the cheap one at HD and it's terrible. The vacuum thru the mesh sandpaper clings so hard to the drywall that it's almost impossible to move the sander - plus it does not catch all the dust. Get a large plastic garbage lid and hold it up to the small area that you are sanding - it works just as well...nah, it works better!
Get a large plastic garbage lid and hold it up to the small area that you are sanding - it works just as well...nah, it works better!
Not sure what you mean. Use the lid as a catch all(underneath the work area)or with a hole in the center of the lid for the vac?
BTW...thaks for the tip about HD's., I won't bother going there now, A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work
Bob,
Use the lid as a catch basin! I have given up on any type of dustless sander for these reasons:
- They are terrible to work with; slow, not a great sanding job, very tiring and "dustless" (come on).
- If a customer does not want dust; ya know what..go get someone else. I'll clean it up better than it was before.
On HD - I feel sorry for the Mom & Pops!
HEPA filters for shop vacs are brand-specific. Mine is a (Walmart cheapo version of) actual Shop Vac. And Wally world carries the filters.
Check with whoever sells your vac -- maybe check teh manufacturer's website.
The HEPA filters are really awesome. You can be working with drywall dust, and they are actually dustless.
Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.
Craftsman makes a filter for their shopvac that is designed for drywall dust that works well and so does an aftermarket company that i think is called cleanstream. If you dont go the water bucket route you will need the shop vac filter. If I were you I would buy the filter and the sanding pad that hooks right to the vac. What I usually do on a job that small though is just get someone to hold the vac nozzle next to where im sanding to suck up the dust. If you sand slowly most of the dust falls rather than gets stirred up into the air.
What I usually do on a job that small though is just get someone to hold the vac nozzle next to where im sanding to suck up the dust.
I did try that, but without the correct filter. Kinda worthless! <G>
I need to buy a HEPA filter or check at sears if theirs will fit mine.
Thanks A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work
get an extra hose for your vac and put it on the exhaust and run it out the window...Or use your central vac system...
Bud
Hey now, that extra hose idea is pretty good, might try it instead of wasting $$ on the other types. Plus, I do have 2 hoses. Thanks
BTW...re central vac- the closest thing that I'll ever have is the central vac on wheels, in the central of the room. <G>
Thanks again for that tip
Bob A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work
Gotta run but...... two hoses one out the window..... works really well, cheap too (just make sure the window your shooting it out of is downwind.
otherwise it doesn't work well....
:-)
Adam
Thanks guys, for your input. I knew I could get some solid advice here.
Bob A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work