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Discussion Forum

Vacuum Hand Sanders?

CeltsFan | Posted in Tools for Home Building on May 16, 2009 07:58am

What’s the general consensus on these things? Do they work satisfactorily, or are they a waste of money?

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  1. Huntdoctor | May 16, 2009 08:19pm | #1

    Are you talking for drywall sanding?

    I do restoration and remodeling and we use the hand vacuum sanders all the time.

    We just use a regular shop vac with a pleated filter. I would say it keeps the dust down by 99%.

    Gotta knock the dust off the filter when the suction drops but that just gives you a chance to take a break.

    I highly recommend one.

    1. CeltsFan | May 16, 2009 08:25pm | #2

      Exactly. What brand/model do you use?

      1. AitchKay | May 16, 2009 08:47pm | #3

        I made one back in the '80s, when I couldn't find one commercially available. I hooked it up to a bag-equipped Wap (quieter and more powerful than Fein or Festo). No need to clean filters, they're still bright orange after a day of sanding. And I once sanded a customer's kitchen ceiling while she was making lunch.AitchKay

        1. andybuildz | May 16, 2009 11:04pm | #5

          I hooked it up to a bag-equipped Wap <<

          huh?

           

           

           

          http://www.cliffordrenovations.com

          http://www.ramdass.org

           

          1. AitchKay | May 16, 2009 11:53pm | #6

            A Wap brand shop vac -- FHB mentioned them in their shop-vac review, but they were too cheap to buy one and test it.Put a bag in it, and, Voila! A bag-equipped Wap.AitchKay

          2. andybuildz | May 17, 2009 12:01am | #7

            ahhhhhhhh...ok...I quit subscribing to FHB when they booted me. Maybe if they offer a special I may re-up. JLC had a special for $20 for the year so I nabbed that one.

             

             

             

            http://www.cliffordrenovations.com

            http://www.ramdass.org

             

      2. Huntdoctor | May 16, 2009 09:40pm | #4

        I don't know the brand of the sanding attachment. It's was about $20. Also have the flex head extension attachment for ceilings. We use sponges in the corners and hold vac hose near to get most of that dust. And we have several lengths of extra hose so we are not dragging the vac around.The vacuum is just a 6 gal Rigid with the stock filter. We use the same vac to do our final clean up. This system is not 100% dust free. But the home owners are very happy with the results.

  2. ZEEYA | May 17, 2009 02:13am | #8

    C's Fan

    check this link   http://sandkleen.com/

    if you can download a pdf this is better  http://sandkleen.com/s&k_manual.pdf

    I bought this at Hopeless Depot a few yrs ago less then $30 IIRCC works real good but they have a few different models and the price goes up to somewhere around a $100

    Hope this helps

    Zeeya

    PS

    GO CELTICS

    View Image

    1. andybuildz | May 17, 2009 03:17am | #9

      Always wondered about those after seeing it at HD myself a ways back...but I noticed this one from Marshalltown has much better reviews ...cheap too http://www.amazon.com/Marshalltown-VS792-Vacuum-Sander-Hose/dp/B000VXBYPQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

       

       

       

      http://www.cliffordrenovations.com

      http://www.ramdass.org

       

      1. DonCanDo | May 18, 2009 03:19pm | #24

        Someone had given me that very sander.  I never used it because I couldn't figure out how to attach it to a shop vac.  Maybe I was missing an adaptor that comes with it (even though I don't see it in the picture).

        Mine had a short hose that was very stiff and would make it very awkward to maintain even pressure while sanding.  The hose pictured looks longer.

        I don't know what I did with it, but I probably got tired of looking at it and threw it away.

        1. JulianTracy | May 18, 2009 04:08pm | #25

          I think there's two types of cheap drywall sanders mentioned here - one is a water in the middle version that traps all of the drywall dust in a bucket of water before it gets to the vac - no need for a bag in that case. I had one and it actually works pretty well. After a wall's worth of sanding, your end up with a few inches of dw mud sludge in the bottom of the water tank.The other is simply a hand sanding screen pad that has a vac port on it.Good vacs vs. cheapo vacs is just like good air copressors vs. cheapo ones: Good ones are quieter and last longer - cheapo ones are noisy as heck and will die quicker (or just get louder...)I have a Festool and a Fein Vac. The Festool is louder, but less apt to tip over. The Fein is so quiet, I can vacuum up a customer's hallway while they are in the living room watching tv. Try that with your $30-120 cheapo shop vac.I've had the Porter Cable DW sander for about 7-9 years now and it rocks for drywall. I use it more for dustless wall/ceiling repairs more than I do for new dw work.It's also handy for running over old painted walls that have had a few crappy paint jobs done to them - levels out the paint dribbles and paint encased dust spots and roughs up the walls for the new paint to adhere better.JT

          Edited 5/18/2009 9:10 am ET by JulianTracy

  3. User avater
    IMERC | May 17, 2009 04:26am | #10

    they work....

    till the vac filter plugs up....

     

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!


    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

     

    "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

    1. AitchKay | May 17, 2009 05:40am | #11

      Never heard of a good vac that takes bags?AitchKay

      1. User avater
        IMERC | May 17, 2009 05:33pm | #13

        didn't say bags...

        said filter... 

        Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

        WOW!!! What a Ride!

        Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

         

        "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

        1. AitchKay | May 17, 2009 07:24pm | #14

          That’s the whole point. You’re thinking about clogged filters, which is something that I never have to think about, since I have a good vacuum, with good bags.AitchKay

          1. User avater
            IMERC | May 18, 2009 02:16am | #16

            even after all that DW dust??? 

            Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

            WOW!!! What a Ride!

            Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

             

            "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

          2. CeltsFan | May 18, 2009 02:43am | #17

            If you stick a vaccum hose on a typical orbital sander (the kind that has the dust collection container) is that just as good?

          3. User avater
            IMERC | May 18, 2009 02:52am | #19

            no...

            get the sanding pad from Ames for 12 bucks...

            no frills...

            works pretty..... 

            Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

            WOW!!! What a Ride!

            Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

             

            "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

          4. AitchKay | May 18, 2009 02:49am | #18

            Yeah, it's really amazing! If there's a good seal between the vacuum and the bag, you can sand all day without a hint of white on the filter. And just throw away the bag when it's full. These days, the good bags have a hinged lid that you can close, so there's only that puff of dust when you pop the bag free of the vac.Then you close the lid, and the rest of the dust is contained.AitchKay

          5. User avater
            IMERC | May 18, 2009 02:53am | #20

            got it...

            yur talking about a filter inside of a bag in one form or another... 

            Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

            WOW!!! What a Ride!

            Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

             

            "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

          6. AitchKay | May 18, 2009 05:27am | #23

            The Wap is one of those vacs that comes with a standard, pleated filter. But for sanding drywall, an optional, disposable bag is recommended.The bags do two things. One, they let you keep working all day because the filter doesn't clog up, and two, they let the vacuum keep working all decade because the motor is protected from the dust.Mine is starting to get a little high-pitched and loud (about as loud as a Festo now), but it doesn't owe me anything after almost 20 years.AitchKay

  4. CardiacPaul | May 17, 2009 06:02am | #12

    Porter Cable DW sander

    I use a 20 gal Shop-Vac brand vac with their pleated kevlar filter & bag designed for DW dust, I never lose suction until the bag is FULL-FULL.

    This combo picks up 90-95% of the dust, dust only really is lost when sanding outside corners or end caps/rocked door openings.

    To answer your question, Yes they are worth every penny not only keeps your job site super clean but also makes for much faster job with a very small learning curve.

     No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.

  5. migraine | May 17, 2009 08:46pm | #15

    I have the fein 6" sander and vacuum.  It works real well.

    The cumersome hose and the weight of the sander are the  negatives.  That and the cost of good velcro paper with right hole pattern. 

     PSA paper on a portercable D.A. sander is alot more affordable in all ways.  But, no dust collection

  6. Jer | May 18, 2009 04:34am | #21

    Just bought one today in fact. The painter on the job I'm on has one & it works great. You can get them at HD for $15.
    The secret is in the vac. You should always use a bag and use the ones for fine dust particles. Then exchange the filter that came with the vac for a hepa filter. When these two are used with one another, there is no clogging & no dust flying out the exhaust. I have a little Shop-Vac 6 gal and it works like a charm on plaster & sheetrock dust. No need to buy expensive vac, (mine was around $100), the secret is in the two filters. They cost more though. The Hepa is about $40 and the bags are about $11 for three.
    You can fill up a bag with dust though and work clean.
    Worth it.

    1. Jer | May 18, 2009 04:37am | #22

      This is the one.http://www.shopvac.com/vacs/detail.asp?ID=231&HdnSource=index&StoreID=

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