Dust collection for apartment neander

[Matt Lau]

I'll be building guitars and small boxes in an apartment in SF.

I'm 95% neander (I have a Dremel and corded drill) because I don't want to disturb the family living above me.

What would you recommend for dust control? I'm looking for something silent, HEPA, unobtrusive, and can handle lots of plane shavings without clogging up.

I particularly wanted to post in the neander forum as I don't think the power tool users have an idea about *really silent* dust control.

[Tony Shea]

A broom and dust pan. I live in an upstairs apartment and do all my woodworking in a spare bedroom. There are times I wish I had more room but for the most part I am satisfied with my shop for now. At least I am on the same floor as the living room and kitchen which means I can have conversations with my girlfriend without having to yell, and she can pop in to have me try something out she is whipping up in the kitchen. Just the fact that I'm so close by really makes up for all the downfalls of not having my own large dedicated shop.

[Jim Ritter]

I have a Festool vac and it is the quietest one I know of. You can dial back on the suction electronically if you just need to just suck up pearl dust. Add a Dust Deputy in the suction line and the vac bags will go a long time before they fill and the big chips have a place to go. The Festool vac is quieter than our home vac.
Jim

[David Weaver]

I'd get the fein turbo II.

But I'd pick up all of the plane shavings with a dust pan and broom.

I don't have a "real" dust collector, just a couple of vacs hooked to trash cans. Sucking in plane shavings, especially if you're dimensioning wood and have coarse long shavings never really works 100%.

[Derek Cohen]

I have the Fein. One of the reasons I purchased it over the Festool was because it was reputed to be quieter. That must be a statement of relativity. They are all loud and require hearing protection. It's a good vac, however, and useful when you use a router or ROS.

A broom and dust pan sounds a good plan.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Chris Griggs]

I just picked up one of these "Trash Pans" when I stumbled across it at Lowes. It basically a trashcan with a snap on lip so its easy to sweep stuff directly into it. Its pretty handy actually. http://www.incrediblesolutionsinc.com/shop/32-gallon-trashpan-2/

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I think its like $20 at Lowes.

I do also have a regular shop vac that I use for actually get the dust and stuff the broom misses.

[Judson Green]

Broom and a dust pan/shovel. Its neander and stealthy.

You didn't mention what your shop floor is. Hopefully it's not carpet but if it is I'd try a regular home vacuum with a beater bar.

Oh and I use a large old paint brush to dust off the bench.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I bought a Ridgid small shop vac http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3-Gal-Wet-Dry-Vac-WD3050/202078667 Just because it was marked down really cheap, and I thought it would be good to have a small vac for when I don't need the 6 (peak) hp Craftsman monster. I was really amazed at how quiet it is, and how well it works. For your limited space, it might be the ticket, and way cheaper than a Festool. I am, until this week (closing on a house Thursday) a fellow apartment woodworker but my landlord is very lenient, and I have a yard and large porch to do table saw work. The Ridgid vac has now become my go-to for indoor work.

[Mike Olson]

I have a Quiet Series ShopVac and it's quieter than my home vacuum. Only down side is that the hose it skinnier than most big shopvac's so it clogs on any big shavings, though mine is kinda old so maybe they use big hoses now.

[Brian Holcombe]

I use a festool vac. with a HEPA filter. It's pretty quiet. I'm a hybrid (lol) so I use to collect dust for a router, router table, saw, and sander (which have been seeing less and less use as I acquire more hand tools). I sweep up pretty much everything created by hand tools, since there is no reason to fill the vacuum with shavings that I can otherwise collect.

[Judson Green]

I have a Quiet Series ShopVac and it's quieter than my home vacuum. Only down side is that the hose it skinnier than most big shopvac's so it clogs on any big shavings, though mine is kinda old so maybe they use big hoses now.


I've got one of these too. Keep it hooked up to the band saw. I think its louder than the band saw.

[Bill Houghton]

Far and away the most effective Neander dust collector I've ever found, short of a broom and dust pan:

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The trouble is, the dust tends to get emptied where you don't want it.

[george wilson]

I might be getting deaf!! But my Fein medium sized(7 gallon?) sized vac is pretty quiet. I don't need ear protection for it. Not sure if it is really quiet enough for an apartment,though. It has a long hose smaller than I like,BUT,by luck,if you remove the hose,the hole in the vac is just right for jamming a Sears 2 1/2" standard size shop vac hose into it. The only time I use the original hose is when I am using the vac with a sander or an electric hand plane. The vac will start and stop automatically when you use it with a power tool. Very handy feature. I had to make an adapter to use my Fein half sheet sander with it. That horribly expensive ($950.00 ?) sander came with a cheap looking cloth bag I have NEVER used. It goes about 20,000 orbits per minute,and sands like a belt sander. But,it NEEDS a good dust collector as you can imagine the dust it would put out.

What do you do about hammering? I recommend getting a NERF hammer!!!:) The foam head is silent.

[Matt Lau]

Thanks for all the input!

I have a fein turbo I (with auto start and variable power) at my remote "power tool workshop." I'm putting together a dust deputy for it and adding a clean stream filter. Maybe I'll use that...any improvements with the new models?

I just didn't want to mention anything to bias the crowd. I'm not sure how the new festool compares, but the fein was quieter back in 2011.

As for my floor area--purple marble tile with some acrylic rugs over it.
I was almost tempted to rig up something with a dyson vac!


As for hammering, most of mine is done with a Glenn drake titehammer #4 mallet. It was a gift from my sister.

[Matt Lau]

Note: I'm also going to get a dustpan...

[Cory Waldrop]

I live in an apartment and do my work out on a balcony and I went with the Fein Turbo 2. I think it is 9 or 12 gallons, i cant remember. I don't think you will find too many substantial improvements over the model you have other than capacity (I think the turbo 1 is smaller????). I doubt you would see too many improvements by going with festool. Both brands are well thought of from what I can tell. At $300, Id say use the cost difference to add a cyclone and maybe a better filter and/or bags. Ohh and dustpan and a nice trashcan for the bigger chunks.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks for all the input!

I have a fein turbo I (with auto start and variable power) at my remote "power tool workshop." I'm putting together a dust deputy for it and adding a clean stream filter. Maybe I'll use that...any improvements with the new models?

I just didn't want to mention anything to bias the crowd. I'm not sure how the new festool compares, but the fein was quieter back in 2011.

As for my floor area--purple marble tile with some acrylic rugs over it.
I was almost tempted to rig up something with a dyson vac!


As for hammering, most of mine is done with a Glenn drake titehammer #4 mallet. It was a gift from my sister.

Persian area rug maybe? It will compliment the marble floor in your workshop nicely :P

Fein is fine.

[Jim Neeley]

Matt,

Now reading that you have the Fein Turbo I my recommendation doesn't really apply but I've been setting on the fence (waiting for taxes to be known) between a Festool and Fein as I move to replace the first of two screaming banshees (aka Craftsman Shopvacs). For around my bench, where I expect plane curls I've decided to go with the Fein Turbo 3 because of its 2-1/4" hose. I have a really nice 1-1/2" hose on another vac and it sometimes has trouble with the curls. I'mm hoping the larger hose will work better.

I know, I could continue with the oversized dust pan like I do now. <g>

[Brian Holcombe]

Jim, if it's any help I have a festool vac and it's super quiet.

[David Weaver]

Note: I'm also going to get a dustpan...

That's a good idea. You'll find out that a dust deputy doesn't do anything for plane shavings. it just gives them a place to go through as they go into it and straight into your vacuum.

It works much better with power planer chips and sanding dust, but plane shavings will all end up in the vac. It'll drive you nuts - it drives me nuts. I have basically bypassed mine for power planer chips, too - I just plug one of the holes on it with card stock and run my input tube right into the trash can mine is mounted on.

[miguel bernardo]

FWIW i couldn´t be happier with my Festool CTL vac. very quiet, enough power for my needs and easy to maneuver and tuck away when not in use. light too!

[miguel bernardo]

oh, another handy gimmick IMHO is the Mirka abranet sanding block. attached to the vac it significantly decreases the ammount of dust that goes into the air.

[Pat Barry]

A broom and dust pan.
Thats the proper neander way to do it

[Winton Applegate]

Tony,

DARN IT, you beat me to the dust pan and a broom recommendation.
Never clogs and is quiet.


fein turbo II

I have two of those.
The old one is really quiet.
The newer one, that has the motor speed control, isn't exactly loud but it sounds pissed off like it is going to bite me.
Ha, ha, ha
no really the newer ones, mine is about three or four years old now, kind of grumble, grumble, grumble.
The wheels more to the side where the port is helps it not tip forward though, that is especially nice over the older one.
The older one I pretty much leave hooked to my bandsaw and or to clean up the shop and it stays in the shop.
The newer one I keep very clean and it travels around the living space for various cleaning and I have the optional power brush head to use on the carpets.

[Matt Lau]

I didn't choose the marble--tacky to my tastes.

Regarding the fein vacs--the head is all the same IMHO. Currently, I have a 2 1/4" shopvac hose on it.
My chief gripe is that the handle hurts to hold, it's cumbersome to transport (along with hose, attachments etc).

It's a great vac, but I'm tempted to buy another for apartment use. The other vac will have to be no louder than the fein.

I'm seriously tempted by the makita/nilfisk vac. 59 db + smaller footprint!

Or, I can be sensible, save my money, and invest it...sigh.

[Winton Applegate]

I said my second newer Fein grumbles.
I just used it on the highest speed setting and it pretty much sounds like the quiet older one.
It only grumbles when you turn the speed / suction force down; handy for vaccing off a floor mat; on the highest setting it just lifts the mat off the floor and tries to eat it. Ha, ha, ha.
I didn't mean to say I don't like my new Fein, I do, it is just that when it is turned down it sounds like something going some place to happen as my Mom would say.

[Cory Waldrop]

investing? NAH buy new toys, and then tell us how much fun it is to play with them :)

[Matt Lau]

Most of my new toys are non-gloat worthy: old Japanese planes and chisels from eBay that need restoring.

The nice thing about being Neander is that stuff tends to not depreciate as much as the electronic stuff that I have but don't use. Heck, sometimes it even appreciates if the Schwartz speaketh!

I may just get another Fein (unless the new festool ct is more silent). It's around the same price as a Dyson, and my Fein has held up quite well...

[Winton Applegate]

decided to go with the Fein Turbo 3 because of its 2-1/4" hose

You probably know this and as some one said all the heads are the same, but you can buy the 2-1/4" hose and put it on the Turbo I or the Turbo II. That is what I have on my bandsaw.

PS: and you get the experience of laughing out loud ( and then crying) when you hear how much they want for the hose (the same experience can be had for all the accessories).

For instance if you want a second wand , that's just the metal tube the hose and floor tool mount on right ? Well that will be at least $20 PLUS $20 (because you need two to make up one wand and they are sold separately) PLUS about $25 for the bent plastic handle. Now I'm not smart enough to add those up but I do know it winds up being on the wrong side of toooo much !

Yah . . . I bought 'em.

PPS: You know . . . now that I think about it I think the Turbo III has a higher flow or power rating. But I couldn't confirm that.

[john davey]

I have the Ridgid 14 gal professional wet/dry vac. At the time I purchased it 18 months ago it was the quietest they offered and was $99. I believe they had one that was quieter for 4 times the money. It is surprisingly quite in my basement shop. Half my basement is an apartment and it does not bother the tenant when I use it. It is currently not attached to anything and I just use it to pick up chips. The benefit I find over a dustpan/broom is I have allot of clutter due to lack of space and this gets the chips in and around things much easier than the broom :)....

[Matt Lau]

Can't sleep.
Just ordered OXO dustpan via Amazon.

I'm thinking of also getting a HEPA vac that won't wake the neighbors living above me. I'll leave me Fein Turbo 1 in the workshop for power tool cleanup.

Aargh!

[Brian Holcombe]

When I cut mortises, waste dovetails, ect. It's far louder than the vacuum.

[Matt Lau]

Maybe I should jump onto the Grammercy bowsaw bandwagon...

[Jim Matthews]

Bowsaws are finnicky.

Backsaws are easier for hacks like me to keep straight.
Find a woodworking shop or co-op that will allow you to mill lumber for a fee.

The fun parts are cutting and fitting things together.
Milling is why apprentices were invented.

[Matt Lau]

Did I mention that I have a tablesaw (9" vintage homecraft, but useable) and bandsaw (14" rockwell)? It's in my workshop across the SF bay. I can't bring it to the city for good reason.

[Jim Neeley]

Did I mention that I have a tablesaw (9" vintage homecraft, but useable) and bandsaw (14" rockwell)? It's in my workshop across the SF bay. I can't bring it to the city for good reason.

Matt,

Do they *permit* such tools in SF? <j/k> :-)

[maximillian arango]

I know I'm a little late but this thread came to mind.

I just got home from buying a cat proof trash can(put it off for 4 years) and while at the home depot I saw these leaf bags (http://www.homedepot.com/s/leaf%2520bags?NCNI-5) and since I've been using a post office box for shavings I think this will be better since its huge and collapsible. I wish I saw these sooner because now I can make this disappear when not being used.