Hillfolk shop vac

[Drew]

I was shopping around for a micro shop vac, and was met with either flimsy gadgets or expensive and bulky options. I needed something light, compact, and, taking the advice from other posters, have a bristles to avoid wiping grit off the blade and scratching it.

 

After calling around, a gentleman working in an office supply store suggested making one’s own. (He also let me into the know that one could convert an old microwave into an ARC welder. Fun guy. You’re a bright star, Mason.) He said I should think out of the box and hit up thrift shops for the required pieces.

 

This is just a proof of concept, and I’m certain many of you have this stuff hiding in your shop or garage.

 

I bring you: the buttermilk canister vac.

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[Drew]

More pics.

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[Drew]

Mas.

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[Drew]

Mas y mas.

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[Drew]

Now, this does work. However, in the mindset of Mr. Taylor, I need more power. I had the opportunity to cannibalize a Dirt Devil, and I should have.

Also, those bristles are from a dustpan brush. Softer and longer will be needed.

Lastly, we already packed the glue gun, but it would have made a better seal than Gorilla Tape.

Lastly after lastly, I really wanted to make this with a plastic peanut butter jar. The capacity doesn’t need to be big, but having an unscrewable lid to empty the grit will be nice. However, we polished off the jug drinking salted buttermilk in the garden last night, so I used it as an ode to southern magic.

 

Any ideas what powerful, compact fan I can use for suction?

[Dale Wachholz]

Drew, thanks for sharing.   I think making jigs, fixtures, and tooling is part of the fun.

Depending on your house/shop set up,  could you cannibalize any old vac, upright, canister, shop, etc   but put the motor in the basement where you don’t have to hear it run, then use a long tube for suction?

 

[tcmeyer]

Drew:  Do you have compressed air available?  Dumb question of course, but I have it, so why wouldn’t someone else?  LOL!

A vacuum venturi powered by compressed air will produce almost a perfect vacuum and suck your jug flat.  Probably not enough volume, though.

 

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