Overhead dust extraction/power cords

[matkinitice]

I might be over thinking this, but in a few of the youtubers I follow these details are usually out of shot. For example, Peter Millard what does your setup look like?

How do people handle a shop vac extraction overhead, with power cables attached?

I'll be adding an MFT to my setup shortly and feel this is a good way to go. I'm thinking a long (5m) hose, which I can attach with either fancy cable clips or simple cable ties for the power cord. The cord in question would be a plug-it cable so could remain in place most of the time. I see myself using the tracksaw/sander mainly in this configuration.

Is this as simple as a hook or wooden frame to poke the cable through? Or am I missing something in terms of the cable snagging, or changing directions? One idea that's cropped up is some sort of metal hardware that allows the frame/hook to spin 360. While it wouldn't be in use all the time, it would be ideal when I come to move over to the floor for sheet goods etc.

This seems like a boring topic that I might be over thinking - but any advice is much appreciated.

 

[sunnybob]

Depending on what you mean exactly by "overhead", but make sure you arent pulling dust from the work, straight into your mouth, before its sucked up above.

 

[MikeK]

Your description sounds like a boom arm. Festool sells one in Germany that is very expensive, but there are plenty of shop-built examples of articulating boom arms that hold the shop vacuum hose and electrical cables.

 

[matkinitice]

Thanks Mike. Boom arm is what I mean.

Thanks for the term to search for. This has given me plenty of examples already.

 

[Doug71]

Here's some pics of my homemade boom arm, I just zip tied the power cable to the hose with those reuseable zip ties, works really well, escpecially with the Festool plug-it system.

 

[JSW]

Here's some pics of my homemade boom arm, I just zip tied the power cable to the hose with those reuseable zip ties, works really well, escpecially with the Festool plug-it system.

Are the three main parts of the arm torsion boxes by any chance? (to reduce weight) If not, what are they made from please?

 

[wrightsonm]

Peter millard has a workshop tour video where he talks about this. (Ive seen it but cant provide a libk im afraid) He uses an old photographers boom arm for his vacuum and power

 

[Doug71]

Are the three main parts of the arm torsion boxes by any chance? (to reduce weight) If not, what are they made from please?

You are correct they are torsion boxes, think it was 12 mm Birch ply with some 2 1\2" x 1" between but can check tomorrow.

Version no 1 was just single pieces of 18mm Birch ply but they just twisted and sagged.

Version no 2 was torsion boxes but didn't have the short piece in the middle so wouldn't fold back on itself (it only went to 90 degrees), I found it didn't cover some areas so I added the middle bit and it made a massive difference.

 

[JSW]

It's a really clever design, and obviously been thought through, whether by trial and error, or Sketchup etc.
I'd really appreciate some measurements, if you have the time and inclination? It looks to be a continuous taper across the entire length? Just overall lengths and height of each section would be a great help!
The angles at section 1&2 I'd guess are 45 degrees, and 2/3 60 degrees? Great design though, loving it!

 

[Doug71]

It's a really clever design, and obviously been thought through, whether by trial and error, or Sketchup etc.
I'd really appreciate some measurements, if you have the time and inclination? It looks to be a continuous taper across the entire length? Just overall lengths and height of each section would be a great help!
The angles at section 1&2 I'd guess are 45 degrees, and 2/3 60 degrees? Great design though, loving it!

I had a measure of boom arm yesterday. The torsion box parts are covered in 9 mm birch ply with 12 mm x 42 mm softwood for the ribs, I put extra bits behind the ply where the hinges screw on.

It is a continuous taper, 360 mm high at the wall end down to 110 mm at the free end (or it would be if I hadn't taken the corner off).

The wall end section is 1150 mm long, the small middle section 365 mm and the free end is 1100 mm, gives a total length of just over 2.6m.

All the end angles are 45 degrees. Here is a photo of an end detail, I left the ply square where the hinge knuckle is and mitred from there.

I painted it Festool grey, sad I know, I'm not a fanboy but it kind of suited it. The Festool version is about £2.5k, mine is made from off cuts and second hand gate hinges, lol.

Let me know if you want any more detail or feel free to pop over for a look as you might not be that far away, I'm in a village kind of between Selby and Howden if you know that area.

 

[JSW]

Hi Doug,
Many thanks for the detailed measurements and information, that's a big help
I mocked up a mini version yesterday from part of an old interior (eggbox) door, roughly 1500mm long, 150mm wide. The width wasn't really sufficient to get a decent fix into with a pair of 4" steel butt hinges, and I don't have any Tee hinges, without stripping them off the garden shed

It kind of worked, certainly showed the Basic principal is there, my trouble is the workshop is a single skin brick double garage, so even mounting the arm to a suitable thick and big enough panel of say, 25mm ply to disperse the weight, wouldn't inspire me with confidence that the arm wouldn't eventually do some serious damage to the wall, and in turn the garage. It's a great idea nonetheless, thanks again for taking the time to measure up etc

 

[Bm101]

If you put plates either side you could disperse the weight?

 

[JSW]

Either side of the wall you mean? Yeah I thought of that, but that's the next door neighbours sitting/relaxing area. I already feel guilty when I'm in there making a racket with the P/T and extractor, without mounting an eyesore to the wall for them to look at!

I've asked them repeatedly if the noise is too much or annoys them BTW, they always say it doesn't bother them in the least, and I'm never in there making a din either too early or late, and avoid weekends when I can. Sometimes you just get lucky with good neighbours I guess!

 

[Doug B]

I couldn’t go for a boom arm as my bench runs along the workshop wall & the eaves are only six foot, I opted for a simple 35mm pine dowel 2.4m long clipped to the ceiling at each end with a Heath Robinson sliding carriage made from waste pipe, metal bracket, cable ties & a bungee cord, it works surprisingly well.

 

[geoffshep]

Ha - Doug beat me to it! Similar solution for me, the bungee hooks run along the metal strip...

And the cable is held on by the braided sleeve and heat shrink tubing.

 

[Distinterior]

I have a Boom Arm type of setup in my work workshop....I often need to set up my workbench that allows me space on all 4 sides so I came up with this and it works well.

I've since extended the top arm by about another 900mm than is shown in this original photo so that it offers more projection above the centre of the bench. The hose from the extractor is 36mm dia x 7m long and has an extended PlugIt cord attached via velcro straps....

It swings through about 110 degrees and is made from 50mm solvent weld waste pipe and clips.