Dust, Vacuum Cleaners, and Vacuuming

[joebryant]

I have two shop vacuums, one's larger than the other.

I have a 12- x 24-foot section of my barn that has a quarter-inch (at least) layer of gray dust on every board and flat surface. Plus the dust is hanging from the rafters like cobwebs, i.e., it's on everything and thick.

If I try to vacuum, I'll never get finished because it'll take me forever to clean the filters every five minutes.

QUESTION: Could I put some water in the bottom of the vacuum cleaners to catch the dust below and run them without a filter.

 

[Burbs]

I don't think putting water in the bottom would buy you anything for dust control. The inlet is at the top adjacent to the filter and would probably be exhausted out if the filter was removed.

You could attach the hose from your second shop vac to the outlet of the first (with the filter removed) and duct it outside. I don't know how long the motor would last but might be worth a try.

 

[Penturner]

I am not certain of your design, but most shop vacs have an inlet and on out let. attach another hose to the outlet and run this to the outdoors. then use vacuum without a filter. nothing actually passes through any vacuum "motor" it passes throgh an impellor at the very most and as long at it is just dust and cobb webs it will not be a problem. if you start picking up chunks of wood and nails you will damage the impellor.

 

[Mississippi Farm Chick]

Can you just attach the hose to the blower part of the vacuum and just blow it all outside?

 

[Opa]

Putting water in the bottom with the filter removed will trap quite a lot of the dust however a better method is a water prefilter. The attached link will provide you with the easiest and cheapest method. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=9586

 

[3goodeggs]

Whoa! Opa that's great! The time, the energy, the mud... I'm ordering now, you have no idea how much nursery gunk and goo... Oh the time saving, the mud slinging.. I am giddy. I really should get out more.
You know EVERY THING!!! We can just fill a bucket, add another and keep working. We can save the mud job for when we a finished! And they are affordable!! hee hee heee!
THANK YOU Robert Redford and good looking cowboy guy!

 

[joebryant]

Burb, Penturner, and Mississippi Farm Chick, thanks for the suggestions.


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Opa and/or 3goodeggs, thanks. I must be super dense because I don't understand how that connects to the vacuum cleaner. What are the two openings for that are in the black top for a five-gallon bucket? Where does the water go? Do I still stick a hose out the window? Will one of you please describe the path of the vacuumed dust from the time it's picked up to when it reaches its final destination.

 

[Penturner]

From your hand to the vacuum in this order.
hose in your hand runs to one hole int he Harbor Freight 5 gal bucket lid thing. another hose goes from other hole in lid thingy to the vacuum. nothing else needed, provided this actually works with water in the bucket. It is meant to be a heavy object catcher so you do not have chunks of wood pieces of wire and other assorted impeller eating things go through it. I am not at all sure how well it will work if you put water in it. start with just a few inches and work your way up from there. get to much and you will know when the sparks start flying. my guess is that light dust will just pass right through this pre filter and go straight to your vac anyway. Now i could give you the run down on a Cyclone separator and I know that would work since I have one of those in my wood shop. But my bet is your are looking for something sub grand as in $1000.

 

[joebryant]

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Thanks, Penturner, I was envisioning its being just the reverse of what you described here; no wonder I was so confused. The hose out the window sounds more sure to get the job done.

 

[TcherDawn]

I was thinking of using a dry wall dust filter in our shop vac? But these ideas are great!