DIY Workbench Mini Vacuum Cleaner with Trap.

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Tools
1

Got sick and tired of removing all tools etc just to access the sawdust, shavings, etc for cleaning.

When I was in the RAAF, we (Avionics Technicians) had a vacuum inlet on the workbench. A small diameter hose was attached for sucking up small foreign matter. We made our own traps at the inlet. These would stop anything we accidentally sucked up, like a small screw. Today, I made myself such a device. It attached to my vacuum cleaner.


Tested it on kitchen breadboard. The bread crumbs are on the bottom of the jar.

PS. The smaller suction tube is really for small stuff like dust, and filings. It is especially good for reaching into difficult confined areas.
PSS. Can use this to suck up, or grasp something small that has fallen into your model. It it gets sucked into tube, don’t worry, it will end up in the trap.
PSSS. Best to empty trap regularly. Otherwise you will have a hard time sorting out what you lost in the collected rubbish.

2

Cool tip, thanks for sharing it!

3

That’s how my drywall sander is set up except it’s a five gallon bucket half filled with water you connect it to your shop vac and it keeps the vac from sucking in sanding dust it all gets traped in the water you can do around 500sqf before having to change the water

4

Great tip. Gotta make one of those for sure. EJ

5

Thank you all for your responses. Glad that it is of interest to other modellers.

Please note that my drawing leaves out a length of hose from under the trap lid to about an inch from the bottom. It can be seen in the photographs. The hose was placed in to ensure deposits would be left on the bottom. If you like, you could add a small fly-screen filter over the intake tube of trap (vacuum cleaner end).