Product Shop vac filters

[PeterT]

I usually clean these about 4 times until its not worth it anymore & replace. When I vacuum oily swarf the filter medium gets munged up especially alternating back & forth with sawdust or regular shop vac duty.
The HD price is insane reinforcing my big box store loathing. I can get all kinds of clones for fractional prices on Amazon. The ratings vary, but among the better ones, the negative ones are more like 'doesnt fit my Sears Model X' vs any serious fitting flaws on the Ridgid. Q1) Any feedback in that regard? Q2) some replacements come with foam liners for a couple bucks more. Is that worth buying to preserve the pleated cartridge even longer? My experience with them on a prior vacuum was they kind of got the permeability wrong & you can hear the motor rpm increasing a bit.

 

[Janger]

That looks like a 3DP project. If you could get the filter paper. Maybe from a basic pleated furnace filter? Have you tried washing it? I have the same problem.

 

[DavidR8]

I haven't bought a filter in years. I just bang them clean in the bin and reinstall.

 

[PeterT]

I've made mine last for quite a while by cleaning with wood popsicle stick between the accordian pleats & a brush. Wear a dust mask its messy work. There is a ton of debris on the face of pleats which are maybe 1" deep so you kind of have to open them up a bit one by one to clean. Actually I alternate between 2 so I can then vacuum the dirty one & its good to go. I've never tried washing the filter, not sure its water proof? They sell a foam filter for water vacuuming but maybe thats different criteria again.

Yes I think you could 3DP a housing but not sure where you would get the filter medium or if the cost savings goes around. The accordian medium It sits in a housing but has an integrated rubber end to make the connection to the downspout thingy. There is no retention nut, I think the rubber bottom keeps the cartriged pushed up & sealed. I'm ok with $15 a pop if I can get a year or so. The issue is when I vacuum chips around the lathe & mill its a bit oily, so I think some of that is slowly saturating the filter & that makes regular dust stick & cake even more. Maybe the foam cuff would help in that way. Its removable & washable.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

That looks like a 3DP project. If you could get the filter paper. Maybe from a basic pleated furnace filter? Have you tried washing it? I have the same problem.

I a working on a self cleaning variant... that installs inline with the hose, after a cyclone and before the internal canister filter. The idea is to trap most of the duct before it reaches the vacuum and then knock the dust cake off a simple pocket filter versus out of complex pleats

It uses synthetic non-shedding synthetic media that is resistant to moisture and bacterial growth.

I've cleaned too many pleated filters over the years to tolerate the PITA any longer... plus the risks of putting dust in the air just doing so.

 

[PeterT]

What is likely worth 3D printing is a converter to go from 2.5" hose to 1.x" The Ridgid has a nice feature with a lock clip that engages on steps on the hose/accessories. I bought a smaller diameter 'car kit' with slim wands & brushes but the reduction adapter does not have these serrations, its a cheeseball friction fit which often falls off. I think its actually a meant for for a smaller 1.x" shop vacs but they actually show it as an accessory for the larger vacuum. I should have tried right when purchased, too late to return now.

 

[PeterT]

I a working on a self cleaning variant... that installs inline with the hose, after a cyclone and before the internal canister filter.

Keep us posted, sounds interesting. I know the cyclones work. I venture to guess probably a requirement for the brown stuff. I move my vacuum around the shop a lot which is why I never really pursued a cyclone. I think when I alternate between oily metal swarf & then dry/saw dust that makes it makes a mung that likes to cake on filters. I even see it in the nozzle. Every so often I'll just take a stick I clean it out. I'm sure its in the hose accordians too but maybe harder debris helps clean it out. I have to be mindful of his like when doing finishing work like vacuuming wood work between sanding coats. I keep a seperate brush head for this so there is no chance of contamination.

 

[PeterT]

A reducer converter would look something like this

 

[PeterT]

Similar issue for a (same diameter) coupler. I dont really have a need, or another hose, but would make a good 3DP candidate.
The little Bambu has saved me a fortune on duct tape for these kinds of things LOL

 

[TorontoBuilder]

What is likely worth 3D printing is a converter to go from 2.5" hose to 1.x" The Ridgid has a nice feature with a lock clip that engages on steps on the hose/accessories. I bought a smaller diameter 'car kit' with slim wands & brushes but the reduction adapter does not have these serrations, its a cheeseball friction fit which often falls off. I think its actually a meant for for a smaller 1.x" shop vacs but they actually show it as an accessory for the larger vacuum. I should have tried right when purchased, too late to return now.

View attachment 87542

Printed many of these in different sizes from petg...

Now I need to print a few more for my friends shop... to adapt to festool hoses

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Keep us posted, sounds interesting. I know the cyclones work. I venture to guess probably a requirement for the brown stuff. I move my vacuum around the shop a lot which is why I never really pursued a cyclone. I think when I alternate between oily metal swarf & then dry/saw dust that makes it makes a mung that likes to cake on filters. I even see it in the nozzle. Every so often I'll just take a stick I clean it out. I'm sure its in the hose accordians too but maybe harder debris helps clean it out. I have to be mindful of his like when doing finishing work like vacuuming wood work between sanding coats. I keep a seperate brush head for this so there is no chance of contamination.

I have a small dust deputy on a small 10 gallon fiber drum. Normally it sits on a cart with my small rectangular shop vac and makes a compact unit that is easy to move from machine to machine.






I plan to design a new all in one unit based on the low profile dust deputy/lid below. This will allow me to use it with the surface grinder and coolant.

I'm planning a vertical tube with an wider filter chamber that's split in the middle to mount the filter in a 3d printed flexion style frame. I'll violently shake the frame to clean the filter after each use, the dust cake will dislodge and fall into the bucket below.

 

[djberta]

On my long list of projects to print is this one. https://www.printables.com/model/240000-cyclone-dust-collector

 

[jorogi]

Mine now is a monster size dewalt and it has a paper bag, hmm. My last one had a cardiac event inducing priced filter canister. Never tried it but I saw a short clip on YT where the guy put a single wrap of kitchen paper towel around the filter, held on with two elastic bands. Reportedly worked well.

 

[PeterT]

(Foam) filter medium in sheet form is pretty easy to get. This is Amazon screen grab but I'm sure cheaper in quantity. You have to make sure its intended for filtering meaning it has permeability, usually its defined numerically or at least should be. Closed cell foam looks similar but is essentially joined bubbles = nil permeability.

 

[Janger]

I a working on a self cleaning variant... that installs inline with the hose, after a cyclone and before the internal canister filter. The idea is to trap most of the duct before it reaches the vacuum and then knock the dust cake off a simple pocket filter versus out of complex pleats

Yes, please post any pics etc. of your progress. Should be interesting and useful.

 

[Susquatch]

I usually clean these about 4 times until its not worth it anymore & replace. When I vacuum oily swarf the filter medium gets munged up especially alternating back & forth with sawdust or regular shop vac duty.

Looks like the same filter as in my big shop vac. I also have two smaller ridgid shop vacs.

I'm interested in your findings.

For now, I am like @DavidR8. I don't change them, I just clean them and replace them.

Sometimes I remove the filter so I don't mung it up with oil.

 

[ChazzC]

I use a Home Depot Dustoper (cyclone) ahead of my Shop-Vac: 95% drops into the cyclone bucket and everything that goes into the Vac is dry. I tap the filter periodically and if there is a buildup I take it outside and use my battery leaf blower on it. I have spare filters for my various Vacs and they are still in the boxes.

 

[PeterT]

Well I should either read instructions or not forget them when the time comes. Maybe a better procedure is a basic dry clean & then let it soak in soapy water



$36 for 1or $45 for 2 ($22.50/ea). I just rememebered I bought the 2 pack during COVID & installed #2 today because I managed to tear #1. So got some life out of it.


But going to try a clone for $14.87/ea equivalent & stick it to The Man