DIY Workbench Mini Vacuum Cleaner with Trap

[Neo Phyte]

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.

[Leon]

That's a cool idea Neo!

[wbill76]

Neat way to keep the bench clean for sure, can't go wrong with a little negative air pressure applied in an innovative fashion!

[Neo Phyte]

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).

[Neo Phyte]

It has come to my attention that I once seen a similar device used by entomologists for collecting small insects. They used them in the field. They sucked on the vacuum hose. This device is called an aspirator.

[adt70hk]

Cool!! Very ingenious!!!