Autumn Downey on thu 6 apr 00
I realize this subject has been on Clayart before (and I have read the
Archives). Am now trying to sort out possiblities abit further. We are
looking for second thoughts that anyone is having.
Our Guild vaccuum needs replacing. (It builds up static, zaps the operator,
recently zapped our sound system, scrapes noisily along the cement floor
pushing clay in front of it and generally irritates people to no end.) Our
pottery rep describes it as "hostile" and that's the politest review it's had.
These are the particulars of our situation:
The Guild is in a high school art room. It consists of a large work space
plus separate rooms for office, kiln room and chemical room on one wall.
A built in vac sounds the most "industrial" and useful but we wouldn't be
able to vent directly to the outside because it would be a hazard to the
schoolkids. How well does this type of vac work when not directly vented
outside? I imagine the canister could be placed in the chemical room which
has an exhaust fan that would remove air and any floating dust from that
space as well as create some back pressure.
I think it was Marc Ward's website which suggested that HEPA filters are a
mixed blessing - may choke up the suction and may or may not catch all the
very small particles??
Is there a portable industrial vacuum out there that works well? It seems
that the high quality vacs meant for houses and carpets are not very
effective on cement floors. We don't really need all those magic wands and
specialty stuff.
I know Rainbow was mentioned, but I wonder if it would be suitable for this
type of heavy duty use.
We mop, but there are invariably crumblies and bits that need to be dealt
with first.
Thanks for any further suggestions you might have.
Autumn Downey
(Yellowknife, NWT, Canada)
Deborah B. on fri 7 apr 00
What about a wet vac. don't those elimate the dust by using water? or are
they just designed for sucking up water?
>From: Autumn Downey
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
>Subject: studio vacuums revisted
>Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 10:29:26 EDT
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I realize this subject has been on Clayart before (and I have read the
>Archives). Am now trying to sort out possiblities abit further. We are
>looking for second thoughts that anyone is having.
>
>Our Guild vaccuum needs replacing. (It builds up static, zaps the operator,
>recently zapped our sound system, scrapes noisily along the cement floor
>pushing clay in front of it and generally irritates people to no end.) Our
>pottery rep describes it as "hostile" and that's the politest review it's
>had.
>
>These are the particulars of our situation:
>The Guild is in a high school art room. It consists of a large work space
>plus separate rooms for office, kiln room and chemical room on one wall.
>
>A built in vac sounds the most "industrial" and useful but we wouldn't be
>able to vent directly to the outside because it would be a hazard to the
>schoolkids. How well does this type of vac work when not directly vented
>outside? I imagine the canister could be placed in the chemical room which
>has an exhaust fan that would remove air and any floating dust from that
>space as well as create some back pressure.
>
>I think it was Marc Ward's website which suggested that HEPA filters are a
>mixed blessing - may choke up the suction and may or may not catch all the
>very small particles??
>
>Is there a portable industrial vacuum out there that works well? It seems
>that the high quality vacs meant for houses and carpets are not very
>effective on cement floors. We don't really need all those magic wands and
>specialty stuff.
>
>I know Rainbow was mentioned, but I wonder if it would be suitable for this
>type of heavy duty use.
>
>We mop, but there are invariably crumblies and bits that need to be dealt
>with first.
>
>Thanks for any further suggestions you might have.
>
>Autumn Downey
>(Yellowknife, NWT, Canada)
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Rosanne Cleveland-King on fri 7 apr 00
Regarding the Rainbow Vacuum as an option. I bought it for the studio, but
when it was delivered, the salesman told me the particles were too small and
I couldn't use it there. I loved it anyway and use it in my house instead.
Rosanne in Kentucky
John Rodgers on sun 9 apr 00
I have seen this discussion of shop vacuums a number of times and have often
wondered if anyone had any experience in using alternative equipment. In my Alas
shop for some time we used a Rainbow vacuum. It did a fair job, as the dirt from
the floor was picked up and flushed through a water bath, thus preventing it fro
blowing through into the air again the same way a bag type would have.
Back in the early '80's I worked with a cousin who owned a janitorial company. H
had a machine that he used to shampoo carpet and I often have wondered if it wou
serve as a floor cleaner for my shop. The machine basically was an industrial
vacuum cleaner with a powerhead equipped with rotating brushes, water, and a ver
powerful suction. A water hose went to the power head and was attached to a
manifold of tiny nozzles. A rotating brush was also part of the powerhead. A
suction hose was hooked to the powerhead from a vacuum pump. When the unit ran,
the nozzles sprayed hi pressure water into the carpet. The brushes roated agains
the carpet breaking the dirt and trash loose from the carpet, and that powerful
suction sucked it all up, water, dirt and all.
Surely someone manufactures something similar in a portable to clean floors othe
than carpet. That strong stream of water coming from the nozzles would wet
everything down, knockthe trash loose, and the scrubbing of the rotating brushe
should finish the job, then that strong vacumn will pick up the water.leaving th
floor almost dry.
I have seen bigger versions of these that you can ride on, but a portable is mos
promising most people.
Maybe we are all asking for the wrong product when asking for a shop vac,
considering what we really need is a different kind of floor cleaner that can
blast loose and disolve dirt and suck up the mixture into a holding tank for lat
disposal of the clay/dirt.mixture.
Just thoughts.
John Rodgers
Birmingham, AL
Autumn Downey wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I realize this subject has been on Clayart before (and I have read the
> Archives). Am now trying to sort out possiblities abit further. We are
> looking for second thoughts that anyone is having.
>
> Our Guild vaccuum needs replacing. (It builds up static, zaps the operator,
> recently zapped our sound system, scrapes noisily along the cement floor
> pushing clay in front of it and generally irritates people to no end.) Our
> pottery rep describes it as "hostile" and that's the politest review it's had.
>
> These are the particulars of our situation:
> The Guild is in a high school art room. It consists of a large work space
> plus separate rooms for office, kiln room and chemical room on one wall.
>
> A built in vac sounds the most "industrial" and useful but we wouldn't be
> able to vent directly to the outside because it would be a hazard to the
> schoolkids. How well does this type of vac work when not directly vented
> outside? I imagine the canister could be placed in the chemical room which
> has an exhaust fan that would remove air and any floating dust from that
> space as well as create some back pressure.
>
> I think it was Marc Ward's website which suggested that HEPA filters are a
> mixed blessing - may choke up the suction and may or may not catch all the
> very small particles??
>
> Is there a portable industrial vacuum out there that works well? It seems
> that the high quality vacs meant for houses and carpets are not very
> effective on cement floors. We don't really need all those magic wands and
> specialty stuff.
>
> I know Rainbow was mentioned, but I wonder if it would be suitable for this
> type of heavy duty use.
>
> We mop, but there are invariably crumblies and bits that need to be dealt
> with first.
>
> Thanks for any further suggestions you might have.
>
> Autumn Downey
> (Yellowknife, NWT, Canada)
John Hesselberth on mon 10 apr 00
I have come to believe there are only 2 safe options for studio cleaning.
One is wet cleaning -- sponge, mop, etc. The other is a vacuum vented
outside. Any other type of vacuum cleaner is subject to filter failure
or bypassing and the problem is you can't tell when that happens. And if
it does happen you are going to be breathing a lot of very fine dust that
is not at all good for your lungs. I mean talk about stirring up dust.
Nothing will do it better than a vacuum cleaner whose filter has failed.
I recently bought a rebuilt central vacuum unit which I installed outside
my studio. I have a 30 ft hose on a hose rack inside the studio and it
works great. I still wet mop ocassionally also. The bottom line for me
is that if you can't vent your vacuum outside then wet clean.
John Hesselberth
Frog Pond Pottery
P.O. Box 88
Pocopson, PA 19366 USA
EMail: john@frogpondpottery.com web site: http://www.frogpondpottery.com
The only things in life that are certain are death and taxes; however
only taxes come once a year. Anonymous
Janet Diveky on wed 12 apr 00
The guys from Dunrite recommends a Testar(?) from Pioneer - he says he has
about 12 and they are good.
donna sparks on thu 13 apr 00
And does anyone have any good news/bad news information on WET VACs? Ours
is dying after about 2 centuries of weekly cleaning of a 6000 Sq ft co op
studio. And does anyone have any experience with commercial cleaning firms
for pottery studios?
ferenc jakab on fri 14 apr 00
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> And does anyone have any good news/bad news information on WET VACs?
Ours
> is dying after about 2 centuries of weekly cleaning of a 6000 Sq ft co op
> studio. And does anyone have any experience with commercial cleaning
firms
> for pottery studios?
Things are a little different here in Oz but my experience of commercial
cleaning firms is that they do not get across to their employees the dangers
of dust in a pottery studio. They do the job as quickly as possible, don't
clean or rinse their wiping cloths or mops properly and leave a film of dust
everywhere and ignore the full bag in the vacuum cleaner.
As to wet vacs, I have had a Pullman for ten years and use it daily. It is
the best solution, combined with hosing and wet rag wiping, I have been able
to come up with for my studio.
Feri.
Now if only it could remove bush rats!
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