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Vac System roving nozzle adaptor


thedaddycat

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I got the new T-7 suction(7") and discharge(6") hoses for the vac system. I will be sending the hose out to those who wanted it and contacted me. In the meanwhile, I needed to figure out how to use the system to clean some big gutters of tree debris. The gutters are supposed to be pretty deep but narrow enough that it's hard to get your hand down into them to clean them out. Now I figured that the 7" suction hose would be way too big, but what about some of that 4" drain line. I needed to figure out how to adapt it to the 7" hose and this is what I came up with.... I took a 9"X9" floor drain and used it as a base. It is shaped like a bowl, with curving sides. I used some stuff made by Chesterton called ARC 5ES and a similar product from CRC called Minute Mend. These are steel filled two part epoxy repair material. I used that to build up a straight section on the back side of the "bowl" for the hose to fit over. I took the steel flange that the suction tube attaches to off the vac and pressed it down over the fresh putty, then used my fingers to pack the putty against the flange. I didn't let it sit to long for fear that the flange would end up bonded to the "bowl". This sized the putty to the inside of the flange, a close enough fit for the suction hose to attach to with a clamp.

On the other side of the drain, I used the same material to bond a drain line fitting to the base. Now I can attach the 4" drain line to the adaptor.

In this pic, the 7" hose attaches to the right side and the 4" attaches to the left side of the adaptor. I did a rough fit test, and the adaptor will fit directly into the steel flange that attaches to the vac. I would cut off that short stub sticking out to the right were I to use the adaptor that way, with a 4" hose directly attached to the vac.

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Man i could use the hoses u have for my lawn sucker i made this summer.Right now i have some make shift piping, it works but not to my greatest expectations.let me know what it will that to help you move the hoses to a new home. new club menber Dan H.
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Kirk, let us know how the 4" works as a roving nozzle... you'd think it would really have some velocity, in comparison to the 7" that was going to the deck.
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Kent, I am also experimenting with 4" hose. It works great for blowing debris away from fence lines and flower beds, but it has a tendency to jam when sucking. If the jam is halfway up the 4" hose, I have a problem. My 6" nozzle attached to a 7" hose will also jam ocassionally, but the nozzle is only 3' long and easy to clear. I am interested in learning Kirk's experience. [img]/club2/attach/dutch/4-inch-hose.jpg[/img]
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I have problems with a leaf loader (used for sucking leaves from the ground into a truck) with an 8 inch hose. No problem with leaves, but small sticks always mixed in with them(from dead branches) clog up the hose. It's a nightmare. In my yard, a 7 inch hose wouldn't work, unless the material is mulched first. Larry
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I have a 6" roving hose on a walkbehind billigoat vac, and I know what you mean about clogs. I have a peice of PVC pipe about as long as the hose to use as a clog buster, of course you have remove the hose and lay it on the ground first. on the billygoat the hose attaches to a metal bit that slip fits over a nipple and is held by to spring clips so it comes right off. For Larry's big 8" hose I'd try a boathook on a pole that's at least a foot shorter than the hose and try it while running the vac. Just my 2 cents.
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Well it was a No-Go on the 4" hose. I could hardly get my hand in the things, let alone a hose. Unless it was a garden hose, and let's face it you can't vac out leaves through a garden hose. I ended up using a leaf blower to clear them and then had to blow the leaves off the roof to boot......... I was going to use the 4" drain line that comes in 10' lengths. You can get the ends like I used in my adaptor and cut them in half. That way each section is only 5' long and easily cleared with a shovel handle. Twas all for naught, this mighty feat of "Swamp Yankee" engineering.... lol
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Sorry but when you're walking around on a roof nothing beats the portability of a backpack blower. I'm not talking about just one house, more like 1800' or so on five buildings...... It turned out to be a lot easier to blow the gutters out and them vac the debris off the ground.
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Though I didn't try it out, I think it will work. My biggest concern is how much noise and whistling will it make pulling all that air through the ribbed drain line....
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I'm not sure how your 4" will sound. I use a piece of 1 1/4 hose made for a sump pump output with a small shop vac before heating season to clean out the fireplace behind my insert. I sit the vac with the dirt outside and run the long hose inside though a window. It is so loud yellow foam earplugs aren't enough. Have to put the headphone style ear protectors on besides. Curious to see how it all works out for you, thinking of the same set-up for my Easy-Vac trailer
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quote:
Originally posted by thedaddycat
Sure, if you have a couple hundred feet of extension cord or a Looooooooooooong hose...
Well if you had one of these, you wouldn't need such long extension cords: [img]http://www.simpletractors.com/images/b_attachments_images/generator.jpg[/img] And if you had one of these, you could raise your shop vac up higher and wouldn't need such a long hose; [img]http://www.simpletractors.com/images/b_attachments_images/big_10_forklift1x1.jpg[/img] C'mon now... it's not that difficult to rationalize needing more tractors or attachments for them -- and it gets easier with practice! :D
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Kirk, You might be disappointed with drain line, but maybe not. I guess it all depends on the use and what is expected. I tried some 6" drain a couple of years ago and found it far too stiff. It can't compare with the T-7.
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Just wanted to post a photo of my first real use of the vac system as a blower. I swung the stainless duct to the side and drove next to fences, curbs, and flower beds. So far, I'm pretty satisfied with the results. It blew everything into areas where I could get it with the vacuum. Now to "tweak" the setup so I can do even more without getting off my butt and using a separate leaf blower and hand rake. [img]/club2/attach/dutch/blow-seq.jpg[/img]
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quote:
Originally posted by TRAC TOR
Is that a fork lift type attachment in the picture, How much weight can it lift, are they available?
Here's the info, and no they're not available. They're one of the rarest things to look for... http://www.simpletractors.com/attachments/forklift.htm
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Kent, as to the first item I do own one but do not yet have it here. As to the second, perhaps some day I will find two and give you the second one.......
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