Hey! This video really blew up, thanks everybody. I went and made an updated version of this that fixes a lot of problems, and ads a bunch of features suggested by your comments. Check it out! → czcams.com/video/AScCJaEo_oE/video.html
I would attach the vac bar permanently to the base of the vacuum and then run the vac hose down to it. That way you can just pop the hose off the vac bar and use whatever attachment you need. Also, I'd put a door brush seal on the back side of the vac bar. That would help get more vacuum power to the front of the bar (where the debris is going to be).
...also make it twice as wide by splitting vertical vacuum pipe into a "n" shape instead of a single "I" near the center. You can have multiple types of these custom made attachments just like the original shop-vac intended to.
I’m a plumber by trade and there’s two things that I thought of while watching your video that I think would improve the design and allow it to also be used where the floor may not be perfectly level or possibly may have a change in elevation. There is PVC flex pipe that uses the same fittings and the same type of glue that if you were to use in place of the rigid pipe. The flex pvc is still rigid enough to keep everything in place but would flex slightly backwards or up if it needed. Or what would probably be even better, is if you got one of those brush strips that they use on the bottom of doors to prevent air from escaping under, that way it would allow you to raise the Rigid pipe up a bit and the brushes continuously in contact with the floor therefore helping to maintain a strong suction and may also help to improve the overall effectiveness of its function.
Thanks for the input. I am definitely going to try and source some of that brush strip for a rev.2. I'm looking into maybe making a better floor head design out of some sort of CNC cut plastic/wood as well.
Couldn't you just cut it at an angle to the floor w/ higher side forward and lower side almost scrubbing the floor. It would make a scooper for higher piles while still getting the low stuff
My shop vac lives at the end of my work bench where most of my messes are made. When I’m done working I brush off the bench then sweep stuff on floor into a pile using a push broom with a soft brush. This gets all the fine debris. I then use shop vac hose to suck up the pile. I’m gonna build a suction pipe like yours. I can turn on vac and simply sweep the debris to the vacuum. No bending over. No dealing with the hose. This will allow me to store my hose at attachments out of site and pull them out when I need to make the vac mobile. Thanks for sharing
Do not cut the end caps. Mount a pair of small wheels on each end so that the pickup floats at a set height above the floor. This will allow it to compensate for an uneven floor.
Leave the end uncut and un glued. Then perfect vac spacing and as it wears you can rotate it. Or glue on 2 female threaded ends and install a male threaded plug. Run the flat edge on floor. When it wears, rotate. When it trashed, get an new plug
Great idea! The little improvements everyone is suggesting are great ideas. It's fascinating to see at over a year since this video was made, there are so many recent comments made on it. One was just a couple hours ago. Something must have triggered CZcams to suggest it recently to a lot of people
I'd glue your fittings before cutting the bottom off. I'd also glue on the end caps after cutting so they hold a minimum gap to prevent pushing piles. Most vacuum attachments utilize that same principle. You could also put wheels on the sides of the one you already have to provide automatic adjustment over bumps.
This is exactly what I was thinking when glueing the pipe. Was wondering why he wouldn't have glued them together before cutting the pipe to make more stable.
Very little modifications, and this could be a great seller for rigid vaccumes. I'd buy one for each one of my rigid vaccumes. You sound like a smart young man. Keep creating, and someday you might make something worth millions! Good luck with everything you do and great job 👍🏽 👏🏽 🙌
No, it’s a very dumb idea. It’s like hauling around a rug doctor to vacuum, instead of a lightweight wand to get into tight and low spaces… but go and invest in this idea, please…🤦🏾
@@austing05driver98 you're a moron. It's a great idea and people like you thatre negative and always have something ignorant to say are the problem with this country. I get you don't like it. I do, he obviously needed it for his specific use and I could've used this many times. You obviously don't do much work with your hands and have to clean up. I'm sure your mother still has to clean up after you everyday. 😉 I own several shop vacs and this is a great idea. I know from 20 years of experience in the trades. Go be negative in your moms basement by yourself.
I used to clean a gun range. We had walk behind HEPA vacs, with a very similar design. Put wheels on the ends and either a windshield wiper blade on the back of the slot or a strip of rubber. At the front of the slot, a strip of brush type door sweep. adjust the wheels so the back rubber just drags on the floor. The brush at the front should be 1/4" (6mm) above the floor.
A couple suggestions - Bottom pickup width should be past the wheels (2-4" on each side) of the vacuum so you're not rolling over the dirt on the ground. Do not cut the opening on the pick up more than a 1/2" wide. Might find 1/4" is better. As mentioned, leave the end caps uncut and use them to set the height on the floor. Not sure if the floor is too uneven that they would hang up.
This right here was going to be my suggestion. Make the pickup wider so the end caps dont need cut and the slot is only 1/2" wide and the full width of the wheel base. Will create better suction. Also if the end goal is for vacuuming up such a huge warehouse floor maybe even dabble with creating a manifold so you can have an even wider pickup with say several 1" suction tubes spaced along the pickup feeding into 1 tube coming out of the vacuum.
i made this same attachment back in 1979 , i just used a rubber flap on the back side and a long sweep elbow for better suction and less clogging , used it for 30 years
To avoid pushing debris, rotate the horizontal pipes with the cutout slightly to expose the opening just a little bit. As you push the vacuum forwards it will allow the vacuum to start sucking in debris before it has a chance to build up into push piles.
I was thinking something similar but more of a different attachment that would act more like a stationary vacuum thing in a wood shop and then just sweep everything to the shop vac. Something the average person would get more use out of.
That is what I was thinking - change the angle of the cutout pipe on the bottom up - so it is a bit more exposed to the upcoming material. In that sense, it can also vac a bit larger objects too.
In my experience it's actually a lot faster to use a fine push broom to sweep the floor into piles, and just use the vacuum to pick up the piles (or, sweep them into a flat shovel to pick the stuff up). Also makes less noise as you spend less time with the vacuum running.
Use Teflon furniture glides on the ends to keep a minimum spacing above the floor and for low friction. They stick on with adhesive strips, so they can be easily replaced as needed. Use a Fernco type connector for where the pipe meets the machine opening.
Out damn standing! Love it. I bet engineers seen this video and got hot to work to make it a feature on there brand shop vacs. I have a few unproven ideas so I will abstain. I see many good recommendations, but I really like the idea of rigidly mounting the suction bar attached to a flex hose to switch back to a hose quickly. Just gotta booger with it to make it more better. But kudos to you for sharing and getting the ball rolling and to everybody with there respectful input. This is how the innerwebs and CZcamsS should work. Just Sayin. Good day to all!
Your video just popped up in my stream. What a great idea and also great viewer comments on how to make it even better. This idea will go far with me as a contractor who doesn’t always like to use a broom. If you ever sweep in harsh sun lite rooms you realize how much dust and debris is being kicked up. This will eliminate most of the kicked up dust from sweeping and make cleaning the work area quick and efficient.
Same, the dust that kicks up with a broom is a no-go on job sites anymore, we do concrete work. Now that we know silica dust causes cancer, it’s REALLY a no go!
Great idea. Definitely makes clean easier to do thus do more often. Use a 1/2 router bit or plunge cut with table saw to make narrower pickup slot. Also a small bucket with dust separator in line would be nice.
How is this easier than just using the hose and attach a floor accessory? I can be right next to the vacuum, and just stick two extenders and cover the same area without taking a step.
Set it up to also do wet vacuum. Install a door-sweep rubber at the rear, while maintaining a raised opening at the front. It would help for dry vacuuming too. A clear pipe adapted to the side of the vacuum bucket would aid in determining the level of water, rather than rely on a floating ball to block the intake at the fan.
@@michaelkirchhofer3266 A fitting near the bottom of the canister, another fitting near the top, connected by a clear tubing. One would also have to consider a way of keeping it clean too. (or easy access for cleaning.)
This is an awesome design and good for larger jobs. I can already visualize me making this. Thanks for condensing your entire project and sharing the information!
I haven't read all the comments, so I may be repeating someone else, but maybe glue up the components with PVC glue before cutting the bottom. That would give you better adhesion of the parts than hot glue, but solve the problem of the loose fit after cutting. I do like the idea I saw multiple times about adding wheels to the ends of the fixture. I'm sure it will undergo a few tweaks, but overall I like the concept 👍
If you wanted to get real fancy, a loosie goosy flex hose segment with some weak springs to give it a downward force and some of those hard plastic furniture slides on the bottom to keep an airgap would allow the nozzle to stay in contact with the floor and float over the contours. I'm actually looking for ideas to make a parking lot cleaner. I envision a shop-vac on a cart caddy that also holds a predator 2000 generator to power it and a 5-gallon bucket with a cyclone debris separator to drop the gravel, sand, and debris into before it gets to the shop vac. My thought is that the fine sand and dirt is very heavy and dealing with disconnecting hoses, unlatching the lid and lifting a full shop vac loaded with that heavy sand and dirt would be a lot more cumbersome than a compression fit lid on a 5-gal bucket that can be popped off with the pull of a lever and easily emptied. Billy goat makes one but it's really expensive and local rental shops don't have them to rent. This definitely has given me some ideas.
You should patent and sell this. Brilliant idea, and awesome in execution. Not sure I want to spend that amount of time to create it... but.... if it's ever a problem for me to solve I have an excellent idea. Seriously. If I were in your shoes, I'd look into patenting it, since I've never seen anything like it, but it's a simple, elegant solution to something I'm sure a lot of people would use.
GREAT IDEA .. I'm Certain No One has done anything like a and now that You have SUCCESSFULLY created and Proven it's worth, I should be able able to buy one at my local hm improv store...hopefully by fall in time to vacuum my turff lawn 🤞
Another thought would be to use smaller diameter pipe on the bottom piece. Come out with your 2" pipe out the vacuum, then use a reducer to like 1.5" for the bottom piece. I think this would increase the suction power. And like others have said, just make your slot between the end caps and don't cut the end caps. Like others have said, I would use a router bit to make the slot. You'll have to experiment with different size slots until you find the ultimate size.
Vacuum pressure is important, but so is air volume. Reducing to a smaller pipe might give you more pressure, but it will reduce volume. This is why dust collectors are usually 4" or more in diameter. I think his 2" pipe is about right, and I agree with those who said to roll the slot forward (just a bit... you still want good suction against the floor) and this should allow the bulk of the material to enter the slot rather than being pushed.
@@matthewpeterson3329 ... one thing nobody has mentioned is maintaining air velocity, which is going to be a function of the square inches in that opening. 20" wide by 1/4" slot will be 5 sq in. The suction pipe is 2" diameter so a bit over 3 sq in. Rough guess is the speed of the air (suction) is approaching half the velocity already. A larger diameter intake section by the floor will reduce friction loss but a smaller one will increase velocity. (up to a point) It's a balancing act that engineers have been designing into vacuum systems for over 100 years.
@rupe53 you said it better than I did, and it is indeed a balancing act. For me, I prefer floor sweeps at various points in the shop, with gates, that are plumbed to one collector, be it a vacuum or dust collector.
Agree Mike. Making the pipe smaller would increase velocity, but reduce "volume". Volume is not important here. Reducing slot size will help also, like you mentioned.
Great innovation. If you made it wider, it can surely reduce the amount of passes required. Leave the end caps uncut with wheels bolted to them as Colin suggested. Tilt the cutout slot more forward.
I see all kinds of comments for cutting the slot, or changing the distance but I made something similar to this with some pvc pipe and I just hot glued some broom bristles on both sides of the slot (shorter on the front to allow the dirt to slide under) and it worked great for me. been using it for years.
While I was eating breakfast and knocked the box cereal onto the floor 💡 hehe. Cool idea seems to work very well. My vac does not have a handle so I will have to use the hose and wands and drag the the around behind me so that it get stuck on everything
Instead of an elbow use a Tee. Then install shut offs in either side. Then you have the hose and the floor attachment hooked up. Then just have one valve off and one on to use either one without having to dismantle anything.
Instead of just a flat cut under the horizontal pvc, cut an additional 30° cut toward the front of the horizontal pvc. This may help reduce the plow effect when encountering a large pile of dust\debris as it will offer a bit of forward suction, not just vertical I would also think that pvc glue would work better than hot glue Especially if you glued it before you cut it
Very novel idea. Im not sure the shop vac has enough suction to be effective. Suggestion. Make the horizontal pipe smaller to intensify the suction might be helpful ie 1.5”. Glue the pipe before cutting. Put an accordion piece in the vertical pipe to keep downward pressure on the horizontal pipe. Or use a fiber door sweep on the back edge of horizontal pipe. Maybe install a magnet bar to grab screws while vacuuming. Fun project. Thanks for sharing
The biggest problem I have with all vacuums is tight turns in the suction hose create places for clogs. Try using abs drain pipe instead of pvc and get a long sweep 90 at the top so large debris has a better chance of making it into the can instead of clogging the tube.
Love the ingenuity. I wonder, though, if it’s easier to use the wand in most shops? Mine is a bit congested and I’m constantly having to weave in and out of stands or carts or (don’t judge me!) tools or clamps I set down. I can’t see myself wheeling a vacuum that size easily through my clutter.
Great video!! 2:26 Could you use the pvc cement before you cut the bottom?? And 7:51 Maybe not cut so much off on bandsaw to make the channel thinner?? Or maybe drill holes instead??
Nice job of working out the problems that you encountered,great idea, we have all used the floor attachment that sucks itself right to the floor,Good job!
Think I'd rather build a solid remote mount, and have different drops for dust extraction at my tool stations, and build a giant wand on a hose reel if necessary.
@@RJ_Cormac Alternatively, you can hook up the suction hose of the shop vac to the exhaust outlet and use that to blow debris. I have both and for me it just depends on what’s handier to do at the time. I also have a handheld leaf blower so I’ll use that to blow out the garage workshop if I’m already using it for something else. Nice to have options. 😁👍
I see your idea , seems ok . I have vacuumed a lot of floors . For me the movable wand and handle will be faster than maneuvering the whole vacuum around
Another suggestion. Instead of cutting your pipe like you did. You could try drilling a series of holes on the bottom of your Zamboni arms. My suggestion would be two or more rows of offset holes. So let's say it takes 30 holes 1/2 inch apart to go from on side to the other, the next row of holes would spaced so the each of those holes is in the middle of the 1/2 space between each hole . Then the 3rd row would line up exactly with the first row holes. Then you just decide how many rows of holes you want. I would play around with the size of the holes also. Of course bigger holes will suck up bigger particles.
That’s a great idea . Fantastic! Everyone has their opinions but you actually did it with your vision . A Creation of your mind into the physical world. Not to go too deep but that is a special gift. Not just from this video but all your videos the way you perceive and apply . perspective is unique to everyone. Great job keep going.
Spent so much time modding my van I never thought about modding my shop vac. For the top fitting, you might see if you can find what is called a FERNCO fitting. Its a rubber fitting with hose clamps usually used to join ancient drainage to modern drainage systems. I bet you could find one that fits around the fitting on the vac so you can tighten the hose clamp. Then use the other side for the PVC and tighten. The rubber might act as a shock absorber if you hit a snag.
I love your talent for explaining how to build a pointless object. For crying out loud. Just spend $15 on the attachment from Home Depot that does the same job. By the way, I watched your video until the end. Great job
Awesome idea my friend. Very cool! I'm going to build one for my extra shop vac, that isn't currently hooked being used as a dust collector. I haven't built one yet, however I have an idea. You could "hot glue" a small row of bristles along the back edge of the PVC pipe opening. So that you could raise the pipe up just a little more. And so that the bristles would drag the excess dust and chips along the floor under the opening, while the vacuum is picking up. Just an idea to make your, awesome idea a little more efficient! Thanks for the great video! Take care!
I've been saying for years that shop-vac should make a version of an upright vacuum. Now they don't have to. Frankly this is something I think I'm going to have to make. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to steal your idea. Oh, and by the way: Thank you VERY much for saying HEIGHT and not HEIGHTH.😁
Suggestions: Use the floor attachment in place of the PVC crossbar... Arrange a makeshift dust devil to separate the particles and save your vac canister for fine dust.. Great Idea, Keep GOING!!
Came to CZcams for something else and this popped up. Cool idea and trial and error like anything. You succeeded. Sure you created an upright vacuum outta a shop vacuum but, it sure as hell is like a zamboni for your shop 😂. I love it tho!
You sure are a freaking genius I'm definitely stealing this sweeping a 40×60 shop is not fun and using a backpack blower just makes a dusty mess this is the perfect solution
Part 1 of my original: Since you split the hose into two {at the "T"} I would recommend dropping the two "arms" down a size {maybe to 1 1/2} this is similar to plumbing where your main line is 3/4 but then when you run to a fixture, you always drop down to 1/2 inch. The reason for this is to keep the suction high. By splitting the hose {or in this case your Zamboni floor head} into two, you are really decreasing the the suction of the unit considerably. If you took the "T" and made the two arms a smaller size, you can maintain the suction to a better level.
You have inspired me. Great idea. Gonna make something with brushes and flexibility. Think im going to pull rather than push similar to operating a carpet cleaner. Thanks for idea!
I just used an old vacuum cleaner brush head and a length of flex hose. My wood block is fixed and the head does all the flexing. I've used this setup on a couple of vacuums over the past 50 years.
There are already similar attachments for such vacuums. Not sure which brands but they exist. And in some cases when the vacuum is getting full & heavy, it’s easier to use the attachment hose that comes with it instead of pushing around the whole rig. I could be wrong. But anyway, at least you’re trying something so more power to ya!
Restriction=pressure (thumb over hose) Instead of cutting tube, simply drill a row of 10mm holes in the tube, on the plane of the floor. A sliced and glued or screwed on (for replacement) nylon bristle broom, *behind* the row of holes, extending beyond the manifold tube, maybe 1"? Then (heat gun) curved inwards, like a plow blade. Pieces of broom= /////||||||||||||||||||||||||||||\\\\ behind the row of holes. 2" long bristles. Great video! Great invention. I Subbed. Good luck, young man!
I second the idea of making the notch on the bottom to point forward a bit more to prevent plowing. Any wheels on it would need to be swivel casters, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to turn it without the wheels dragging sideways. I wouldn’t be surprised if the vacuum manufacturers come out with an attachment like this after seeing your contraption.
Awesome idea brother!!!! Attach a door sweep to the back side of the floor attachment. And agree don’t cut the pipe where the caps go, maybe make the pipe between the tee 1” longer.
A narrower slot may increase air velocity and overall effectiveness. I have slotted great quantities of PVC by putting two blades in a table saw with spacers between. Great idea, overall.
I made something similar to this by putting a long tube attached to the turbo on my F-150 Eco Boost and it really cleans the floor every time I go into the shop.
I'd add a strip of door-draft-seal (like the kind you screw onto the bottom of your room doors with the replaceable rubber seal) to the inside back of the suction intake. Like a zamboni it'll act like a broom to keep the debris pushed swept up. Also, since you cut the end-caps, maybe find a pair of polyeurathane wheels that can screw (loosely) into the the top of the end caps; install a spring on the wheel post to let the wheels bounce over uneven terrain like struts in your car.
Improvements: Cut the horizontal part at a slight angle to the front. This will allow the vacuum to pull in a bit as well as pick up. Not much, just 10 or 15 degrees of horizontal. Glue the pipes together before cutting. This will make the pipes more rigid because you can cement them together. Make the floor head an inch or two wider than the vacuum. Yours looks to be exactly the same width. This will allow you to be a little less precise with your passes and have a natural overlap. Similar to the way a lawn mower does.
I'd love to see if you came up with any new ideas on this. I'm also curious how well it works for cleaning liquid spills n such. This idea is pure GOLD!
A clever idea yes. A good broom would do the same thing though. I find the shop vac to be handy for some stuff but a big open floor is the place for a good shop broom and a flat shovel to scoop up the pile.
LOL...another suggestion: Reduce the width of the cut. Do not cut the endcaps and purchase the head of a narrow broom (or squeegee) and attach the length of the opening (behind) to the endcaps on each side. Raise the suction 1/4-1/2 inch more while keeping the bristles / squeegee skimming the floor. Nice you came up with regardless. I'm sure there are a thousand suggestions on this post!
I bought a used dyson on marketplace. Replaced the battery mount with one that accepts milwaukee and now it's my garage vacuum. Hangs on the wall and if it dies, I'll buy another one. Easy - Takes up less space. But I like your injury.
Each vacuum cleaner motor has an optimum diameter orfice that allows for the highest suction and volume. For example a two fan Lamb motor 5.7" dia has the best performance with a .75" opening. You can sacrifice some suction for a higher volume but the 2" pipe cut on the bottom is not only too large an opening. The air flow will not be aerodynamic as it spins around inside the floor nozzle. There's a reason the floor tools are shaped the way and have a brush. Kudos for trying something new. It looks like it doesn't clean as fast as the standard floor tools that could have been modified to mount to the front of the vacuum.
So far the only thing I have thought of as far as adjusting the height is for you to have two female thread pieces, one on your 90 elbow and on on the Zamboni brush head. Then you have a short piece of pipe with the male threads on both ends {I think this works} then as you screw both pieces on at the same time.. it should allow you to have about an inch worth of adjustment on the distance between you Zamboni brush head and the floor. This is all off the top of my head, so I apologize if I am missing something obvious, where this won't work.
Great idea. I use a leaf blower in my garage that has good wind suction. It is super fast and can clean off walls and shelves. Been using a push broom on my other shed and will definitely try this! So much airborne dust from brooms. Now to have it drive itself..
Rigid makes a wide brush attachment that would allow the collection to adjust up and down to inclines, bumps, and variations in floor level. The PVC downtube you have is rigid, and can’t adjust second by second across a floor without a lot more design and complexity added. The brush can keep a better seal against the floor surface. On the other hand, if you could add a little roller or bearing to the ends of the collector head (a the horizontal tube at the bottom), and a telescoping “down-tube” that can compress and expand in response to bumps, etc, that would also improve. I have the same vac and love it just as much, though I don’t have need to cover the large floor space that you have.
Hey! This video really blew up, thanks everybody.
I went and made an updated version of this that fixes a lot of problems, and ads a bunch of features suggested by your comments. Check it out! → czcams.com/video/AScCJaEo_oE/video.html
Valiant effort! But it validated my own feeling that garbage picking a regular old vacuum for use in the garage is much easier and better.
Congratulations. You invented the upright vacuum cleaner.
Find someone that uses an upright vacuum in their shop and you'll have found someone that is clinically insane
I would attach the vac bar permanently to the base of the vacuum and then run the vac hose down to it. That way you can just pop the hose off the vac bar and use whatever attachment you need. Also, I'd put a door brush seal on the back side of the vac bar. That would help get more vacuum power to the front of the bar (where the debris is going to be).
...also make it twice as wide by splitting vertical vacuum pipe into a "n" shape instead of a single "I" near the center.
You can have multiple types of these custom made attachments just like the original shop-vac intended to.
I’m a plumber by trade and there’s two things that I thought of while watching your video that I think would improve the design and allow it to also be used where the floor may not be perfectly level or possibly may have a change in elevation.
There is PVC flex pipe that uses the same fittings and the same type of glue that if you were to use in place of the rigid pipe. The flex pvc is still rigid enough to keep everything in place but would flex slightly backwards or up if it needed. Or what would probably be even better, is if you got one of those brush strips that they use on the bottom of doors to prevent air from escaping under, that way it would allow you to raise the Rigid pipe up a bit and the brushes continuously in contact with the floor therefore helping to maintain a strong suction and may also help to improve the overall effectiveness of its function.
Thanks for the input. I am definitely going to try and source some of that brush strip for a rev.2. I'm looking into maybe making a better floor head design out of some sort of CNC cut plastic/wood as well.
brush strip: great idea
Couldn't you just cut it at an angle to the floor w/ higher side forward and lower side almost scrubbing the floor. It would make a scooper for higher piles while still getting the low stuff
@@pc_playground958 This was my initial thought, but then it would only work in the forward direction and could snag when going backwards.
A Fernco type connector could be used where the pipe meets the machine opening.
My shop vac lives at the end of my work bench where most of my messes are made. When I’m done working I brush off the bench then sweep stuff on floor into a pile using a push broom with a soft brush. This gets all the fine debris. I then use shop vac hose to suck up the pile. I’m gonna build a suction pipe like yours. I can turn on vac and simply sweep the debris to the vacuum. No bending over. No dealing with the hose. This will allow me to store my hose at attachments out of site and pull them out when I need to make the vac mobile. Thanks for sharing
Do not cut the end caps. Mount a pair of small wheels on each end so that the pickup floats at a set height above the floor. This will allow it to compensate for an uneven floor.
Yeah sorta like training wheels
Leave the end uncut and un glued. Then perfect vac spacing and as it wears you can rotate it. Or glue on 2 female threaded ends and install a male threaded plug. Run the flat edge on floor. When it wears, rotate. When it trashed, get an new plug
Uhmw for the win or delrin
I would leave as you said the end caps uncut. But I wouldn't add wheels as the uncut end caps would leave almost a perfect hight.
@@jbstepchild 😊 6:09
Great idea! The little improvements everyone is suggesting are great ideas.
It's fascinating to see at over a year since this video was made, there are so many recent comments made on it. One was just a couple hours ago. Something must have triggered CZcams to suggest it recently to a lot of people
I'd glue your fittings before cutting the bottom off. I'd also glue on the end caps after cutting so they hold a minimum gap to prevent pushing piles. Most vacuum attachments utilize that same principle. You could also put wheels on the sides of the one you already have to provide automatic adjustment over bumps.
This is exactly what I was thinking when glueing the pipe. Was wondering why he wouldn't have glued them together before cutting the pipe to make more stable.
Right.
You have to admire the ingenuity of people with a lot of time on their hands.
Very little modifications, and this could be a great seller for rigid vaccumes. I'd buy one for each one of my rigid vaccumes. You sound like a smart young man. Keep creating, and someday you might make something worth millions! Good luck with everything you do and great job 👍🏽 👏🏽 🙌
No, it’s a very dumb idea. It’s like hauling around a rug doctor to vacuum, instead of a lightweight wand to get into tight and low spaces… but go and invest in this idea, please…🤦🏾
@@austing05driver98 you're a moron. It's a great idea and people like you thatre negative and always have something ignorant to say are the problem with this country. I get you don't like it. I do, he obviously needed it for his specific use and I could've used this many times. You obviously don't do much work with your hands and have to clean up. I'm sure your mother still has to clean up after you everyday. 😉 I own several shop vacs and this is a great idea. I know from 20 years of experience in the trades. Go be negative in your moms basement by yourself.
I used to clean a gun range. We had walk behind HEPA vacs, with a very similar design. Put wheels on the ends and either a windshield wiper blade on the back of the slot or a strip of rubber. At the front of the slot, a strip of brush type door sweep. adjust the wheels so the back rubber just drags on the floor. The brush at the front should be 1/4" (6mm) above the floor.
A couple suggestions - Bottom pickup width should be past the wheels (2-4" on each side) of the vacuum so you're not rolling over the dirt on the ground. Do not cut the opening on the pick up more than a 1/2" wide. Might find 1/4" is better. As mentioned, leave the end caps uncut and use them to set the height on the floor. Not sure if the floor is too uneven that they would hang up.
This right here was going to be my suggestion. Make the pickup wider so the end caps dont need cut and the slot is only 1/2" wide and the full width of the wheel base. Will create better suction. Also if the end goal is for vacuuming up such a huge warehouse floor maybe even dabble with creating a manifold so you can have an even wider pickup with say several 1" suction tubes spaced along the pickup feeding into 1 tube coming out of the vacuum.
Smaller intake opening = faster air velocity = better pick up.
i made this same attachment back in 1979 , i just used a rubber flap on the back side and a long sweep elbow for better suction and less clogging , used it for 30 years
To avoid pushing debris, rotate the horizontal pipes with the cutout slightly to expose the opening just a little bit. As you push the vacuum forwards it will allow the vacuum to start sucking in debris before it has a chance to build up into push piles.
I was thinking something similar but more of a different attachment that would act more like a stationary vacuum thing in a wood shop and then just sweep everything to the shop vac. Something the average person would get more use out of.
just get a broom
That is what I was thinking - change the angle of the cutout pipe on the bottom up - so it is a bit more exposed to the upcoming material. In that sense, it can also vac a bit larger objects too.
Worth a test but I think it would lose too much suction.
@@michaelgomez3044 qi am going to convert my work shop vac first to morrow thanks
In my experience it's actually a lot faster to use a fine push broom to sweep the floor into piles, and just use the vacuum to pick up the piles (or, sweep them into a flat shovel to pick the stuff up). Also makes less noise as you spend less time with the vacuum running.
this avoids creating dust that keeps it out of your lungs :)
and if you need shiny clean a little sweeping compound does wonders
I found it less worrisome for my lungs by avoiding the dust pile area until someone more responsible sees it and deals with it
@@chriswest6090 WTF is "sweeping compound"???
@@gorak9000 sweep compound is sawdust with some type of oily substance that dust clings to. Really improves the effectiveness of sweeping.
Use Teflon furniture glides on the ends to keep a minimum spacing above the floor and for low friction. They stick on with adhesive strips, so they can be easily replaced as needed.
Use a Fernco type connector for where the pipe meets the machine opening.
oh, yeah- the old fernco trick...
Out damn standing! Love it. I bet engineers seen this video and got hot to work to make it a feature on there brand shop vacs. I have a few unproven ideas so I will abstain. I see many good recommendations, but I really like the idea of rigidly mounting the suction bar attached to a flex hose to switch back to a hose quickly. Just gotta booger with it to make it more better. But kudos to you for sharing and getting the ball rolling and to everybody with there respectful input. This is how the innerwebs and CZcamsS should work. Just Sayin. Good day to all!
Your video just popped up in my stream. What a great idea and also great viewer comments on how to make it even better. This idea will go far with me as a contractor who doesn’t always like to use a broom. If you ever sweep in harsh sun lite rooms you realize how much dust and debris is being kicked up. This will eliminate most of the kicked up dust from sweeping and make cleaning the work area quick and efficient.
Same, the dust that kicks up with a broom is a no-go on job sites anymore, we do concrete work. Now that we know silica dust causes cancer, it’s REALLY a no go!
Great idea. Definitely makes clean easier to do thus do more often. Use a 1/2 router bit or plunge cut with table saw to make narrower pickup slot.
Also a small bucket with dust separator in line would be nice.
How is this easier than just using the hose and attach a floor accessory? I can be right next to the vacuum, and just stick two extenders and cover the same area without taking a step.
I’m glad I am not the only one who comes up with homemade stuff to make things easier. This was a great idea.
Set it up to also do wet vacuum. Install a door-sweep rubber at the rear, while maintaining a raised opening at the front. It would help for dry vacuuming too. A clear pipe adapted to the side of the vacuum bucket would aid in determining the level of water, rather than rely on a floating ball to block the intake at the fan.
I was thinking the same thing.
The door sweep at the back is brilliant! I was thinking about if it could be used or adapted for water and there’s a great suggestion.
How would you do the clear pipe on the side? That sounds like a great idea too.
@@michaelkirchhofer3266 A fitting near the bottom of the canister, another fitting near the top, connected by a clear tubing. One would also have to consider a way of keeping it clean too. (or easy access for cleaning.)
@@michaelkirchhofer3266 Many door sweeps come mounted on an aluminum strip, for easy mounting.
Your sense of humor is awesome. You joke about your blunders, and then, rectify them. Great video.
Perfect plan. No clogging like happens with a typical floor nozzle. I like your idea and will be constructing one for my shop.
This is an awesome design and good for larger jobs. I can already visualize me making this. Thanks for condensing your entire project and sharing the information!
I can't believe I have not seen anything like this before. Great job.
I haven't read all the comments, so I may be repeating someone else, but maybe glue up the components with PVC glue before cutting the bottom.
That would give you better adhesion of the parts than hot glue, but solve the problem of the loose fit after cutting.
I do like the idea I saw multiple times about adding wheels to the ends of the fixture.
I'm sure it will undergo a few tweaks, but overall I like the concept 👍
If you wanted to get real fancy, a loosie goosy flex hose segment with some weak springs to give it a downward force and some of those hard plastic furniture slides on the bottom to keep an airgap would allow the nozzle to stay in contact with the floor and float over the contours. I'm actually looking for ideas to make a parking lot cleaner. I envision a shop-vac on a cart caddy that also holds a predator 2000 generator to power it and a 5-gallon bucket with a cyclone debris separator to drop the gravel, sand, and debris into before it gets to the shop vac. My thought is that the fine sand and dirt is very heavy and dealing with disconnecting hoses, unlatching the lid and lifting a full shop vac loaded with that heavy sand and dirt would be a lot more cumbersome than a compression fit lid on a 5-gal bucket that can be popped off with the pull of a lever and easily emptied. Billy goat makes one but it's really expensive and local rental shops don't have them to rent. This definitely has given me some ideas.
Home Depot sells those dust separaters to put on 5 gallon buckets and they come with hoses and fittings too
I made one of these years ago, and still use it today. Much better then a broom to clean your shop. All a broom does is push dust around
You should patent and sell this. Brilliant idea, and awesome in execution. Not sure I want to spend that amount of time to create it... but.... if it's ever a problem for me to solve I have an excellent idea. Seriously. If I were in your shoes, I'd look into patenting it, since I've never seen anything like it, but it's a simple, elegant solution to something I'm sure a lot of people would use.
Or, sell it to Ridgid or another vac maker as a fitting kit. This video proves it's your intellectual property (if such applies)
Why is noone talking about the fact that this guy designed a regular vacuum but worse.
Because no one is using their house vacuum in the shop
Add a magnetic strip tool holder to front or lip you can find dropped screws or small parts i liked the build though
GREAT IDEA .. I'm Certain No One has done anything like a and now that You have SUCCESSFULLY created and Proven it's worth, I should be able able to buy one at my local hm improv store...hopefully by fall in time to vacuum my turff lawn 🤞
Another thought would be to use smaller diameter pipe on the bottom piece. Come out with your 2" pipe out the vacuum, then use a reducer to like 1.5" for the bottom piece. I think this would increase the suction power. And like others have said, just make your slot between the end caps and don't cut the end caps. Like others have said, I would use a router bit to make the slot. You'll have to experiment with different size slots until you find the ultimate size.
not everyone owns a router, but a skill saw would do in a pinch.
Vacuum pressure is important, but so is air volume. Reducing to a smaller pipe might give you more pressure, but it will reduce volume. This is why dust collectors are usually 4" or more in diameter. I think his 2" pipe is about right, and I agree with those who said to roll the slot forward (just a bit... you still want good suction against the floor) and this should allow the bulk of the material to enter the slot rather than being pushed.
@@matthewpeterson3329 ... one thing nobody has mentioned is maintaining air velocity, which is going to be a function of the square inches in that opening. 20" wide by 1/4" slot will be 5 sq in. The suction pipe is 2" diameter so a bit over 3 sq in. Rough guess is the speed of the air (suction) is approaching half the velocity already. A larger diameter intake section by the floor will reduce friction loss but a smaller one will increase velocity. (up to a point) It's a balancing act that engineers have been designing into vacuum systems for over 100 years.
@rupe53 you said it better than I did, and it is indeed a balancing act.
For me, I prefer floor sweeps at various points in the shop, with gates, that are plumbed to one collector, be it a vacuum or dust collector.
Agree Mike. Making the pipe smaller would increase velocity, but reduce "volume". Volume is not important here. Reducing slot size will help also, like you mentioned.
Love the concept! Ryobi makes a battery powered vacuum eliminating the need to drag your power cord. Outstanding!!
Brilliant! I would have just used a broom, but this was an ingenious design. I may be able to apply some of those ideas elsewhere.
i know this video is a year old but the amount of suggestions for adjustments is awesome. everyone putting out great ideas
Great innovation. If you made it wider, it can surely reduce the amount of passes required. Leave the end caps uncut with wheels bolted to them as Colin suggested. Tilt the cutout slot more forward.
I see all kinds of comments for cutting the slot, or changing the distance but I made something similar to this with some pvc pipe and I just hot glued some broom bristles on both sides of the slot (shorter on the front to allow the dirt to slide under) and it worked great for me. been using it for years.
While I was eating breakfast and knocked the box cereal onto the floor 💡 hehe. Cool idea seems to work very well. My vac does not have a handle so I will have to use the hose and wands and drag the the around behind me so that it get stuck on everything
Instead of an elbow use a Tee. Then install shut offs in either side. Then you have the hose and the floor attachment hooked up. Then just have one valve off and one on to use either one without having to dismantle anything.
That must have been a long breakfast 😂, but this is much needed and you give every formula to improve on it. Thanks for sharing this.
Instead of just a flat cut under the horizontal pvc, cut an additional 30° cut toward the front of the horizontal pvc. This may help reduce the plow effect when encountering a large pile of dust\debris as it will offer a bit of forward suction, not just vertical
I would also think that pvc glue would work better than hot glue
Especially if you glued it before you cut it
I think both of these are great ideas, and I definitely should've glued the pipe first. I'm not sure why I didn't do that.
Dam, what an idiot I am for not thinking of this 30 degree is a perfect angel. I am so happy we have some smart people on U-tube.
Very novel idea. Im not sure the shop vac has enough suction to be effective. Suggestion. Make the horizontal pipe smaller to intensify the suction might be helpful ie 1.5”. Glue the pipe before cutting. Put an accordion piece in the vertical pipe to keep downward pressure on the horizontal pipe. Or use a fiber door sweep on the back edge of horizontal pipe. Maybe install a magnet bar to grab screws while vacuuming. Fun project. Thanks for sharing
Really brilliant idea, dude! I like to say I’ve never owned a tool I didn’t modify. 😉
I always love watching people do stuff like this. Specially when you have the right tools and knowledge....👋✌
The biggest problem I have with all vacuums is tight turns in the suction hose create places for clogs. Try using abs drain pipe instead of pvc and get a long sweep 90 at the top so large debris has a better chance of making it into the can instead of clogging the tube.
Nothing that fits into the 1/2" gap at the bottom of that pickup is going to clog a 2" pipe or fitting.
You’ve invented a push floor vacuuming device! Get it patented before word gets out. (Great job, now paint the pipes orange to match.)
Love the ingenuity. I wonder, though, if it’s easier to use the wand in most shops? Mine is a bit congested and I’m constantly having to weave in and out of stands or carts or (don’t judge me!) tools or clamps I set down. I can’t see myself wheeling a vacuum that size easily through my clutter.
Congratulations - you've invented the upright vacuum 😆 We shall call it a "hoover". Very cool modification. 👍
Great video!! 2:26 Could you use the pvc cement before you cut the bottom?? And 7:51 Maybe not cut so much off on bandsaw to make the channel thinner?? Or maybe drill holes instead??
Nice job of working out the problems that you encountered,great idea, we have all used the floor attachment that sucks itself right to the floor,Good job!
Think I'd rather build a solid remote mount, and have different drops for dust extraction at my tool stations, and build a giant wand on a hose reel if necessary.
I think if you have a large dust collector, this is 110% the way to go. I've seen shops where they had setups like this and it was very handy.
@@Rustbelt_Research half the time I use compressed air wand to blow the stuff outside.
@@RJ_Cormac Alternatively, you can hook up the suction hose of the shop vac to the exhaust outlet and use that to blow debris. I have both and for me it just depends on what’s handier to do at the time. I also have a handheld leaf blower so I’ll use that to blow out the garage workshop if I’m already using it for something else. Nice to have options. 😁👍
That's a good idea too if it's just for a shop. I was thinking of this for commercial use
@@RJ_Cormac
Do Not litter 😨😲😲😲
I only got one word to describe this entire video…
Genius!!
congrats. you just invented the classic push vacuum!
I see your idea , seems ok . I have vacuumed a lot of floors . For me the movable wand and handle will be faster than maneuvering the whole vacuum around
Another suggestion. Instead of cutting your pipe like you did. You could try drilling a series of holes on the bottom of your Zamboni arms. My suggestion would be two or more rows of offset holes. So let's say it takes 30 holes 1/2 inch apart to go from on side to the other, the next row of holes would spaced so the each of those holes is in the middle of the 1/2 space between each hole . Then the 3rd row would line up exactly with the first row holes. Then you just decide how many rows of holes you want. I would play around with the size of the holes also. Of course bigger holes will suck up bigger particles.
That’s a great idea . Fantastic! Everyone has their opinions but you actually did it with your vision . A Creation of your mind into the physical world. Not to go too deep but that is a special gift. Not just from this video but all your videos the way you perceive and apply . perspective is unique to everyone. Great job keep going.
Spent so much time modding my van I never thought about modding my shop vac. For the top fitting, you might see if you can find what is called a FERNCO fitting. Its a rubber fitting with hose clamps usually used to join ancient drainage to modern drainage systems. I bet you could find one that fits around the fitting on the vac so you can tighten the hose clamp. Then use the other side for the PVC and tighten. The rubber might act as a shock absorber if you hit a snag.
Awesome! An added benefit is it keeps the vac from popping wheelies!
I’m a huge fan of do it yourself ingenuity. We can always make it better, or find another way to be of use.
I love your talent for explaining how to build a pointless object. For crying out loud. Just spend $15 on the attachment from Home Depot that does the same job. By the way, I watched your video until the end. Great job
Awesome idea my friend. Very cool! I'm going to build one for my extra shop vac, that isn't currently hooked being used as a dust collector.
I haven't built one yet, however I have an idea.
You could "hot glue" a small row of bristles along the back edge of the PVC pipe opening. So that you could raise the pipe up just a little more. And so that the bristles would drag the excess dust and chips along the floor under the opening, while the vacuum is picking up. Just an idea to make your, awesome idea a little more efficient! Thanks for the great video! Take care!
I've been saying for years that shop-vac should make a version of an upright vacuum. Now they don't have to. Frankly this is something I think I'm going to have to make. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to steal your idea.
Oh, and by the way: Thank you VERY much for saying HEIGHT and not HEIGHTH.😁
Suggestions: Use the floor attachment in place of the PVC crossbar... Arrange a makeshift dust devil to separate the particles and save your vac canister for fine dust.. Great Idea, Keep GOING!!
i am a machine designer for factories worlwide, this is FANTASTIC idea. Congrats! I might make one!!! LOl
Came to CZcams for something else and this popped up. Cool idea and trial and error like anything. You succeeded. Sure you created an upright vacuum outta a shop vacuum but, it sure as hell is like a zamboni for your shop 😂. I love it tho!
You sure are a freaking genius I'm definitely stealing this sweeping a 40×60 shop is not fun and using a backpack blower just makes a dusty mess this is the perfect solution
Part 1 of my original: Since you split the hose into two {at the "T"} I would recommend dropping the two "arms" down a size {maybe to 1 1/2} this is similar to plumbing where your main line is 3/4 but then when you run to a fixture, you always drop down to 1/2 inch. The reason for this is to keep the suction high. By splitting the hose {or in this case your Zamboni floor head} into two, you are really decreasing the the suction of the unit considerably. If you took the "T" and made the two arms a smaller size, you can maintain the suction to a better level.
You have inspired me. Great idea. Gonna make something with brushes and flexibility. Think im going to pull rather than push similar to operating a carpet cleaner. Thanks for idea!
I just used an old vacuum cleaner brush head and a length of flex hose. My wood block is fixed and the head does all the flexing. I've used this setup on a couple of vacuums over the past 50 years.
As silly as it seems and looks, I have to admit that's a pretty slick little solution. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic idea! …and you get the award for receiving the most unsolicited advice ever 😂😅
There are already similar attachments for such vacuums. Not sure which brands but they exist. And in some cases when the vacuum is getting full & heavy, it’s easier to use the attachment hose that comes with it instead of pushing around the whole rig. I could be wrong. But anyway, at least you’re trying something so more power to ya!
Read all the suggestions, liked what you did, tipping back is no big deal and your design worked fine.👍👍😊😊
Restriction=pressure (thumb over hose)
Instead of cutting tube, simply drill a row of 10mm holes in the tube,
on the plane of the floor.
A sliced and glued or screwed on (for replacement) nylon bristle broom,
*behind* the row of holes, extending beyond the manifold tube, maybe 1"?
Then (heat gun) curved inwards, like a plow blade.
Pieces of broom= /////||||||||||||||||||||||||||||\\\\ behind the row of holes. 2" long bristles.
Great video! Great invention. I Subbed. Good luck, young man!
I second the idea of making the notch on the bottom to point forward a bit more to prevent plowing. Any wheels on it would need to be swivel casters, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to turn it without the wheels dragging sideways. I wouldn’t be surprised if the vacuum manufacturers come out with an attachment like this after seeing your contraption.
Awesome idea brother!!!!
Attach a door sweep to the back side of the floor attachment. And agree don’t cut the pipe where the caps go, maybe make the pipe between the tee 1” longer.
Not that I’d ever need to do that but I must say it’s a nifty idea man. Good one brother👍
A narrower slot may increase air velocity and overall effectiveness. I have slotted great quantities of PVC by putting two blades in a table saw with spacers between. Great idea, overall.
I made something similar to this by putting a long tube attached to the turbo on my F-150 Eco Boost and it really cleans the floor every time I go into the shop.
I'd add a strip of door-draft-seal (like the kind you screw onto the bottom of your room doors with the replaceable rubber seal) to the inside back of the suction intake. Like a zamboni it'll act like a broom to keep the debris pushed swept up. Also, since you cut the end-caps, maybe find a pair of polyeurathane wheels that can screw (loosely) into the the top of the end caps; install a spring on the wheel post to let the wheels bounce over uneven terrain like struts in your car.
Proves, *Breakfast* is THE *Most Important meal* of the day. NICE Ideas!
Great idea…
Not bad for the first try. Like the “floating” adjustable jig on the pipe
Get a patent on your idea, I can already see it designed with pvc working perfectly. Good job 👍
Improvements:
Cut the horizontal part at a slight angle to the front. This will allow the vacuum to pull in a bit as well as pick up. Not much, just 10 or 15 degrees of horizontal.
Glue the pipes together before cutting. This will make the pipes more rigid because you can cement them together.
Make the floor head an inch or two wider than the vacuum. Yours looks to be exactly the same width. This will allow you to be a little less precise with your passes and have a natural overlap. Similar to the way a lawn mower does.
You can install some kind of wheels on the side caps and keep v notches on the tube so it won’t plow! You have done Great job so far!
I'd love to see if you came up with any new ideas on this. I'm also curious how well it works for cleaning liquid spills n such. This idea is pure GOLD!
A clever idea yes. A good broom would do the same thing though. I find the shop vac to be handy for some stuff but a big open floor is the place for a good shop broom and a flat shovel to scoop up the pile.
LOL...another suggestion: Reduce the width of the cut. Do not cut the endcaps and purchase the head of a narrow broom (or squeegee) and attach the length of the opening (behind) to the endcaps on each side. Raise the suction 1/4-1/2 inch more while keeping the bristles / squeegee skimming the floor. Nice you came up with regardless. I'm sure there are a thousand suggestions on this post!
I bought a used dyson on marketplace. Replaced the battery mount with one that accepts milwaukee and now it's my garage vacuum. Hangs on the wall and if it dies, I'll buy another one. Easy - Takes up less space. But I like your injury.
This is genius I’m surprised rigid hasn’t contacted you!
Each vacuum cleaner motor has an optimum diameter orfice that allows for the highest suction and volume. For example a two fan Lamb motor 5.7" dia has the best performance with a .75" opening. You can sacrifice some suction for a higher volume but the 2" pipe cut on the bottom is not only too large an opening. The air flow will not be aerodynamic as it spins around inside the floor nozzle. There's a reason the floor tools are shaped the way and have a brush. Kudos for trying something new. It looks like it doesn't clean as fast as the standard floor tools that could have been modified to mount to the front of the vacuum.
So far the only thing I have thought of as far as adjusting the height is for you to have two female thread pieces, one on your 90 elbow and on on the Zamboni brush head. Then you have a short piece of pipe with the male threads on both ends {I think this works} then as you screw both pieces on at the same time.. it should allow you to have about an inch worth of adjustment on the distance between you Zamboni brush head and the floor. This is all off the top of my head, so I apologize if I am missing something obvious, where this won't work.
Great idea. I use a leaf blower in my garage that has good wind suction. It is super fast and can clean off walls and shelves. Been using a push broom on my other shed and will definitely try this! So much airborne dust from brooms. Now to have it drive itself..
Great idea. I don't think I want to push the whole rig around the floor, but I might make a wide sweep out of PVC and attach it to the flex hose.
You could totally do voice over work/commercials, you have a radio voice. Great video!
Rigid makes a wide brush attachment that would allow the collection to adjust up and down to inclines, bumps, and variations in floor level. The PVC downtube you have is rigid, and can’t adjust second by second across a floor without a lot more design and complexity added. The brush can keep a better seal against the floor surface.
On the other hand, if you could add a little roller or bearing to the ends of the collector head (a the horizontal tube at the bottom), and a telescoping “down-tube” that can compress and expand in response to bumps, etc, that would also improve.
I have the same vac and love it just as much, though I don’t have need to cover the large floor space that you have.
Dude made a wet/dry vacuum into a floor vacuum 😂 I like it
I am jealous of your shop space . You need more projects
Great idea for the vacuum mod.
Congratulations. You've just invented the Vacuum Cleaner.