As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
this one in the past but I never caught it.
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
> sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
> settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
> a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
> this one in the past but I never caught it.
> \
Try this all the time but all it seems to do is hide it in corners or on top
of shelves. It's almost too high a velocity for this for blowing out the
dust but I do it anyway thinking I'm "smart".
I like the one fellow's idea about taking all the tools out and rinsing
down the inside periodically to get rid of the dust. Too bad mine gets this
treatment whether I want it or not (always not) automatically every time it
rains. :-(
--
Cheers!
Duke
Been doing it that way for years!
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
> sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
> settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
> a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
> this one in the past but I never caught it.
>
Man you must have too much time on your hands to get upset about things like
this or you must be the neighborhood grass nazi. . I'll bet the poor guy
worked all day at a job that didn't pay much and couldn't afford a better
lawnmower like yours and probably blew the grass clippings off the sidewalk
so you wouldn't fall down and sue him. With a neighbor like you, I'd want to
move too.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We HAD a "neighbor" that cut his lawn at 7:30PM with mower that spewed
> gray smoke then used the leaf blower to blow residue into the street
> and adjoining yards so it wouldn't be in HIS yard! Thankfully he
> moved out!
>
Try it for "snow blowing!" We quite a few brick paver
walkways and when a light snow (not the heavy wet stuff)
comes, I'm out there with my gas powered blower (Weed-Eater)
from HD (around $100). 2 cycle. Been a great time (and back)
saver for 3 or 4 years now.
Once you get one, you'll never do without it.
My opinion - stay away from the AC - not enough power!
Lou
NoOne N Particular wrote:
> I have gone to Home Depot a couple of times and have been looking at leaf
> blowers for that very reason. Whay type of blower do you have, and do you
> have any of the numbers such as CFM, etc.?
>
> Wayne
>
<snipity snip>
Wayne, I use my Toro 850 leaf blower quite often to blow out the dust, fiddly bits,
and cobwebs from my shop. The info on the blower is: model #: 51575, and 12.0
amperes.
I bought it years ago based upon the reputation of Toro and the amperage draw. Of the
blowers I was considering at that time, the Toro had the highest amperage draw. I
suppose amperage relates to CFM, but that value is not on my blower. I would think
that CFM values are not significant to leaf blowers - especially to the marketing
thereof. In this application, I think CFM is not as significant as force. Maybe they
are samo samo. I do not know. I do know that mine really torques over when the power
hits it. That model of leaf blower may not be available now. I would recommend a Toro
with a high amperage draw.
Hoyt W.
Just as good as the first time around!
Charles Jones wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> says...
> > Well, I suppose someone else posted this one in the past but I
> > never caught it.
>
> It's not *exactly* the same, but a great read none-the-less:
>
> > http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=72vg1g%24r31%241%40nnrp1.dejanews.com
> --
> Charles Jones -- Loveland, Colorado
> ICQ: 29610755
> AIM: LovelandCharles
> Y!M: charlesjonesathpcom
> MSN: [email protected]
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> Well, I suppose someone else posted this one in the past but I
> never caught it.
It's not *exactly* the same, but a great read none-the-less:
> http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=72vg1g%24r31%241%40nnrp1.dejanews.com
--
Charles Jones -- Loveland, Colorado
ICQ: 29610755
AIM: LovelandCharles
Y!M: charlesjonesathpcom
MSN: [email protected]
"Mike S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I use compressed air to clean the shop, I have a 5hp 30 gal. vertical
> compressor.
I did that for many years and then one day discovered my gas blower worked
10 times better and 10 times faster due to the much higher volume of air.
Just pointing the gas blower in the general direction gets the job
thoroughly done in seconds.
I use compressed air to clean the shop, I have a 5hp 30 gal. vertical
compressor.
--
Mike S.
[email protected]
http://members.tripod.com/n0yii/woodworking.htm
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual sweep
> and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew everything
> right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the tools. Sure
> there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it settle and went
> over it one more time. I could not believe how much of a job it did or
> how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted this one in the past
> but I never caught it.
>
LRod <[email protected]> writes:
>On Mon, 24 May 2004 13:49:50 -0700, DIYGUY <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
>>time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
>>SWMBO.
>
>Why? Does she keep something less waterproof than tools in there? If
>it's a car, boot it out. Cars are waterproof, tools are not.
Cars are not UV-proof, however.
scott
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
> sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
> settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
> a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
> this one in the past but I never caught it.
>
Been using this method for years.
Just some suggestions...
No cleaning without a good mask, ESPECIALLY if you been cutting either MDF
or pressure treated wood. Coughing up MDF dust is NEVER pleasant, and
"the big boys" tell me that PT sawdust is dangerous, if inhaled.
Build work benchs and cabinets with three or four inch legs. If, you
reached the point where you can get a clear line of sight to the garage
door, moving dust and dirt and sawdust is greatly enhanced. As you design,
and re-design, and re-re-design your workshop, you'll learn to start
designing to facilitate cleaning as well as organization.
After cleaning the workshop, ALWAYS inspect the driveway throughly for the
nails and screws that you WILL find one way or the other. Locally, I'm up
to $13.50 to get a nail hole patched.
I have an old box fan that I set in front of the garage door. I then lower
the door to within two feet of the floor. By opening a window in the back
of the garage, I can get a positive air flow going quite nicely. This also
seems to help stop airborne particles from blowing back in the workshop.
BTW, on days when it's temporate, I simply screw a furnace filter on the
backside of that fan and run it in the garage. (Yes, I have a Powercraft
Dust Collection system, but the fan still helps keep the dust down.
My blower is a ultra-cheap "Champion" I bought at an auction about 20 years,
ago. Of course, the only leaves it's every blown are the ones that blow
into the garage.
You will be covered with dust. Learn to brush/blow the dust off yourself,
otherwise SWMBO will be less than kind.
James....
"mttt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> > everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> > tools.
>
> Did it for the second time myself this weekend. If I open the garage door,
> and then the access door, and if the wind is blowing just right, I can get
> it to blow right on out.
I have both an electric and a gas powered blower/vac. The gas powered one
does a MUCH better job of blowing out the shop. I have to leave the door
open a while to vent the fumes and, probably, should wear a dust mask.
Also, I just turned the thing around and put on the vac bag and sucked up
the little windrow of grass I left in the yard of that single, senior woman
down the street whose lawn I mow. The poor thing feels obligated and hangs
a bag of fruit on my door even though I told her it wasn't necessary.
Larry
I have gone to Home Depot a couple of times and have been looking at leaf
blowers for that very reason. Whay type of blower do you have, and do you
have any of the numbers such as CFM, etc.?
Wayne
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
> sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
> settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
> a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
> this one in the past but I never caught it.
>
DIYGUY wrote:
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
> sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
> settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
> a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
> this one in the past but I never caught it.
>
Yes, it is by far the fastest way to get rid of the dust. Sometimes it just blows up into the rafters though.
I have done it with an electric and now I do it with a gas powered. The gas
powered lets you blow a slower stream of air when you do not want to remove
stuff that is suppose to stay in the shop.
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
> sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
> settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
> a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
> this one in the past but I never caught it.
>
Yup. I've done that, in a non-garage shop.
1. I vac up what I can.
2. I fire up the dust collector to do "some" filtration
3. Connect my shop vac in "blow mode"
4. Blow all the nooks and crannies (parts shelves, limber rack, track
lights, basically everything that is impossible ot difficult to vaccume)
5. Let dust settle,rinse, repeat.
This is not my every-day cleanup ritual, but i fins it to be the best way to
get rid of the file dust that inevitably gets everywhere.
I will usually do this just before I go into the finishing phase of a
project.
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
> time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
> SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
> making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
> sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
> settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
> a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
> this one in the past but I never caught it.
>
DIYGUY <[email protected]> wrote:
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
You forgot one thing:
Before firing up the blower, instruct anyone in the house NOT to
open the garage door and the back door at the same time or the
entire dust contents of the garage will magically be teleported
into your living room and will settle in every nook and cranny
in the house.
Don't ask...
[email protected]
On Mon, 24 May 2004 13:49:50 -0700, DIYGUY <[email protected]>
wrote:
>As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
>time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
>SWMBO.
Why? Does she keep something less waterproof than tools in there? If
it's a car, boot it out. Cars are waterproof, tools are not.
By the way, how much of all that dust and chips settled on the car
that used to be in there? What did SWMBO have to say about that?
- -
LRod
Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite
Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999
http://www.woodbutcher.net
"DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
> everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
> tools.
Did it for the second time myself this weekend. If I open the garage door,
and then the access door, and if the wind is blowing just right, I can get
it to blow right on out.
While it simply "redistributes" some dust, I find it pretty hand for
cleaning out inaccessible crevices, and areas out of reach. The ceiling in
my sho^H^H^Hgarage is high, the light fixtures are high, the shelves are
high - the blower did a good job of "dusting".
On Mon, 24 May 2004 22:41:38 GMT, [email protected] (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:
>LRod <[email protected]> writes:
>>On Mon, 24 May 2004 13:49:50 -0700, DIYGUY <[email protected]>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
>>>time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
>>>SWMBO.
>>
>>Why? Does she keep something less waterproof than tools in there? If
>>it's a car, boot it out. Cars are waterproof, tools are not.
>
>Cars are not UV-proof, however.
How long are you going to keep your car? I've had my Explorer for
almost 11 years (250K miles) and it's never been garaged. It has sat
in the South Florida sun for five years (started out in Illinois) and
still looks pretty darn good. But I'm going to get rid of it soon.
I'll never get rid of my Unisaw. It belongs inside; the car stays
outside.
- -
LRod
Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite
Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999
http://www.woodbutcher.net
"LRod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Snip
> Why? Does she keep something less waterproof than tools in there? If
> it's a car, boot it out. Cars are waterproof, tools are not.
Because something less waterproof than tools should be in the garage. But,
I'm bettin you are correct that the car should be more water proof than the
tools. ;~)
He had no feelings for any neighbor! Had a degree associated with
gardening and worked at that for several years before marrying and
moving from the house his parents owned. Would be VERY difficult to
find a more inconsiderate "neighbor"! Our gardner uses a gas blower
to gather cuttings and picks them up instead of distributing them in
others yards! BIL next door has another slob that redistributes his
stuff to others yards also.
On Tue, 25 May 2004 03:06:37 GMT, "Mike" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Man you must have too much time on your hands to get upset about things like
>this or you must be the neighborhood grass nazi. . I'll bet the poor guy
>worked all day at a job that didn't pay much and couldn't afford a better
>lawnmower like yours and probably blew the grass clippings off the sidewalk
>so you wouldn't fall down and sue him. With a neighbor like you, I'd want to
>move too.
>
>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> We HAD a "neighbor" that cut his lawn at 7:30PM with mower that spewed
>> gray smoke then used the leaf blower to blow residue into the street
>> and adjoining yards so it wouldn't be in HIS yard! Thankfully he
>> moved out!
>>
>
We HAD a "neighbor" that cut his lawn at 7:30PM with mower that spewed
gray smoke then used the leaf blower to blow residue into the street
and adjoining yards so it wouldn't be in HIS yard! Thankfully he
moved out!
On Mon, 24 May 2004 13:49:50 -0700, DIYGUY <[email protected]>
wrote:
>As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
>time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
>SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
>making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
>sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
>retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
>everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
>tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
>settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
>a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
>this one in the past but I never caught it.
It's just a Toro garden variety electric blower I picked up on sale for
<grin> the SWMBO who really wanted one for the driveway. It's electric
and about the only drawback to it is that it blows a hurricane that
cannot be regulated at all. I have a ShopVac that at one time could be
used as a blower but I got tired of the deflector falling off and
foolishly glued the darn thing in place thinking I would never need the
blower <sigh>. The comment about it blowing everything out the
door is right on, so make sure your aim is good otherwise you will be
chasing stuff down the street.
I also get a strong breeze out of the SW most days and can take
advantage of it by opening the back door. It makes the garage/shop a
lot cooler and does a good job of venting the dust out of the air. Only
problem is that it doesn't work quite as nicely in the winter.
BTW - the garage became time-sharing after my wife complained that in
the ten years we have owned the house she (me too, for that matter) had
never parked a car in it. Not once. So for her birthday I went on a
tear getting it to the point where it could be shared with my tools.
And for my birthday she bought me an oscillating sander. I am happy
with the bargain ...
NoOne N Particular wrote:
> I have gone to Home Depot a couple of times and have been looking at leaf
> blowers for that very reason. Whay type of blower do you have, and do you
> have any of the numbers such as CFM, etc.?
>
> Wayne
>
>
> "DIYGUY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>As many of us in the wreck, I use the garage for my shop. It is a
>>time-sharing garage to be precise, as most of the time it belongs to the
>>SWMBO. Anyway, over the weekend I had my 'slot' available and was busy
>>making sawdust. When it came time to clean up I was doing my usual
>>sweep and vacuum routine when I had one of those inspiration things. I
>>retrieved the electric leaf blower from the yard shed and blew
>>everything right out the open garage door. Then I blew off all the
>>tools. Sure there was a little dust in the air but I simply let it
>>settle and went over it one more time. I could not believe how much of
>>a job it did or how easy it was. Well, I suppose someone else posted
>>this one in the past but I never caught it.
>>
>
>
>
I was curious about the cfm because whenever I open my garage door . . .er.
. .uh. . .SHOP door, there is a prevailing breeze that blows into the shop
at about a 45 deg angle. It starts at about 12:00 or 1:00pm every day. In
the spring and summer, this "Delta Breeze" as it is called keeps getting
stronger until sunset, at which time it is up to about 20-25 mph. I could
wait until just before sunset and then open the main door in front and the
small door in the back. Whenever I do that though, I have to go in my back
yard and pick up everything that has blown out of the gar. . .er. . .shop
(and on some days that would probably include ME). All the wind that comes
in the 16ft door in the front is really movin when it goes out the 32" door
in the back. I forgot to prop the back door open one time (I use a
splitting maul as a wedge), and the door slammed shut so hard that I thought
the wall was going to come down. It put several cracks in the stucco on the
outside of that wall. There is also the problem of picking up all the stuff
that has blown off of the shelves that are between the two doors.
But, if I can wait until the next day and use a leaf blower to blast
everything out the front while it is calmer outside, that would be great. I
might still have a slight breeze to work against, so the quantity of air
that a blower could produce would be a valuable piece of information. I
was wondering about the cheap electric blower/suckers in the $50-$60 range,
and if they would really have enough "oomph". Most of them will say
something like "generates 200mph wind", but if that is all directed in a
pencil beam it would be useless to clean the shop.
Wayne
"Hoyt Weathers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> NoOne N Particular wrote:
>
> > I have gone to Home Depot a couple of times and have been looking at
leaf
> > blowers for that very reason. Whay type of blower do you have, and do
you
> > have any of the numbers such as CFM, etc.?
> >
> > Wayne
> >
>
> <snipity snip>
>
> Wayne, I use my Toro 850 leaf blower quite often to blow out the dust,
fiddly bits,
> and cobwebs from my shop. The info on the blower is: model #: 51575, and
12.0
> amperes.
>
> I bought it years ago based upon the reputation of Toro and the amperage
draw. Of the
> blowers I was considering at that time, the Toro had the highest amperage
draw. I
> suppose amperage relates to CFM, but that value is not on my blower. I
would think
> that CFM values are not significant to leaf blowers - especially to the
marketing
> thereof. In this application, I think CFM is not as significant as force.
Maybe they
> are samo samo. I do not know. I do know that mine really torques over when
the power
> hits it. That model of leaf blower may not be available now. I would
recommend a Toro
> with a high amperage draw.
>
> Hoyt W.
>
>