BEST $25 DOLLARS SPENT IN SHOP

THE BEST TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS YOU CAN SPEND IN YOUR SHOP?
By Keith Morganstein
www.maxeffortengines.com

It could save your life. O.K. maybe a little bit of exaggeration, maybe not. How many of you are sick of breathing dust and debris from die grinding, porting, and valve jobs? These substances represent a serious health hazard for the automotive machinist or head porter. Respiratory problems are notorious in this business.

Unfortunately automotive machinist are all too familiar with breathing this dust and debris, having a nose full of soot (you know what I mean) and an endless winter cough. Face masks are inconvenient and often ineffective.

There also is the shop contamination issue. Dirt and grit are a prime cause of early failures in engine work. Grinding operations only serve to spread contaminants everywhere. This is intensified in the small shop. Blow guns and fans only make matters worse.

It would be great to have a sophisticated dust collection system in your shop. Something that is out of the way, is easy to handle, has good filtration, and is easily serviced.
Few of us have that type of system or the time and resources to install it. A big bulky shop vac isn't the answer as it's always in the way.

Sometimes you find the simplest, cheapest solutions when not even looking for it.
Enter the twenty five dollar, shop van hang up mini. Before you accuse me of being a vacuum cleaner salesman, I assure I have no financial connection with shop vac corporation

This little vacuum turns out to be an excellent solution to the dust and debris problem. What makes it so attractive is that it mounts to the wall with a shelf like bracket. Out of the way but close to the work. The mount is very simple it's easy to take the little vacuum down for other jobs or to service the filter. The vacuum has great suction and a two stage filter.

I mounted a shop vac hang up mini on the wall at my cylinder head bench. I added a section of hose from another vacuum for a little more reach. It comes with nice little crevice tool. You can simply stuff it in a port and die grind away. I rigged up a little magnet to hold the nozzle near grinder units when doing valve jobs and near the stone dressing stand too. Later I added a footswitch for convenience.

Why such a big deal about a little vacuum? It has made a big improvement in my working conditions. I breathe a whole lot better and my shop and work area are a lot cleaner. Best damn twenty five bucks I ever spent in my shop!