Henry Hoovers are very popular in construction, as well as with DIY users. This is for several reasons, including:
- Reliability
- Good suction
- Easy to empty and maintain
- Relatively easy to repair
- And reasonably priced
They are very good at picking up dust and debris from hard surfaces, which makes them very popular on building sites. In general, they are used after work is carried out, where they can be used to pick up all the dust and debris created. Alternatively they will often be used to compliment a trusty brush and shovel.
Henry Hoovers can also be used for dust extraction. This can be done in two main ways. The first is to attach the hose directly to your tools. This can work for a variety of tools, such as sanders, chop saws, planers, etc. When used in this way, the dust is extracted as you work.
Another way they can be used, is by connecting them to a separate tub, using an attachment called a cyclone dust collector. This is usually a DIY extractor setup, that allows you to use the suction from your Henry Hoover, whilst collecting all the dust in a separate container.
This setup is better used in situ. Therefore, it can work really well when used in a workshop.
Both of these extraction options, can save a lot of mess and avoid you cleaning up after work. Essentially, you are collecting the dust as it is being created, which can save you lots of time cleaning up later.
Connecting Henry Hoover to sanders and other power tools
One of the most common uses for a Henry Hoover to extract dust, is when used in combination with a sander. Whether you are using a belt sander, an orbital sander, or even a small detail sander they can cause quite a bit of dust.
Most sanders will come with a connection tube at the back, and they are often supplied with some kind of bag attachment that catches dust created by the tool.
The problem with this type of bag, is they fill up quickly, and they often don’t get all the dust. Any dust that comes through the tube will obviously be collected in the bag. However, there will still be a good amount of dust that comes off the sanding pads that isn’t collected.
Using a Henry Hoover, allows you to pick up much more of the dust. This is because its constantly sucking as you work. It means, if your sanding skirting boards, or something else around the house, the hoover can come with you, limiting dust creation.
One issue you may face when trying to use your Henry this way, is the connection might not be the best fit for your power tool. The good news, is this is easily fixed with a simple adaptor. These can be bought on Amazon and other places online. You can see a good example by Clicking Here.
How to convert your Henry to a cyclone dust collector
If you want to create a more permanent dust extraction solution, making (or buying) a cyclone dust collector is a great option. Again you will need to buy some additional attachments for this. All the separate parts can be found on Amazon.
The way the cyclone works, is it separates heavier-than-air particles, that are being sucked by the Henry Hoover. Then it drops them in a separate collection bin.
The cyclone is cone shaped, meaning it becomes narrower at the bottom. It has an inlet in the top, that is connected to the Hoover, to suck air through the cyclone. This inlet extends inside the cyclone several inches below the top.
Next, there is another inlet on the side of the cyclone. This is where dust is sucked through. The opening of this is higher than the suction hole.
When dust sucks in, it hits the side wall of the cyclone and starts to spin around the conical edge. The dust particles are held against the wall by a centrifugal force, and gravity causes the dust to spiral down into the collection bin.
Due to its design, up to 99% of dust is deposited in the bin. This means only the finest, light weight particles make it to your Henry Hoover. As a result, your Henry Hoover filter will last much longer and not require changing.
This is a perfect solution for indoor extraction in areas like workshops. Or any big jobs where lots of dust will be created.
Build your own Cyclone, or buy a prebuilt one
In the past you needed to build your own cyclone dust collectors. The process isn’t that difficult, and parts can all be bought separately online. Buying all the parts will cost you roughly £70-£80. Following this you just need to follow a video tutorial to put it all together.
However, if you want to save time, you can actually buy these pre-made now. Whats more, they often work out cheaper than buying all the parts separately.
You can see an example of the most popular model by Clicking Here.
Conclusion
Using a Henry Hoover for dust extraction is definitely a viable option. It can be useful for attaching to any type of power tool that has an outlet for dust.
Also, using it in combination with a cyclone dust collector, is a great alternative to a more expensive extraction units. This is especially true for a small workshop where large scale extraction is not required.
