On Sep 30, 2006, at 8:16 AM, Lee Einer wrote:
I made a supersucker using my 6 horsepower shop vac. It supersucked.
Not
in a nice way. The plastic buckets tended to buckle and collapse, which
also caused the lid to bend, warp and split. The contorted bucket
tended
to splash the waste oil back up towards the vacuum nozzle, resulting in
a bunch of the oil being sucked into the shop vac. I went through three
buckets in the process of changing my oil, as well as making a complete
mess.
So, any advice on how to keep the buckets from collapsing? I am
thinking
about putting one bucket inside the other for added structural
strength.
A source for more durable buckets would also be welcomed.
Lee
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During the hurricane season last year Home Depot sold old fashioned five
gallon steel buckets with a fixed screw capped spout and a center cap. They
may still sell them. I doubt they would collapse using a vacuum cleaner.
The one I bought had a leak which I had to solder, but all may not leak.
If you live near woods you might find a green sapling branch or trunk you
can bend enough to stick down in the bucket. Once inside you can put wire
ties around it so it will retain its circumference. Or a cheap ten foot or
longer plumbers "snake" like Home Depot sells could be wound inside it and
secured with wire ties. Either the snake or the sapling, positioned in the
middle of the plastic bucket, might keep it from collapsing.
Another solution might be to buy a roll of roofing "valley" and let it
unroll inside the plastic bucket. It might be a good idea to drape several
wire ties around the edge of the bucket before turning the roll of valley
loose. Then you can tie them tight to keep the slick, oily valley from
trying to roll back up.
A couple of layers of screen wire tied over the inlet hose should reduce
splashing. Stick a small piece of metal tubing the same o.d. as the hoses
i.d. in the end of the inlet hose, loosely wrap the screen wire over the end
of the hose, and clamp it on tight over the metal tubing with a hose clamp.
Good luck,
Gerry Archer
'83 300D and 240D
