Using shop vac with Down

[Pope686]

ok I am New to the Forum
I am looking for directions on using a shop vac to full a Down UQ I'm trying to make. PIC's VID's any thing can help

I have searched on and off the forum can't seem to find anything more about it then what jeff has up on his page. Im just looking for more info about doing this before I end up blowing down all over the house and get killed for it

Thanks
Jon

[GrizzlyAdams]

sorry I don't have pictures or videos. What I have is experience with this...

On my vac I can separate the end tube from the hose that goes to the vac unit. I get a piece of fine mesh---something that air goes through but down does not---fit that over the end tube (and fasten with a rubber band), and then fit the end tube over the hose again. Turn the vac on , stick the end tube into a bag of down, and it will suck some up. Won't go into the vac because of the mesh. Turn off the vac, pull off the end tube (remember the mesh is rubber-banded onto that end), stick the other end in whatever you're filling with down, and tap (and probably blow) the down in the tube out. After empty, replace tube in hose and repeat.

The mesh I use is no-seeum mesh for making bugnets. Something like a nylon stocking ought to work.

I didn't type out a whole 1000 words so you might not have gotten the whole picture.

Grizz

[Kanguru]

To illustrate what Grizz was saying...

http://www.tothewoods.net/StuffingDown.html

I haven't tried this but I think you could use your regular home vac as well.

[Dutch]

I have done exactly what Jeff states on his site and Griz reiterates twice. It works perfectly. You can't pick up much down at a time b/c it starts to block the air flow and suction. I put my down on a scale and then suck it out so I know how much I have in the tube. I think I was loading around 5 grams each time. Also when you blow it in, and I always had to blow, it is good to wrap the material around the vacuum tube or it blows back in your face.

[KerMegan]

Good to know- I got some down from Stormcrow (Thanks again!)and was just putting it in by hand- it had been in the bag long enough that it was not trying to "fly and be freeeee!" too much; room fan was off, hands clean and dry- so not trying to stick to me; but I did put the bag of down inside the Prototype UQ in the main channel, and put lumps of down into the other channels, (which do connect to each other, but in the middle not at the ends- I can seal it up later once the distribution is equalized.)
I see I was fortunate in the extreme! But good to know for next time! KM

[Kanguru]

I was thinking about finding one of those clear plastic tubes such as used for shipping and storing fragile things like fishing rods to make the down gathering and insertion tube. Then you could see what you are doing.

Like these...
http://www.uline.com/BL_3651/?pricode=wk456

[jmudler]

At home depot or lowes you can find clear tubes that encase florescent bulbs for protection. They are dirt cheap too.

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(zx...aspx?SKU=34730