The corrugations on most vacuum hoses, including the one on my Festool Dust Extractor, tend to catch on the sharp edge of the workbench and restrict sander movement. To solve the problem I purchased “Expandable Braided Sleeving” from Amazon in the 1 1/4-in.-dia. size, which fits over the end fittings on the hose and pulls tight on the hose itself. I secured it at each end with a zip tie and Gorilla tape. For $15 total, I now have a hose that glides over table edges and makes sanding easier. For larger hoses, look for larger-diameter sleeving.

—CRAIG MORGAN, Orchard Lake, Mich.

Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #282

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Fein Turbo II HEPA Wet/Dry Dust Extractor

Among the most powerful HEPA-rated shop vacs on the market, Fein’s Turbo II is quieter, more compact, and nimbler than the rest.

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Festool Cleantec CT 26 E HEPA Dust Extractor

The clear winner here is Festool’s CT 48 Dust Extractor. It has amazing capacity relative to its size, and unmatched suction power. It packs in a number of subtle but very helpful design touches, like a clever foot brake and easy hose and cord storage.

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Shop Fox W1826

The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.

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