Hi, First, I would like to wish to Dr Aspler and all of you a
happy new year. I have a Handler dust collector (the small unit)
with suspended filter bags and I would like to make a big clean
up in it. I am wondering if I can wash these bags in soap and
water without damaging them. Is there a contraindication in doing
this move. Vincent Guy Audette
Dear Guy:
There is no purpose in actually wetting them as most polishing
compounds are not water soluable and there is a steel mesh inside
the bags to keep them from colapsing which would only rust. A
good going over on both sides of ea. bag dry with a strong shop
vac and the attachment with a small rectangular opening does the
job quite nicely. I should know, I own one of the Handler units
as well. They are very common.
Best wishes for a great new year;
Steve Klepinger
Hi Vincent,
Rather than washing your suspended cloth bags from your handler
unit, you may want to replace them with new and send the old off
to the refiner, that should at least pay for the cost of a new
set. They can be difficult to put in, I had a friend that
couldn’t get the whole set in his unit after he bought new. I
have a similar dust collector and a shop that polishes about 250
items a week. I am amazed that after about 8 years of use, the
top of the bags (on the blower side of the unit) are still
perfectly clean, while the underside is black. We vacuum it
completely about once a week. I had no idea that they would last
so long. I would be afraid that they would deform is some way if
you washed them. The ones I have are made with metal in the
bags. I would vacuum them as well as you can with your shop-vac,
and then check the discharge for dust particles with a very fine
screen. If you find little or no lint, etc., then you may be
clean enough. Better yet vent your discharge outside.
Mark P.
WI