Build Your Own Vacuum / Blower

[AzViper]

AzVIPER, Thank you for the post!!! I just finished my build a coulpe of weeks ago! Your plans are awesome!! Very easy to follow and build and it works great this vac really has some suction! It cost me approx. $235.00 or so with everything being brand new. I got the PB255LN at a local lawn and garden shop (they had it in stock same price as home depot online) ordered the bucket w/lid and the gasket. other parts walmart & home depot. It's alittle heavy to carry into where I work (very steep) but with a pack board it's easy. Instead of cutting down the finger guard I put some 1/4" screen across the inside bulkhead works great, 3 screws to take blower off and 3 screws to put the guard back on to use blower at home. I'd recomend this build to anyone looking for a blower vac. just awesome THANKS AGAIN FOR THE POST!!!! (sorry not smart enough to post pics) looks just like yours

Thanks... Glad it worked out for you. I know of a few miners that have taken my plans and made a Viper-Vac (Thanks GoldenIrishman]) The Viper-Vac name is going to stick. I have a PB250 for the work around the house so I can keep my Viper-Vac intact.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[elgatodelnoche]

I could not afford the Echo and it was going to be quite a while before I had any more money, so I got a little less blower. It should be easy to adapt once the screen for the vacuum attachment comes off. There are already two threaded inserts to attach the vacuum part so I will use them and add additional holes elsewhere as needed. This blower seems darned heavy though...... OK checking the specs I see it is .4 lbs heavier than the Echo. Not too much more I guess. I might have to add some kind of base to the bottom of the bucket....time will tell.

Toro Blower from Home Depot

Can somebody tell me if the diameter of the hose makes a big difference in the suction? I have pool hose that is smaller diameter than the hose shown in this thread.

 

[kazcoro]

Suction should increase. The motor may suffer from the restricted volume of air going (coming) through it. Unless an engineer picks it apart, should not make a difference.

 

[AzViper]

Personally I would stay with the 2.5" hose sold at HD or Lowes, you will find that the smaller hose will clog much easier.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

Thanks for that advice guys.

 

[deliveryboy]

great build! to me though a $200 blower is outrageous for my not so deep pockets, but I may use some of the ideas presented here.

 

[Frghtshkr]

DeliveryBoy I just built my "Viper Vac" This week. I needed something quick and didn't want to spend lots of money. I got a bucket with a screw off lid My neighbor had only a 5 gallon though definitely need a 6 gallon. I also happened onto a thick rubber base for the top it is a rubber ring about a inch thick. I built with Vipers specs pretty much but I am using my Homelite vac that I use around the yard not has easy to secure to the top has the Echo, but basically this is a temporary one and I wanted to be able to remove the vac real easy so i can use in the yard as well. I actually bungee corded it and it is real secure. I used my hose from my electric shop vac.

I admit this isn't has nice has Vipers but it sucks up everything, I was sucking up 1" rocks without a problem. Now here is the good part total build $15.00 roughly all I bought was the rubber grommet and the compression fitting. I will take pics this week in action and post.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

I am trying to follow the spirit of AzViper's build, but using what I already have on hand or can afford. I did buy the 6 gallon bucket he linked to though. I think I am going to try to paint mine to try and mitigate the uv damage the Arizona sun causes to everything plastic it encounters.

 

[Frghtshkr]

Elag- Good call we know what the desert sun can do. Yes I am definitely re-Viping mine LOL! but I needed by this weekend

 

[elgatodelnoche]

]AzViper, I do have another question. I've seen at least one commercial gold vac that uses an Echo ES-250 or ES-255 "Shred 'N Vac." I think the main difference is that the impeller has a small blade attached to the inner portion to cut leaves and the impeller design itself has some changes. The ad that I saw for the gold vac using the ES model said that it had higher vacuum than the PB model blowers. I sort of doubt it because there have to be some efficiency compromises in an impeller that's designed for foreign material passing over it. Only advantage to the ES models, it seems to me, is that the impeller may last longer if a lot of debris passes through it due to an inefficient bucket baffle design, or overfilling the bucket. I don't know if the housings are substantially different and if the ES models may be harder to adapt to a bucket.

Just wonder what you think?

Thanks again,

Bob

Take it out.

 

[AzViper]

​

Here is my latest creation of the Viper-Vac for a member of the forums. The only change in what I am doing different today than when I first started building the vac's is the diffuser. I am no longer placing a diffuser in front of the inlet. I am now attaching a 2.5" 90 degree elbow to the inlet fitting on the inside and moving the inlet where I have the my logo, this allows more paydirt to fill the bucket before clean outs. This makes it much easier to roll the vacuum hose into the bucket and have room for the attachments. The elbow forces the paydirt downward.

​

 

[elgatodelnoche]

I love your decal!

 

[deliveryboy]

just waiting on my grommet now, got all the other parts including a cheap blower

 

[Frghtshkr]

Just used mine this weekend. Man that sure makes a difference. Beats the the whisk broom and dust pan I was using before.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

Just used mine this weekend. Man that sure makes a difference. Beats the the whisk broom and dust pan I was using before.

Amen and Hallelujia!!! Tell it brother! Tell it!

 

[russau]

I built one of these maybe 15 years ago and never used it.i wanted to use it while I was drywashing in New Mexico and forgot to bring it with all the other stuff. I used the eng/blower on something else but its still sitting there in my shop.i got another eng/blower and never got around to finish assembeling it.

 

[AzViper]

I built one of these maybe 15 years ago and never used it.i wanted to use it while I was drywashing in New Mexico and forgot to bring it with all the other stuff. I used the eng/blower on something else but its still sitting there in my shop.i got another eng/blower and never got around to finish assembeling it.

Russ we use the two I built for our use all the time to clean the crevices and bedrock. Out here in the dry west more and more people I see selling their drywashers and doing more crevicing.

 

[kazcoro]

Just used mine this weekend. Man that sure makes a difference. Beats the the whisk broom and dust pan I was using before.

It is a damned useful tool. You can use it for other things as well. No power cords, plenty of suction.

 

[AzViper]

I took the latest Viper-Vac I built over to a shop that sale everything you can imagine in gas powered tools and hand tools, I went to this shop with the idea of unloading some Viper-Vacs. The shop caters to the building industry. The Skil power tool rep happens to be there when I walk in with it. Everyone look at it and could not understand why an Echo blower was mounted on the lid of a bucket as the inlet was facing me. Then I explained to them that it was a gas powered vacuum. The Rep was floored and wanted to look inside and wanted to start it up. I had to explain to everyone that it belongs to a customer, but I had my old model out in my truck and would gladly show them how it works.

The question popped up as to what I use it for, I kindly explained how we use the vac to harvest gold. Looking around I think I had everyone that worked for the shop and customers outside when I fired up the vac. You should have seen the smiles and grins on the faces of these salesmen. I do believe I have some Viper-Vac’s orders coming my way as the shop wants a demo model and said that the vac could find a home in the construction industry. Now I need to secure a source of Echo blowers at a more reasonable price. It would be great to buy just raw blowers with no attachments, cardboard boxes, etc.

 

[russau]

That's great! I hope you have some great success with your venture. just don't be suprises when that tool guy or Echo develops their own version and stops buying from you.sell all you can now! but good luck!