# ballast vacuum device



## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

someone on another forum posted this video. looks like a neat little thing. 
but have no ideal how you would build one. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r472H_eYmg

come on guys, I am sure someone here must have some ideals, how you could build one. I know I sure could use one.

Ron


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

I used something like that in the 70s...only it wasn't for ballast....

The principle is simple, he's suctioning the ballast into a jar with a vacuum cleaner that has been modified to pull thru his vauum jar. By breaking the direct connection inside the jar, the ballast falls to the bottom of the jar before it gets sucked into the vacuum line, it can then be reused from that jar. A damper is adjusted to control to power of the vacuum's suction.

A jar, some 3/8" hose, an adaptor for your vac and some practice is all you need. 2 holes in the jar to fit the hose, one almost reaching the bottom---that's your vacuum line---and one that just oes in the hole---that goes to the vacuum adaptor. You adaptor has to have a vent to adjust the suction of the vac.

I have that issue, I'll have to dig it up.


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## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

Thanks shaygetz


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

His vid makes it look so easy! Great thinking (except the sandpaper on the track part, though).


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## chilipecker (Jan 26, 2013)

*Ballast Vacuum*

Does anyone have the article or instructions to make this? I looked on You Tube, only found video of it in use. Looks like it works OK, so if I can find out how to make one I'll do a video, unless there already is one?


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

That is a great idea.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm not sure why instructions are needed, the one picture of the gadget tells it all. You have a vacuum cleaner or other vacuum source connected to a jar, and another hose with the vacuum pickup. Like it was stated, the vacuum pickup connections goes well down in the jar, the vacuum source is connected just at the lid.

Look at the shot of the device that was near the start of the video.


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## chilipecker (Jan 26, 2013)

GREAT!, Many Thanks for the photo of that article! Now I can see better details of how it was made. 
After reading the article, you would benefit by not having to spend the time doing your own trail and error process of what jar volume, hose diameter, etc. delivers the best results...
I saw the video of this being used, but after a Google and Bing search, nothing on the specifics of making one. I thought others might also like to have "foolproof" (or, "me-proof") instructions to save time and frustration.
Would be nice to have all the fine details, but thanks to your post, you have provided us with a good start! Thanks for sharing!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I figured the picture told you most of what you needed to know. It was captured from the video, there's all I could get.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Showoff! 
Great idea, and a nice diagram to boot! I would have just used a stocking or something inside a shop vac hose. That wouldn't control the suction. But that could be modified with a hole on the tool attachment that I was using.


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## Pfunmo (Feb 21, 2013)

I used to have one around that I had made. I had a different idea on the suction adjustment. As I had an old "wand/pipe" from a vac, I used it instead of the bottle they show. I found the bottle tedious to hold with fingers over the holes. My method used a set of holes drilled in the wand with a paper band glued tightly over the wand. To adjust the vacuum force, I could move the paper band over more or less of the holes. Building the ballast pickup was a pretty tedious job to get the slots cut right so that the ballast did not clog at the inlets.


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