When using dust creating tools like sanders in the workshop it is always a good idea to have some form of dust collection. I have set up my tools so that I can attach my shop vacuum hose to them for this purpose. But when you are sanding a flat surface, especially a fairly large one, the vacuum hose can be a nuisance as it drags across the surface or snags on the edges.
To overcome this, I made a simple device to hold the hose up. Basis for the approach I used is a cheap retractable clothesline. You need to make sure it has a reasonably strong spring and the one I chose is still available from the Big Green Shed for around $17. I mounted this to one of the ceiling rafters and then attached a large curtain ring to the end. So that it would be within reach when I needed it, I also attached something about a metre from the end of the cord to stop it retracting past that point.
When I am sanding, I simply pass the end of the vacuum hose through the ring before connecting it to my tool. Then there is enough tension in the clothesline to hold the hose up off the surface of the material I’m working on. There is also enough length in the clothesline to enable the support point of the vacuum hose to follow you around as you move around the work piece. Another benefit is that you are less likely to snag the vacuum hose and have it pull out from the tool.
