Make: Projects
Hovercraft Shop Vac
Mod your vacuum to float obediently behind you on a cushion of air.
I have owned several shop vacuum cleaners, but regardless of the make, I never liked the way the casters worked. They never rolled where I wanted them to.
When I recently had to replace a worn-out shop vacuum, I looked for a way to improve the mobility of the new machine. That’s when I realized that the vacuum’s discharge air might be a way to do this.
I decided to make the vacuum self-levitating, to turn it into a hovercraft. Then it would just obediently float along the floor behind me.
Here’s how I did it.
Steps
Step #1: Mount the vacuum to the hovercraft deck.
Next- First I bought a ¾"-thick × 24"-diameter MDF disk at a local home center, and attached my new vacuum, without wheels, to the center of the disk with a few ½" wood screws.
- The canister is made of plastic, and the screws can be driven right through the bottom into the MDF. Don’t worry about the holes in the canister; they’re small and could easily be patched later.
Conclusion
This project first appeared in MAKE Volume 29.
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