Over our Christmas vacation we ended up stopping by a very large tool store (aka toy store) in South Carolina called Mann-Tool. For those of you who have never been, just imagine the tool section at a big box store —- only 10xs as many tools & ALL great quality named brands! Coupled with it is an entire wing of the building which is an independent Rockler store!
As you can guess, there are not too many tools that I dont know about, havent used, or at minimum havent seen — but Mann-Tool really surprised me. Not only did they have everything from little to big, they had everything in between. Near the checkout they had a display with the Dust Bubbles, and at under $5, I thought they would be worth a shot. We bought them (along with a lot of other tools) and headed out.
Fast forward to Las Vegas at the beginning of February, and we actually ran across the maker of the Dustbubble — Dustless Technologies and a very large booth they had set up. They were there highlighting concrete dust solutions, but I recognized the name & we started talking about the Dustbubbles that I had bought. Turns out that they are a big seller & very popular, and they also make them for a wide range of applications.
– Regular Strength = Painted Interior Walls
– Extra Strength = Unpainted/Unfinished Surfaces
– Industrial Strength = Metal / Heavy-Duty Applications
Two things really stood out to me after talking to the rep. That they really save a lot of prep time (by not having to move or cover furniture/flooring) & cleanup time when drilling holes in rooms with furniture. Also with metal applications (machinery/equipment) there are no stray shavings, chips, and shards to clean up afterwards. For anyone drilling into metal, you will know exactly what I mean — and the rep said some of their clients can save 20+ minutes/hole on cleanup time! When you consider places like hospitals and labs, this makes a lot of sense.
To use the Dustbubble, you only need to peel the adhesive backing off & stick it to the wall……grab two tabs and pull out to create the bubble…….drill through the center (bubble catches the dust)……peel off & throw away! Extremely simple!
Throughout the testing it was obvious right off the bat the amount of time you will save when it comes to cleanup. Basically it eliminates it, and you literally can peel if off the wall & throw it out. No need to pull out a vacuum, dust extractor, or broom. My thinking as far as the main benefit (safety/health-wise) would be in older homes with lead based paint. That can be a huge risk to you and anyone else in the house/property, and by preventing the dust from escaping — you are also minimizing your chances of being exposed.
They are sold in a couple different versions. Basically a small-pack for Homeowners & a bulk-pack for Contractors. The cost is going to be in the $1.25/each range, and considering what your time is worth……this really beats pulling out a vacuum for one or two holes!
Check out Mann-Tool here —> http://www.manntools.com