Shop Vac Swiffer (SUPER SWIFF!)

If you've every owned one of these things you'll know that the suction of the vacuum leaves much to be desired. Also a problem with these units are the rechargeable battery packs. The packs themselves (which the company will tell you that they aren't replaceable---but you can rebuild them yourself for under $20) are probably okay, but the the charging system is just a 9v power transformer that trickle charges the batteries. If a person leaves this on the charger constantly they'll eventually kill the battery with overcharging.

I did contemplate finding a dead 12v drill and rigging the battery holder from it to this unit. Step down the power to 7.2v and it'd be a pretty nice set up. But no. I went nuts.

I took radical measures to bypass the bad suction and battery issue after the batteries in mine kicked the bucket.

Here is the patient laying in the operating theater, practically lifeless.

The first picture is the motor and battery assembly. In case you want to resurrect your unit you can order 6 sub-c NiCd batteries. 1.2v each and 1600ma or higher. It'd be interesting to see someone replace them with a lithium pack.

But that doesn't interest me. It's time for amputation.

Oh the horror! Take a hacksaw or whatever cutter you have to that thing.

Yes, yes, I am. If you don't know what the black thing is in the picture, it's an adapter to Shop Vac. OH YEAH!

Once again use the hacksaw. Lop off the end piece as shown. It would have been  great if the hose on the Swiffer was just a little larger, but I didn't get lucky this time. Saw off the piece, use a little adhesive (more for making an air tight seal than support), and use screws removed from the Swiffer's body to attach the unit. You'll have to pre-drill the holes with a bit a twinge smaller than the screws. I think mine was a 1/8".

Take your super-sucking Shop Vac and put on your new attachment. You will be the envy of all your friends and neighbors. You'll be given a key to the city and they'll throw you a ticker tape parade.

How does it work? Very, very well. So well in fact that it wants to suction to the floor. I may have to either trim a little off of the nozzle or use some of the left over screws to make a stop so the nozzle can't fully go down.

I really don't know why Swiffer hasn't made a heavy duty attachment like this yet. I'm betting hard flooring installers would love this.

So do this. Find interesting uses for the left over fan from the Swiffer and post them here on Instructables.