DYI - Custom crevice tool for your detailing Arsenal
 

As most of us here know, one of the easiest tasks to do is simply a good vacuuming job on the interior. My camaro and several other cars I have detailed always have a few places that its simply hard if not impossible to clean. One thing I had found frustrating is vacuuming in specific locations and I just can't seem to get to them because they are too small or to DEEP to reach with the crevice tool that came with my shopvac.

Basically what I did was heat up the 14" wand extension in the oven, once the plastic was soft I used a rolling pin to flatten the plastic to make the crevice tool. The wand extension cost me $4.99 at the store. They had some other shopvac crevice tools taht were not as long and cost 19.99 and some were more with other fancy brushes/attachments.

What I wanted was a VERY thin and long crevice tool for vacuuming the seat areas and between the consoles and the seats. Often its hard to get down and in between the the seat and the seat controls.

My vaccuum package can with both the 1.25" and 2" hoses and matching accessories. In this case I will be doing the DYO crevice tool for the 1.25" hose.

Tools used:

Oven (or you could use a heat gun)
Cookie sheet
Waxpaper/tinfol
Oven Glove
12" wand extension .. you could also use a 14" long PVC pipe that fits the 1.25" hose
Rolling pin
Saw
Sandpaper

My Shopvac
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c07.jpg

Step 1 - I put the wand extension on a cookie sheet with tinfoil (although wax paper might have been better). I put the oven on @ 375. Once the oven was @375, I put the cookie tray and wand in the oven for about 15 minutes or so. I would check every few minutes to make sure it was soft. Time may vary so just keep an eye on it and test it.

Step 2 - Once the pastic of the wand was soft. I removed the wand and pressed down on it to start flattening it out. I used a rolling pin to keep the pressure even and just slowly worked the plastic. You do not want the plastic TOO soft or you will flatten it to the point where it will close completely.

Step 3 - I kept putting it in the oven and rolling it until it was the shape and size I wanted.

Step 4 - rinse with cold water

Step 5 - OPTIONAL - I could have kept the end flat at a 90° angle, but most crevice tools have the end cut at a 45°, so I cut mine at a 45° as well. I also had some melting on the end and wanted to cut that off as well.

Step 6 - I used some sandpaper to sand off the end to make sure there were no SHARP edges to prevent any scratching while vacuuming.


Here are some pictures.


On the left is the original crevice tool for my 1.25" hose. On the right is the end of the extension wand before the DYI

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c01.jpg

Here is a comparison of the end of the wand after the DYI.

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c06.jpg

Here is a comparison of them side by side.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c05.jpg

Here is a picture after I was done rolling it. If you look close at the end on the right you can see it melted a little.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c03.jpg

Here is a size comparison to the rolling pin I used. And NO the rolling pin does not go in the oven!! :)
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c04.jpg

Great idea!

sweet!!!!!

Here are a few more photos of my new crevice tool in action.

I tried to highlight the areas I want to use it for.

This photo is between the passenger side seat and the door sill. Much safer as well, I am not pressing or rubbing on the door trim or seat trim when getting the rug clean at the bottom, under the seat.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c08.jpg

Not sure of you can tell here, but the original crevice tool on the left and the new custom crevice tool on the right. the Custom easily gets to the bottom with ease down were the dirt collects. This is where the tool shines. The old crevice tool just can not reach the bottom without pushing the trim to reach the bottom.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c09.jpg

Passenger side, by the seat and the console. Worked great!
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c10.jpg

The BEAST!
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...M4yh3M/c11.jpg

Nicely done! I'm impressed... may have to try this myself.

I had to cut off about 1.5" on the wand because the end was melted a little and then to make the 45° cut. I might pick up another one and leave the end flat and roll it so that there is only maybe 2" of the original ROUND section to attach to the hose.

In case I did not mention this, after it's softened and "rolled flat" and then cooled by water, the plastic is very hard and strong. Softening and flattening did not harm the plastic at all.

I worked really good last night in those hard to reach spots between the seat and the door trim. It was so much easier then my usual battle to get the dirt by the seat controls.

Great job, I will have to make one for my detail cart!

Nice. I have been ending a tool like that to get between the seat and center console. Great idea.