TIPS FOR USING THE LAUBE iVAC

With the introduction of the iVac, Kim Laube & Co. has made vacuum clippering available to the masses. Here are a few tips and suggestions for getting the best results from your iVac.

GETTING USED TO THE LAUBE CLIPPER LATCH
If you have not previously used a Laube clipper, the blade latch mechanism may require some getting used to. It definitely requires some breaking in, as it can be rather stiff on a new clipper. Laube's blade latch, the mechanism by which the blade attaches to the clipper is designed to firmly hold blades and allow the powerful motor to move the clipper blades at a very fast speed.

Although the iVac clipper can use all brands of detachable style blades, it might be a good idea to purchase a couple of Laube blades to dedicate to your iVac. Make one of those a #30, to use under comb attachments and for skimming technique or over-finger cutting.

The Laube latch requires a distinct two-step process in attaching blades to the clipper. First slip the blade over the tongue and press until half closed. Then turn the clipper on and press hard to snap the blade into place over the blade drive. If the blade rattles, it is NOT seated properly. On a new clipper and unseated blades, (blades not previously used on the Laube clipper), the last bit of attachment can require quite a bit of pressure. Laube recommends that you snap on a new blade several times to break in the latch and seat the blade. For my old and arthritic hands, this instruction is punishment. Sometimes I think I can't latch a blade. One thing that can work is to press on the lever on the back of the clipper that is used to release blades WHILE pushing the blade on the last little bit. The good news about this stiff latch mechanism is that blades absolutely will NOT lift off during clipping, no matter how thick or matted a coat.

iVac clip down with a #5f blade

ADJUSTING YOUR CLIPPING TECHNIQUE
Using a vacuum system of any kind requires certain adjustments in how you are handling the clippers. Many groomers have been taught that smooth clipping requires long, smooth, strokes with the clippers and pressing the flat part of the blade to the body of the dog. For vacuum clipping, I have found that I get better results if I used a lighter touch, with short, lifting strokes. It's almost the opposite of how I was taught. Before I adjusted my strokes, I hated the clipper work I was doing with a vacuum system. There were gouged in places and tracks between clipper strokes. If this happens, you can fix it by going in reverse with a size larger blade.

CONTROLLING THE SUCTION
What we have learned from using other vacuum clipper systems (I've had a Hanvey Artmaster for seven years) is that less suction can yield a better clipping result. Softer, finer hair needs the least possible suction to not make marks and gouges in the coat. When using a shop vac as your vacuum motor, it is advisable that you obtain a variable speed device that can be plugged in between the outlet and the clipper and will allow you to reduce the speed of the vacuum motor. This not only gives you better clipping, it lowers the volume of the shop vac. It looks like this:

The biggest difference in using a shop vac kit and a built in vacuum system is the noise level. You do not need a powerful shop vac to work your iVac, you are going to want the most quiet one you can find and then soften it more with a variable speed device. Thicker, coarse hair can require more suction, but for nearly everything I do, I use the lowest possible setting, and simply open and close the air vent on the side of the iVac.

CLIPPING AGAINST THE GRAIN
Reverse clipping against the grain is something I was taught to NEVER DO. Quess what? The iVac is the perfect opportunity to throw that old rule out the window. Vacuum clippers work great against the grain, and some groomers use this technique on nearly everything. Reverse clipping leaves a very plush coat, like velvet, and the vacuum action makes every single hair stand up perfectly. You can sometimes get your best ever clip down by going against the grain over the whole dog with a vacuum clipper. The main thing to keep in mind is that reverse clipping will go closer than clipping with the grain.

I use reverse clipping to help me get more perfect clipping over boney or indented areas, such as the elbows, and the tendons above the hock joint. I also use reverse strokes to smooth out gouges or lines in the clipper work. It's a great "erasure" technique.

CHOOSING BLADE AND COMB SIZES
In general, vacuum action will cause a slighter shorter cut than you are used to. Depending on the texture and thickness of the coat being clipped, a #5 blade can look more like what you might expect from a #7. When starting out with your iVac, it is suggested that you go up a size longer than you might otherwise. This is especially important if you are working on a thin or soft coat.

DON'T FEED YOUR iVAC MORE THAN IT CAN SWALLOW
Badly matted coats present a challenge for the vacuum hose of your iVac. While the clipper will remove the mat, the hose cannot cope with giant wads of hair. You have to be aware of what you are "feeding" the hose. Using a lifting motion between clipper strokes can help separate the hair that is entering the hose. When I run into a large clump that I know might clog the hose, I simply hold onto the hair with my free hand and pull it away from the mouth of the iVac and toss it on the floor to be swept up later.

DEALING WITH CLOGS
OK, let's say you misjudged how much your iVac could swallow and in the middle of a job, your iVac stops sucking the hair. You have a clog. The first place to look is at the vacuum canister where the hose attaches. Your canister may simply be full and not accepting more hair, and/or the hair may be backing up right at the end of the hose where it attaches to the vac. Empty the canister and pull out any balls of hair at the end of the hose. Straighten the hose out and run it a moment without the clipper attached.

If the iVac still doesn't suck, turn the clipper off and snap the hose off the clipper. Is the clog right there at the opening of the hose? Pull it out. If you've got a clog somewhere in unreachable area of the hose, turn the vacuum motor all the way up to highest speed and hold your hand over the front end of the hose, establishing maximum vacuum pressure. Cover and release a few times. Most often this will pull the hair through. Be sure to straighten the hose its entire length.

Still no action? The next thing would be to straighten out the vacuum hose and blast it with your most powerful HV dryer, right into the end of the hose. Choose the end furthest away from where you think the clog resides. Sometimes you can feel the clog by pinching the hose every couple of inches. If that doesn't work, you can force water through the hose.

Treat your iVac hose with respect. Don't leave it where it can be stepped on, run over, or chewed. Crunched spots or holes in the hose will interfere with the performance of your iVac.

iVac Groom with a Laube "A" Comb

USING SNAP-0N COMBS
One really big advantage of a vacuum clipper over a traditional clipper is in the use of snap-on combs. This gives you a means to trim shaggy dogs without a lot of scissoring, and allows you to leave much more length than blades. The Goldendoodle pictured above was groomed with a Laube "A" comb, leaving about 1" all over. This gives the dog a nice natural look only shorter. A light scissoring over the legs completes the groom. The iVac did all the work! I collected $65.00.

Flat-Coated Retriever "Summerized" With iVac & "O" Comb.

There is some debate amongst groomers as to what blade works best under snap-on combs. I prefer a #30. Airedales are a breed I find particularly suitable for vacuum clippering. Here's a big boy with legs trimmed with a Laube 1 1/2 comb on the iVac.

SKIMMING
For the adventurous, there is a technique called "skimming" that works well with a vacuum clipper. This is an alternative to scissoring that uses a #30 blade (my choice) to trim the length of the hair. Hey, I said it was adventurous! It takes a steady hand and a dog that stands still. Use a little more suction, get the hair to stand out and then skim off the length. Using a clipper-over-comb also works. Hold the hair with the comb to the desired length and skim off the ends. Because I have good scissoring skills, I haven't experimented much with this technique. The iVac is particularly suited to this technique, because of the unobstructed view at the head of the clipper. Reverse clipping, or skimming up the legs rather than down, is recommended. The one place where I use skimming is to shorten ears, using clipper-over-fingers technique. I place the ear between my first two fingers, draw my fingers down to the length I want and skim off all the hair under my fingers. Here's a picture of the results:

DON'T FORGET THE KITTIES!
You may not be interested in grooming cats, but I find it very lucrative. For about 20 minutes of work, I get the same amount of money for a kitty clipdown without a bath as a fully groomed dog. Vacuum clippering has been a big part of my success as a cat groomer. With your iVac you will get perfect, smooth clippering without having to go over and over your work. Never again will your cats look as though they met the lawnmower! This is a cat in the process of getting a lion cut with a #8.5 blade. How smooth is that?

Not only are the results swift and impressive, the cats do not seem bothered by the vacuum suction or the noise at the clipper. This surprised me, too!

EXPECT A LEARNING CURVE
Getting used to using the suction of an iVac or any vacuum clippering system can take some time. Don't expect your best results right out of the box. You may have some undesirable results at first. As you acquaint yourself with using suction, you might want to pick jobs that are less critical and use blades or combs that will leave hair sufficiently long that you can go back over and correct accidents. Experiment with different lengths and different amounts of suction. Try using your air control at the clipper. With the iVac, there is a little slide on the side of the clipper that opens and closes. Discover the benefits of clipping against the grain. The more you experiment with reverse clipping and skimming, the more you will find yourself incorporating these techniques into all your work.

Straight, fine coats, such as Lhasa Apso, Maltese, etc., are the hardest to work with when using suction. Coarse and curly coats, such as Poodle or Airedale, are the most forgiving. You might want to start there.
LET US KNOW
Feel free to add your comments and secret tips to this article. We have set it up to accept comments. Or you can write to me at: petpals@dakotacom.net.