# Dust collection ideas



## robertsj22 (May 25, 2021)

I have a 2 hp dust collection unit for my big machines. I'm looking for something for my miter saw, sanders, routing table and such. I'm seeing people go the shop vac route. Do ya need thing collector that goes on a bucket as well?


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## Barkley (Jun 28, 2019)

I picked up a used whole house vac unit, put a $30 Amazon cyclone on a Home Depot 5 gallon bucket. To attach the cyclone to the bucket I used a screw on lid. Piped the dust collection with 2" PVC and blast gates. I use it for sanders, miter saw, and the blade gaurd on my table saw. This setup works pretty well except for the miter saw, I haven't had good luck with anything I've tried so far with that. The vacuum I bought was for a large house but it had a bad control board. Easy to bypass and made it a whole lot cheaper. Hope this info helps.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I wouldn't dream of going backward (from 4" to 2-1/2"), now that I've had both on the miter and sanding table. However, I wouldn't go to a 4" for a direct run o my HAND sanders.

What finally works for my miter is, an HF with a nylon cover around it. Everything else is dealt with by my 3hp units.


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## Bill_Steele (Aug 29, 2013)

I use my shop vac with a Dust Deputy for my router table, sander, miter saw, and drill press. This works well for me. The Dust Deputy is a worthwhile addition in my opinion. It helps to keep the shop vac filter clean and simplifies dumping out what was collected. I added an I-VAC remote so I can turn the shop vac on and off without going back to the shop vac.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

For stand alone tools I like a shop vac, and an Ivac to autorun the vac, when I run the tool. I have plenty of room, and just leave them hooked up at that tools work station. Keeep your eyes peeled, and shop vac deals are always somewhere.


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## bigJohninvegas (May 25, 2014)

> I have a 2 hp dust collection unit for my big machines. I'm looking for something for my miter saw, sanders, routing table and such. I'm seeing people go the shop vac route. Do ya need thing collector that goes on a bucket as well?
> 
> - robertsj22


I have the 1.75hp Powermatic DC in my shop for all the large machines. And my router table uses it too. 
Miter saw is on the ShopVac, and the other small hand held tools I had sort of given up on. 
So at the moment I have a Jet air filter, and just using that catch bag that comes on a tool, and a respirator.
But it has always been on my mind to revisit it.

My issue was hooking the small tools to the vacuum. I had used an old vacuum hose off a broken down hoover vacuum that I adapted to fit the shop vac hose. It worked, but was to big a pain to deal with. 
Ended up tossing it out about a year ago.

Another forum topic just started a couple days ago made me revisit this. 
Check it out. Hose kits with adapters to fit small tools, and a shop vac.

https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/314864
At a glance I liked this hose/adapter set up. But I have a lot of reading to do. Look at other options before I buy it. 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0849L6LLH/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=3c5bec6a48975d315c4824715bbf7fbc&hsa_cr_id=6598981280901&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=96077962-a9f6-40fa-8653-60ab655b5006&pd_rd_w=YfNlf&pd_rd_wg=hrTE3&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img&th=1
All I had seen before was the Rockler small tool adapters. And my big issue with my home made set up was that the hose did not swivel, and trying to fit it to the different tools. For a sander, the lack of a swivel is not a deal breaker. But try cutting a circle with a router. Hose was always in a bind. Plus the hose was not long enough, and the larger shopvac hose pulling on it all the time was tiresome.

I have not tried the dust deputy type cyclone. I hear they work ok. But I buy the 15-22 Gallon* High Efficiency Disposable Filter Bags for my ShopVac. So no clogged filter. And I get several months out of a bag.

The other big option is the Festool style vacuums. Other big expensive brands too. But I am not ready to spend that.


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## Barkley (Jun 28, 2019)

When collecting dust from the blade guard of a table saw, band saw, or sander the low volume-high velocity of a whole house vac or a shop vac seems to work best. The collection point needs to be as close to the point of actually making the dust. I'm going back to high volume low velocity of my main dust collection system for my miter saw because the shop vac/whole house system doesn't work worth a crap. The volume of dust over powers the shop vac in a second. I'm thinking of running a 6" to the bottom of a hood covering the entire miter saw like Rob Cosman did in his new shop.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Dust Collector is for *dust only* as impeller is in intake path. General clean up will ding the impeller and/or clog the intake grate. A separator is needed to protect the impeller. DC has filter on *output* so no deadly dust is released.

Shop vac has motor and impeller in the exhaust path. Shop vac separates out chunks so nothing dings impeller (which is protected from debris by filter). Air coming out of shopvac is unclean and tends to spew fine dust.

Both are needed in a shop. DC connected directly to dust producers and shop vac for general cleaning. Wear a mask when using shop vac since its not got a fine filter.


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## Barkley (Jun 28, 2019)

I forgot to mention that my dust collector lives in a separate room and the cyclone is vented back into my shop via a Wynn air filter mounted in the shop to keep conditioned air loss at a minimum. Doesn't prevent all loss but keeps it at a level the mini split can keep up with (most of the time). 
This saves space in the shop and keeps me from having to listen to the thing.
For the problem of the hoses getting tangled up, try going overhead with a swivel in line on the router and sander.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Madmark, if that were true, as a general statement, millions, including experts, are and have been wrong, for decades.

The impellers of dust collectors are designed to deal with chips and shavings from planer, jointers and even floor cleaning.

Even cyclones are built to deal with things like over full collection cans and such.

Yes, units like the small HF unites have screens that bar them from handling shavings from planers and jointers.



> Dust Collector is for *dust only* as impeller is in intake path. General clean up will ding the impeller and/or clog the intake grate. A separator is needed to protect the impeller. DC has filter on *output* so no deadly dust is released.
> 
> Shop vac has motor and impeller in the exhaust path. Shop vac separates out chunks so nothing dings impeller (which is protected from debris by filter). Air coming out of shopvac is unclean and tends to spew fine dust.
> 
> ...


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## mtnwalton (Aug 4, 2015)

For my sliding miter saw i use an ivac switch to control the shop vac and dust deputy located under the saw. Not perfect but most miter saw dust collection suffers unless you build a custom surround.

I just got a Bosch HEPA dust collector with auto tool switch for sanders, garage is unusable while home renovation continues, haven't had time to use it yet.

For the rest of the shop i use a 3 hp Jet cyclone collector with 4" pipe


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

DC for high airflow, table saw, jointer, planer etc. 
Shop vac for high vacuum, low flow, sanders etc. 
Chop saw, good luck.

Both should have a cyclone or you will be clogging filters or buying a lot of bags. 
2 HP is marginal unless right at the saw.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Basically disagree with some of your points. . 
A DC without a cyclone is a chip collector and high power dust distributor and basically useless.
Add a cyclone and HEPA filters, then you have a DUST collector that isolates the impellor. 
Wood chips will not damage the impellor. Nails, screws or bits you should SWEEP up first might scratch one and then there is the basically unfounded question of sparks.

I went from shop vac, to bag DC, canister DC, and finally quit wasting money on half-ass not working systems. Now I run a ClearView DC and a CV cyclone on my Fein shop vac with a HEPA filter Everything less was a waste of money and did not work. I no longer need a mask and almost never even need my ambient air cleaner. I know as the filters stay clean. ( Except painting of course)



> Dust Collector is for *dust only* as impeller is in intake path. General clean up will ding the impeller and/or clog the intake grate. A separator is needed to protect the impeller. DC has filter on *output* so no deadly dust is released.
> 
> Shop vac has motor and impeller in the exhaust path. Shop vac separates out chunks so nothing dings impeller (which is protected from debris by filter). Air coming out of shopvac is unclean and tends to spew fine dust.
> 
> ...


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## yamato72 (Apr 5, 2021)

I have a big cyclone DC and have 4" ports at all my stationary tools. But for my spindle sander and miter saw that have 2-1/4 vac ports, those just work better with the high pressure / low volume of a shop vac. A typical DC loses its effectiveness when throttled down to 2-1/4 vac ports.

And to really make a dent in the dust produced by a CMS (particularly a slider) you usually need a shroud around it, connected to your DC. In my case, I've left the dust bag on my SCMS, piped my 4" DC to a melamine shroud around my saw, and left my shop vac out of it. I do have a Jet filtration unit mounted on the wall above the saw, and it is somewhat incorporated into the shroud. The Jet ("at full suck") and the shroud are the only things that make a difference with the cloud of dust that my SCMS creates and I still typically wear a respirator when I use it.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> DC for high airflow, table saw, jointer, planer etc.
> Shop vac for high vacuum, low flow, sanders etc.
> Chop saw, good luck.
> 
> ...


^^Spot on & my experience, too. Only the really big DC's will have the needed air flow to offshoot narrower/high velocity ducts to small tools.

Miter saws are difficult, but really you need to do something as they spew dust everywhere. A hood can be made or bought I think the key is that you start with a miter saw that has decent DC designed into it.

For my miter saw and router table, I have a 1HP wall mount blower adapted to vent outside, & gates. Works well, I still wear a mask when cutting MDF.

Of course dust extractors excel for hand sanders, if you can afford one.


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