# Shop Vac is crushing Dust-Deputized 5 gallon bucket



## yinzer (Jun 15, 2013)

I wonder if someone can help me here. I finally sprung for an official Dust Deputy and promptly put it on a 5 gallon bucket (HD if it matters). I hooked it to a pretty good vacuum (actual Shop Vac). When I turn it on the can crushes under the pressure and almost everything goes right into the shop vac. 
Any advice?
Tks
Bruce


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

What kind of Shop Vac do you have? I used a dust deputy on HD bucket for years without a problem. Wow. I can't imagine that the suction could ever by that high. Do you have a pic of your setup?

One think I did was to put one bucket inside another, not because of crushing, but because the bottom bucket was screwed to a plywood mobile base. Worth a try to see if that helps, I guess.


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## Racer2007 (Jan 13, 2011)

I would try a different bucket , sounds like the HD one is too weak on the sides to take the suction. Dust Deputy also sells a bucket for it and I think it is quite a bit stiffer than most of the ones you find at the Big Box stores , just because of this problem on most other buckets.
Also are you sure you have the hoses connected to the correct Inlet and Outlets on the DD.
You might try to support the current bucket with some small boards inside just to test it, but I wouldn't leave them in since they might cause a blockage.


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Just occurred to me-the other think I did was to reinforce the lid with plywood on both sides, drilled the mounting hoses through the plywood, and mounted the DD that way.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

I put a half inch piece of plywood under the Dust Deputy lid as I had

a similar problem. It's all good now.


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## yinzer (Jun 15, 2013)

I could take a picture but it would probably take forever to figure out how to get it on here. But, Its a ShoP 
Vac Heavy Duty. 16 gal, 5.5 hp. 
The only thing I could think of is that I have a 2.25 hose between vac and bucket and 1.25 in hose for intake to bucket.
Bruce


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## yinzer (Jun 15, 2013)

Also btw the lid is made of 1/2 in mdf


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

You gotta be doing something wrong. I have been using a DD with a 12 gallon Shop Vac for several years.
Currently it is sitting on top of a bucket grease came in originally. I have used the HD buckets also.

I don't think the bucket is the problem suction brings the material into the DD, where it drops out into the bucket. The air continues on to the shop vac. My bag and filter are always empty when I check the vac.

Is your hose sucking or is their an obstruction?

Good luck. That's all I can think of for now.


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## yinzer (Jun 15, 2013)

I think the problem might have been the fact that since I only had 1 piece of 2 in hose and 1 piecce of 1.25 hose, I tried to use the 2.25 between vac and bucket and the 1.25 for intake. I switched these around and it seems to work correctly. Maybe the 1.25 hose couldn't keep up with the 2.25 demand.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

That's exactly the problem. The small hose was a bottleneck. I think you'd be better off to get another piece of 2.25 hose to get the max air flow. You're still making the shop vac work harder, it's just not affecting the bucket anymore.


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## Lynden (Oct 13, 2009)

I'd switch to a steel bucket, if only for the color.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vestil-5-Gal-Steel-Black-Open-Head-Pail-PAIL-STL-RI/205526535


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## Racer2007 (Jan 13, 2011)

> I d switch to a steel bucket, if only for the color.
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vestil-5-Gal-Steel-Black-Open-Head-Pail-PAIL-STL-RI/205526535
> 
> - Lynden


Yea and if you crush that bucket , I want to buy your Shop Vac .


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

The lid on my bucket sucks inward but not the bucket itself.

Anyone have anything in the 10 gallon size range? I want bigger than a 5 gallon bucket but not that much bigger.


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

> You gotta be doing something wrong. I have been using a DD with a 12 gallon Shop Vac for several years.
> Currently it is sitting on top of a bucket grease came in originally. I have used the HD buckets also.
> 
> I don t think the bucket is the problem suction brings the material into the DD, where it drops out into the bucket. The air continues on to the shop vac. My bag and filter are always empty when I check the vac.
> ...


Yep this is how to hook it up right.

Personally I will never buy from them again. Mine was only 4 months old and the very top came off. I called them and they told me to use CA glue to put it back on. I told them I did that and it still came off. They told me in essence Tough luck and they were not going to replace it.


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## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

> The lid on my bucket sucks inward but not the bucket itself.
> 
> Anyone have anything in the 10 gallon size range? I want bigger than a 5 gallon bucket but not that much bigger.
> 
> - patcollins


What are you using your Dust Deputy on? I use mine with sanders and the like, and could imagine it with my router table, but not so much with the table saw and never the planer or jointer. If you are trying to capture the effluent from machines that create a lot out chips you really need a bigger unit, not a bigger bucket.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

> The lid on my bucket sucks inward but not the bucket itself.
> 
> Anyone have anything in the 10 gallon size range? I want bigger than a 5 gallon bucket but not that much bigger.
> 
> ...


Mostly just to clean up with, but I will stick it on my bandsaw.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

> That s exactly the problem. The small hose was a bottleneck. I think you d be better off to get another piece of 2.25 hose to get the max air flow. You re still making the shop vac work harder, it s just not affecting the bucket anymore.
> 
> - firefighterontheside


Agree on the small hose being the problem with can crushing.

BUT, the shop vac is *not* working harder with the restricted hose. Actually it is the exact opposite. When you restrict the air flow on any fan the amp draw of the motor will be less.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

> That s exactly the problem. The small hose was a bottleneck. I think you d be better off to get another piece of 2.25 hose to get the max air flow. You re still making the shop vac work harder, it s just not affecting the bucket anymore.
> 
> - firefighterontheside
> 
> ...


Not sure where you heard that but it is absolutely not true.


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## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

2.25 between vac and bucket and the 1.25 for intake,you were taking more air 
out than was being pulled in.


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

'Yinzer' needs to post a photo of his set up for us to be able to really decide what is wrong, could many different factors which we cannot see without a photo….


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## CharleyL (Mar 10, 2009)

I have a Dust Deputy that I had hooked to my Shop Vac, but have recently replaced the Shop Vac with a Beam central house vacuum unit. The Beam has much greater suction than the Shop Vac did and it collapsed the 5 gallon plastic bucket that I had the Dust Deputy connected to. My 5 gallon buckets are Firehouse Subs pickle buckets, and I bought them because they are supposed to be much stronger than most 5 gallon buckets. The upper third of these buckets have molded-in plastic ribs around them making this area very sturdy, but the bottom 2/3 of the bucket is just thin plastic, and this is the part that collapsed. By stacking 3 buckets together the top bucket, in effect, gets ribs all the way to it's bottom. Since stacking the buckets I have tried to collapse them but I cannot. Not even the more powerful Beam central vac can collapse them. My son just brought me a 30 gal steel barrel, so I will be moving the Dust Deputy to it as soon as I can make a plywood lid for it, but in 2 months of use the stacked 5 gallon pickle buckets (when stacked) are doing just fine. I'm using the central vacuum in my shop for sanding and scroll sawing dust pick-up. So far I have 3/4 filled the 5 gallon bucket 2 times with this very fine sawdust since connecting the central vacuum to it and no sawdust is reaching the central vacuum dust bin. The Dust Deputy is doing a perfect job.

Charley


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## Jackryan (Apr 7, 2013)

I added my Dust Deputy top to a cheap bucket and collapsed it, to solve it I cut the top and bottom off another cheap bucket, dropped it inside and solved the problem. My shopvac is one of the smaller ones that hang on the wall but is portable.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

You guys that are stacking buckets, are you sure that the inner bucket isn't collapsing and you just don't see it?


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

> That s exactly the problem. The small hose was a bottleneck. I think you d be better off to get another piece of 2.25 hose to get the max air flow. You re still making the shop vac work harder, it s just not affecting the bucket anymore.
> 
> - firefighterontheside
> 
> ...


I heard that because i have been an engineer for 40 years and have a thorough understanding of the fan principles. A fan spinning with a restricted intake or output will pull less amps than the same fan with un-restricted intake or output.
THAT'S A FACT JACK.


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## Rayne (Mar 9, 2014)

I'm going to build this as a pressure relief so it doesn't accidentally crush my next 5 gallon bucket. Might be worth a try for you as well.

http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=198.0m


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## CharleyL (Mar 10, 2009)

> You guys that are stacking buckets, are you sure that the inner bucket isn t collapsing and you just don t see it?
> 
> - patcollins


I have emptied the top bucket in my stack two times since placing 3 of the identical buckets in a stack. I collapsed a single identical bucket in about 2 minutes when not stacking them. The buckets that I'm using are pickle buckets bought from "Firehouse Subs" for a $2 each (donation that goes to local fire dept) because I've read that these buckets are a bit tougher than the white buckets that are available new from Lowes and Home Depot. These red pickle buckets have a Type 2 recycle number on the bottom and the white buckets that I've found have a type 3 recycle rating. These pickle buckets are reinforced with ribs around the top third of the bucket that makes this part much stiffer. The one that I managed to collapse only collapsed in the lower two thirds area. That's why I decided to stack the buckets, to get the benefit of the ribs all the way down the upper bucket by stacking them. This has worked fine and the top bucket, the one collecting the sawdust, has not shown any signs of collapsing. I'll be switching to a 30 gal steel bucket soon, because my son found me one, but I'm in no hurry because the stacked method is working fine for me.

Charley


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## splatman (Jul 27, 2014)

YouTube user Marius Hornberger came up with an idea to keep vacuum buckets from collapsing:


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## Eddie_T (Sep 23, 2012)

I am just starting to put a cyclone bucket combo together but don't have a lid that is easy to get off the bucket. Is there a recommended lid out there or should I just make one?



> You guys that are stacking buckets, are you sure that the inner bucket isn t collapsing and you just don t see it?
> 
> - patcollins


I don't think enough air can get between buckets to collapse the inner bucket. It's atmospheric pressure that collapses the bucket.


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## verdesardog (Apr 2, 2011)

Yep, you just had too much resistance on the intake hose, glad you got it all corrected.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

I have the same set-up as MT_Stringer. I was puzzled at all the sawdust going into the Shop Vac. I looked and had the hoses reversed! Duh! I bought the whole DD set with the two buckets.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Hit the wrong button! See previous post.


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## TinWhiskers (Oct 17, 2015)

Metal trash can. I use a metal 55 gallon drum.


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## Eddie_T (Sep 23, 2012)

> I am just starting to put a cyclone bucket combo together but don t have a lid that is easy to get off the bucket. Is there a recommended lid out there or should I just make one?
> - Eddie_T


Just a bump, looking for a response.


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## starkw1 (May 4, 2017)

An exoskeleten works as an implosion countermeausure. A fiber drum would be a better choice.


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## jamsomito (Mar 26, 2017)

EDIT: I just saw this was a 3 year necro thread. *sigh* maybe someday I'll actually be able to contribute with a solution for somebody.

Skimmed this thread, there's some good ideas here. But OP, I've got your back! It's a real deal problem, I had it too. I have the "6.5 HP" Shop Vac brand unit and it sucked my bucket in too with a dust deputy on top. It uses a big hose for a shop vac, either 2.25" or 2.5", somewhere in there. All I did was add a plywood ring inside, screwed it on midway up the bucket and caulked the screw holes. Worked like a champ, been using it since!



























































































Just measure the diameter on the top of the bucket and the bottom of the bucket, pick a number about half way in between and jam it down as far as it will go. It will be tight and keep itself in there. Not even sure the screws were necessary, but I didn't want it tilting on me and getting jammed in a weird positing and collapsing the bucket again if sawdust piled up and moved it around. I made it about an inch thick. You could probably go thinner as a circle is generally pretty strong, but, this size has zero impact on function, not an issue for emptying out the dust, simple and works great. Good luck!


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## htl (Mar 24, 2015)

I was at the pool a year or so back and the pool guys use these 7 Gal. buckets with a twist lid, they work really well and the extra 2 gal. is a winner for sure, I think also that their a much stouter made bucket too..
The twist lid is priceless!!!


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> EDIT: I just saw this was a 3 year necro thread. *sigh* maybe someday I ll actually be able to contribute with a solution for somebody.
> 
> - jamsomito


I think you just did. Otherwise I wouldn't know about the pool buckets and your design. Thanks. 

Yeah. You need at least a 5 gal paint bucket. The cheap 5 gal buckets aren't thick enuf.


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## htl (Mar 24, 2015)

Home depot also sells a screw on lid that works great.


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## Eddie_T (Sep 23, 2012)

I am thinking about using a section from another bucket to add strength. I like the bucket from the pool but there is no nearby community pool, that screw on lid is neat.


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## mel52 (Sep 4, 2017)

I have a set-up similar to what Stringer shows and I have it set up to use on all of my tools in the shop, including my Dewalt planer and it does a good job on all. The only problem is that on some tools, the 5 gallon interior bucket fills up pretty quick, ( planer ). I have it installed to a big 16 gallon, 6 hp Ridged from HD. It does suck down the lid on the bucket just a tiny bit but hasn't been a problem yet, actually when it sucks the top down a little it makes the lid connection tighter. DIDN'T realize how old the original post was, my bad.


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