# connecting dust extraction hose to drop box



## marcros (13 Jan 2015)

I have a drop box drum like this http://www.air-sea.co.uk/products/singl ... -lock.html

and some 4"flexible ducting.

has anybody used pan connectors like http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbin ... /sd2887/90°+Pan+Connector/p37429 to connect into the box. I may need a straight one too

I am hoping that it will stop most of the waste getting to the camvac (twin motor), so save the filters a bit and increase capacity. similar to http://www.carbatec.com.au/dust-separator-lid_c1830. My thoughts are that they should seal well onto the hose because that it within the stated tolerance for soil pipe. 

sorry for all the links but pictures take ages for me to link.


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## sploo (15 Jan 2015)

Sharp bends (that pan connector would count as a sharp bend IMHO) aren't a good idea for air flow. Also, most of the dust separator lids I've seen haven't been that efficient (both at separating and also robbing you of air flow).

I'd be much more tempted to look into a mini cyclone; it will rob you of air flow, but the separation would be massively better. A good one should get to a level whereby you get almost no visible dust in the camvac; such that you'd want to install a very fine filter (to catch the dangerous tiny dust), as it obviously wouldn't then be sandblasted or clogged with bigger dust.

Basically, something like this: http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/cv06-mi ... ystem.html


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## fluffflinger (15 Jan 2015)

Depends on your usage. 

It's fine dust which clogs filters, sanding bad, thicknesser not so bad. 

Dependent on what machines you use your problem will increase with the amount of fine dust (that's the stuff you don't want in the atmosphere and then your lungs).

Personally I'd stick with a cyclone, massively more efficient and God only gave me two lungs with no retunrs policy if they fail.


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## marcros (22 Jan 2015)

a brief update. I am grateful for the advice, but since I already had the drop box, ducting, and camvac I thought that I may as well give it a try- worst case I scrap it and have a dustbin for the workshop.

I bought from toolstation a pan connector extension- basically a piece of straight 110mm pipe wth a reduced end and rubbery connector. the dicting wouldnt quite go over the rubbery connector, but this slid off and i could secure the ducting with a hose clip. For the bend, I bought a soil pipe bend, and the ducting goes nicely inside this. Holes were cut in the lid of the drop box, and the parts siliconed in to seal them.

I have given it a quick trial by hoovering out the bandsaw. I can say that with one motor on it isnt great. But with 2 motors on it works very well on dust- nothing was in the camvac at all. I need to see whether it clogs with lots of chips, but if it does, I can trim the bend a bit. I also need to fit a valve incase it gets blocked, it really does have some suck.

Finally, I need to work out how to connect my machines. I have a Planer thicknesser, thicknesser and bandsaw on 100mm and a table saw on 82mm. I think that i will get the table saw to 100mm and use a dust cuff. I may either try and turn an adaptor when i get another lathe, or try and mould a short section of soil pipe. any suggestions? I need to get a handful of hose clips to connect the bandsaw outlets together. I have a small shop, so dont mind swapping extraction between machines as required.


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## sploo (22 Jan 2015)

I don't know the camvac, but assuming it pulls a decent amount of pressure (more like a vacuum cleaner than an impeller based dust extractor) then I'd suspect you'd be ok with an 82-100mm adaptor for the table saw. Axminster sell a few stepped and conical adaptors that might be suitable.

In all cases, try to minimise the length of hose you use; even the 100mm corrugated hose will kill air flow over moderate runs.

Would be good to see some pics of your results BTW.


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## marcros (22 Jan 2015)

i will take some when it is done.

The advantage of small shops is the limited run of ducting that is required. This is also why I am going to swap the hose between machines rather than having a plumbed in system. From drop box to machine shouldnt be much at all. 

The camvac is a vacuum cleaner type machine. I looked at a few options, but went for this because it filters to 0.5microns and has a small footprint.


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## Ghengis (22 Jan 2015)

Connect one of these, works on my p/t no probs

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/cyclone- ... 56202.html


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## sploo (22 Jan 2015)

marcros":4uokstpg said:


> I looked at a few options, but went for this because it filters to 0.5microns and has a small footprint.


Take that with a large pinch of sodium; my understanding is that finer filters tend to get instantly sandblasted (and destroyed) by the larger (still in the microns) dust, but then they quickly stop passing smaller particles... because they've clogged up.

Obviously some sort of separation of the larger particles like you're doing will help greatly, but I prefer to vent the air outside rather than filter (not so easy with a portable vac, I'll concede).




Ghengis":4uokstpg said:


> Connect one of these, works on my p/t no probs
> 
> http://www.aliexpress.com/item/cyclone- ... 56202.html


I love the fact it's "turbocharged", despite obviously not having the turbine that makes a turbo a turbo #-o 

The 56mm ports would be a concern; unless your shopvac and tools all used that smaller size (generally, restricting airflow is a bad idea - though less so on a higher pressure vacuum).


EDIT: I've just rememberd I cooked this up about 10 years ago. It actually worked pretty well from a shop vac:






















(yes, that is a butchered traffic cone at the bottom )


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## Eric The Viking (1 Feb 2015)

How did she react to the blender jug going missing?


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## marcros (1 Feb 2015)

So far, my drop box has worked well. I have used the extractor for cleaning the floor and vacuuming out the bandsaw. Now my hose clips have arrived I will get it hooked up to the bandsaw which should be a good test. Of the floor cleaning up, nothing has reached the camvac container yet.


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## sploo (1 Feb 2015)

Eric The Viking":3n6rypcm said:


> How did she react to the blender jug going missing?


*LOL* It's actually a sheet of clear plastic (can't remember the type) that was heated and bent over a former. Based on the refraction ripples, you can see it wasn't done very well though!



marcros":3n6rypcm said:


> So far, my drop box has worked well. I have used the extractor for cleaning the floor and vacuuming out the bandsaw. Now my hose clips have arrived I will get it hooked up to the bandsaw which should be a good test. Of the floor cleaning up, nothing has reached the camvac container yet.


Nice. Any photos?


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## marcros (1 Feb 2015)

I will take a few when I have a chance. I have a couple of sets to take for threads.


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## sploo (1 Feb 2015)

marcros":1sfzcinn said:


> I will take a few when I have a chance. I have a couple of sets to take for threads.


Thanks. Always good to see the results of a project.


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## Alexam (7 Feb 2015)

=P~ =P~ =P~ ........................Waiting to see those photos Marc. Lots of details please.


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