Automatically switch on a extractor when a tool is powered on.

[Britman]

So I have a small shop and use a small Titan shop vac and a larger 50L Dust/Chip extractor. The shop vac has one those handy sockets on it that activates the vac when the tool is in use, great for the track saw and router.
I'd like to add this feature to the dust/chip extractor.
It spends it's time between the table saw and Planer/Thicknesser so the solution must be able to work with both. My first thought was a current sensing switch but that wouldn't work with 2 machines unless there's some sort of wireless solution, ideally it would have a power off delay too.
In the past I have used one of those remote switches which do work but I constantly forgot to switch it on before starting and ended up with a face full of dust.

cheers.
Mark

 

[worn thumbs]

In the past I had a contactor wired in with both a bandsaw and in a different time and place,a disc sander.Not being an electrician I relied on a professional to do the work and it was a complete success.If the machine in question is on wheels,it might be possible to add a wooden panel to hold the necessary hardware which will leave you to find somebody with the knowhow.The concern might be whether starting two machines at once would cause a spike that trips a breaker at the distribution board-again a professional would be helpful.

 

[Britman]

Thank you,
Only the planer/thicknesser is on wheels.
I am hoping for something like a simple extension lead that has the same feature as the titan shop vac. I believe I need a synchro socket, well that's what Titan call it in the destructions.

 

[Ed Weber]

Here in the states we have I-Vac boxes
https://www.ivacswitch.com/ivac-switch/I would think you could find something similar near you.

 

[Distinterior]

Here in the states we have I-Vac boxes
https://www.ivacswitch.com/ivac-switch/I would think you could find something similar near you.

You can indeed......We can get them here as well.

https://toolovation.co.uk/products/ivac-switch-box-230v-13a-uk-1

 

[Ed Weber]

I have a couple, router table, disc sander, etc. they work well

 

[Distinterior]

I have a couple, router table, disc sander, etc. they work well

I bet they are a bit cheaper over there though...?

 

[Yojevol]

So I have a small shop and use a small Titan shop vac and a larger 50L Dust/Chip extractor. The shop vac has one those handy sockets on it that activates the vac when the tool is in use, great for the track saw and router.
I'd like to add this feature to the dust/chip extractor.
It spends it's time between the table saw and Planer/Thicknesser so the solution must be able to work with both. My first thought was a current sensing switch but that wouldn't work with 2 machines unless there's some sort of wireless solution, ideally it would have a power off delay too.
In the past I have used one of those remote switches which do work but I constantly forgot to switch it on before starting and ended up with a face full of dust.

cheers.
Mark

2 simple master/slave socket units will do what you want. Use the master sockets for powering your machine tools and run the vac from BOTH slave sockets. The vac will then draw current from whichever master is powered up.
But that's only half the story. You've also got to direct the vac to the desired machine which inevitably becomes a hand operation.
Brian

 

[Britman]

Here in the states we have I-Vac boxes
https://www.ivacswitch.com/ivac-switch/I would think you could find something similar near you.

Exactly what I was thinking. Thank you.

 

[sams93]

I use one of these: KEMO M103N. You can get on amazon DE for about £20 including UK shipping.

It could be wired in to just one master socket, then anything plugged into that, when in use, would then turn on the slave socket ( extractor)..

I have it wired into a number of sockets throughout my shed, each marked 'extraction', and then the slave output goes to a single socket marked 'extractor' which serves my extractor. I have these 'extraction' sockets next to each set of normal sockets, the only difference is that the live for my 'extraction' sockets comes via the KEMO M103N.

Works brilliantly. I only use one machine/tool at a time, usually low powered things like sander/router/tracksaw/table saw/chop saw etc. My extractor is a 1200w 50L bin type unit which I expect is similar to yours (mine's vonhaus but thats a cheapo brand).

I use a dedicated chip extractor for my P/T and probably wouldn't choose to run it through this as I would be worried that both are large machines with big motors = a lot of draw on startup together. Given my P/T isn't really a machine where i'm constantly turning it on and off, it isn't something that I think would benefit from having automatic extraction switching, so I don't mind turning the chip extractor on manually for that.

According to the specs it could run a 1200w extractor on the slave, and a 2000w tool on the master, however that is the max it is rated to. Specs are here:

Mine is all hardwired in, but there is absolutely no reason that it couldn't be made up into a portable unit in a comp box (i.e plug in to mains, then a electrical comp box with the unit in, then out of that two sockets a master and slave (machine goes to master, extractor to slave). If I did that then I would be very keen to have an RCD as the plug to mains. I quite like that mine is hardwired in.


The up side to my system is that whenever I use a tool the extractor turns on, but the downside is it also turns off immediately when the tool stops drawing power. I did on a temporary basis previously use equivalent of one of these, which did the job but was way underbuilt for the task and not at all advisable. The nice thing with that though was that it kept the power on to the slave for 2-3 seconds after the master stopped drawing power, meaning that the extractor kept running whilst the sawblade etc was spinning down and it scooped up a bit of the dust right at the end. Probably didn't make that much difference really.


Ovbiously all of this requires some electrical knowhow and could be unsafe if done in correctly so I wouldn't reccomend doing it unless you are appropritely qualified the usual don't do this at home advice etc etc....

 

[ColinDeVelen]

I use a master slave 3 socket extension lead by Stanley. Works well enough for my small workshop. I picked it up a few years ago on a trip to the UK, so I expect that something similar will be available in B&Q or similar. Google "Stanley Master / Slave extension".

 

[HamsterJam]

2 simple master/slave socket units will do what you want. Use the master sockets for powering your machine tools and run the vac from BOTH slave sockets. The vac will then draw current from whichever master is powered up.
But that's only half the story. You've also got to direct the vac to the desired machine which inevitably becomes a hand operation.
Brian

I have a 4-way extension block feeding various machines and this is fed from one master/slave socket.
This means the vac starts irrespective which machine is used.
And, yes @Yojevol I do have to manually move the suction pipe but this simple solution is more appropriate for my small workshop rather than fixed ducts and blast gates.

Appreciate running all machines at once would overload the system so I don’t.

 

[mindthatwhatouch]

if you're ok with a bit of wiring. Or can get someone to assist.
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/remote-wireless-switching-nvr.128236/post-1460642