Dust extraction hose connectors

[Knot Competent]

I can't be the first woodworker who has gradually built up a collection of DIY-level power tools and then began to think about dust extraction, only to realise that all his tools have different sized and shaped dust extract ports. So I'm at the point now where my belt sander, orbital sander and router all have pieces of old vacuum cleaner hose fastened to them. But what I need is a universal male-to-female connection so that all the pieces of hose connected to tools have, say, a male connector, and the hose going to the dust cyclone has a female connection.

Does anyone have a brilliant-but-simple system to enable easy and quick changing of tools, which all have hose in the region of 1.5" diameter? I'm getting tired of using duct tape for this.

John

 

[SketchUp Guru]

John, there are some "universal" sorts of fittings designed for dust collectors. The one I have is for 4" hose and has a sort of slightly tapered opening so you get a friction fit.

You might want to look at the possibility of adding a short length of hose to each machine and make the distal end of that hose the same on all the machines.

Take a look at the Lee Valley site for some ideas on dust collector fittings.

By the way, could you tell me about the Lanc? Have you seen the Lanc in flight on Google Earth?

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi John

Have a look here and here.

HTH

Cheers
Neil

 

[Knot Competent]

Thanks Dave, I'll look at the Lee Valley site, but I need connectors for 1.5".

I've PM'd you about the Lancaster.

Regards,

John

 

[Les Mahon]

John,

For 1.5" I would make one up using 1.5" plumbing waste pipe. the male end is standard pipe, to make a female end CAREFULLY heat a piece of pipe with a blow torch so it goes rubbery (it is very easy to scorch or burn it, keep moving the heat around and roataing the pipe) then using an off cut of pipe push it into the "rubbry end". The easiest way is to use a relativle short offcut and push an end in, take it out turn around offcut and push other end in, keep doing this (if you leave it pushed in it will stick in there)

Hum reading back through that it is alot easier to do this than to describe it in words! And I also realise there is plenty of room four double entendres for thos with warped minds :?

HTH
Les

 

[Knot Competent]

Oh, how I chuckled, Les.

But surely there must be a set of manufactured couplers on the market somewhere? Or someone has discovered that a piece of this pipe just jamb-fits a piece of that pipe?

I'm going to have another wander around Jewsons (yes, I know, and I'm sorry to mention the name, but it's only 200 yards from home) to try other options.

John

 

[Les Mahon]

John,

It sounds a bit heath robinson I know, but it actually produces a better seal than the pre made couplers, and it's cheaper!

Les

 

[graham]

Hi Guys,
How do you find the lancaster in google earth? Driving me mad trying to find it!!

 

[Knot Competent]

Graham, it's all your fault if I get flamed for going off-topic!

Open google earth and type in the Latitude and longitude

52 20 10.87N 0 11 43.34W

To do this easily, right click and copy the above and paste it into the 'Fly to' search box.

Once the image has settled, zoom in and see an amazing sight.

John

 

[RogerS]

Staying off topic I tried that John and all I saw was a green screen?

Roger

 

[Knot Competent]

I've just checked it Roger, it worked fine for me.

John

 

[RogerS]

Mmmm. Even zooming out to 17 miles I only see a few squares of image, the rest staying green. Have to confess that I've never had much success with seeing ANYTHING sensible on Google earth. No idea why.

EDIT - Oh WOW!!!! Suddenly all seemed to work and what a shot!!!!

 

[Knot Competent]

Thank goodness for that!

Now, about the connections I need.....

John the unconnected

 

[Knot Competent]

I know, it's taken me a while to get round to tackling this. My workshop is so tidy it took me a week to find my blowlamp! But I followed Les's instructions, and it works a treat. I now have the facility to connect most of my hand-held power tools to my dust cyclone, and able to change from one to another in seconds. The tool that defeats me is my B & D planer, which has a WEIRD-shaped outlet, with a cumbersome bag attached. You can't win them all, as they say.

So thanks Les, and others with very helpful suggestions. My workshop should be far more dust-free from now on.

Regards, John

 

[Les Mahon]

John,

Glad it worked for you!

I have a similar problem with some wierd shaped outlets, and i'm toying with the idea of making a custom timber connection for them with a push fit for the tool on one side and a piece of pipe glued into a hole on the other - I might even put them on the lathe and turn a cone on the inside...

I'll let you know how I get on!

Les

 

[Knot Competent]

That sounds as though the tool is going to be unwieldy and out of balance, Les. My thought was to buy another hand planer with a circular outlet orifice. My existing planer must be about 20 years old, and it's an excuse to look through the catalogues and shop around on the internet. All in the interests of standardization, as I told my wife. All I need to do is cough a bit and tell her the dust is getting to my lungs!

John