Dust extraction, "standard" sizes

[pe2dave]

Yet again I'm looking to connect two dissimilar items, one producing dust the other sucking it up (vacuum).
1. Yet again I'm wondering what are the common (no such standards as yet?) sizes, internal and external diameters?

2. I've seen various stepped rubber adapters, I'd like to know which ones work,which don't?

3. For more organised workshops, woodworkers run long pipes round the shop to the vacuum. Diameter? Source? Again, any common sources / advice please? What are the better connectors? Plastic? Rubber?

Any links to 'research' please - I doubt I'm the first to be frustrated by trying to do the right thing with dust?

My use case: Festool 55 source, tba vacuum.

 

[Skydivermel]

Assuming you have a small shop. Have a look on youtube. Plastic waste pipe can be expanded by using a heat gun and can generally be made as adaptors to accommodate most machines/hand tools. Unless of course you want to use standard 100dia extract pipe.

 

[Myfordman]

Intersize adaptors are trivial to make from offcuts of ply/mdf etc as well as plumbing offcuts
100mm drainpipe is standard in EU. I ususally bring a bit back from holidays. NB bottles of wine fit inside for efficient packing of the car!

 

[sunnybob]

I make my own from ordinary construction timber. I use hole saws (tank cutters) in the drill press to match the internal and external diameters.
Cut the large hole first though

 

[robgul]

There are no "standard sizes" for dust ports - at least I've yet to find any!

My dust extraction is similar to the stuff in the YouTube video posted above . . . . 40mm waste pipe, push-on fittings, 38mm pond hose from ebay going to a cheap cyclone mounted on a wooden box/collecting bin and powered by a Henry. I made the blast gates, again similar to the video but dispensed with the wood mounts and glued them to cut down T connectors. It all works pretty well for a small workshop with routers, mitre saw, table saw, bandsaw, tracksaw etc - it does struggle a bit with getting the chippings away from the planer/thicknesser (just have to empty the box more frequently than for sawdust)

To answer the question about adaptors to get from size to size - there are quite a few "stepped" ones on Amazon that I've had some success with - they need to be taped to the ports and pipes to ensure no leaks.

As my system developed I've had the luxury of a brother with a 3d printer and he's made a set of bespoke, custom size adaptors and connectors (the orange things in the pix)

 

[pe2dave]

So you use plastic pipe round the shop, then adapt to each machine?
What of a long flexible pipe to a saw / router? What size flexible pipe is common / well supported please?

Must admit, I was thinking more of vac to machines, draped hose. Garage workshop size?

 

[sunnybob]

A flexible hose has more friction drag than any other form of pipe. A long garage length hose will rob you of more than 50% of your capacity.Rigid, and if at all possible Y shape joints rather than T shape will give the best performance whatever the suction machine.

 

[Doug71]

If you are just looking at extraction for power tools like your TS55 you are as well just using the hose that comes with the extractor.

You could go for a Festool extractor to match your saw, the good thing with Festool is their extractors fit all their tools so no need for any adapters etc, the bad thing is you end up spending a fortune on Festool tools

 

[robgul]

So you use plastic pipe round the shop, then adapt to each machine?
What of a long flexible pipe to a saw / router? What size flexible pipe is common / well supported please?

Must admit, I was thinking more of vac to machines, draped hose. Garage workshop size?

The main ducting and hose sizes are 40mm and 38mm - the workshop is a single garage - in reality it's only sbout 2/3 of it as it also has a cycle workshop bench/toolboard and 3 bikes hanging up! I've obviously kept the pipe/hose runs as sort as possible - the mitre saw is in a hood, just visible in the blast gate picture.

I did consider just a long hose and connect as required but, as Sunnybob says, the suction loss is massive .... and it would be a PITA to keep changing on the kit - what I have now works with the blast gates on each outlet.

The table saw and planer don't get used much and are both on trucks parked under the MFT. The portable router has a hose about a metre long, the router table (with another router in it) stores under the beanch and has about 30cm of hose to plug into the ducting. The sander, tracksaw, mitresaw, bandsaw are connected all the time - with anything else swapped out when in use. One thing I do want to do is shorten the hose from the cyclone to the Henry (I have a spare full length Henry hose) but as yet haven't worked out how to disengage and re-fit the connector.

I do also have a separate "demountable for storage" bench consisting of two Stanley trestles and a custom top that I can erect in the middle of the workshop (just!) or outside if the weather is OK - it's handy for sheet materials and assembly.

This is the other side of the garage! -

 

[robgul]

.... I should add that I have a Record "air scrubber" filter attached to the ceiling - it switches on with a remote and I usually leave it on for at least an hour when I've finished working . . . it does make a real difference in reducing the dust in the air (especially MDF, although I use less and less of that)

 

[Myfordman]

I also put mine on for an hour before and throughout finishing/staining/ varnishing and drying. It makes quite a difference to the "boulders" that fall out of the air onto varnish as well as shortening drying time due to increased air movement.

 

[DBT85]

If you only want to go to a TS55 then just get a 5m hose and hook it up to whatever vac you get. As said, there are a bunch of ways to step up or down and all f the PVC pipe can be warmed to help make it fit snugly.

Depending on what you are doing you can run the pipes around your workshop to help collect the dust. Keith Brown had 40mm push fit waste all around his old one as I recall. That will be fine for things like the TS55 or sanders and the like. Not nearly as good for a table saw.

 

[wcndave]

+1 for the 3d printer, I have one and used it for a lot of adaptors over the years.

Find a local makers club, and ask them to print you one - parametric designs make this a breeze now.

The festool hose for the TS55 fits a standard "vacuum", and then you can use adaptors for other tools.

 

[pe2dave]

Thanks all. Much 'Food for thought'.
I also have a fine air filter, but sawbench, chopsaw, router table, bandsaw.. all need different hosing.
Rob, I wonder about the short lengths of (OK loss from concertina pipes noted) of flex hose. Or
perhaps you don't saw / route 6' lengths of wood.

I'm beginning to question the need|want balance of a tracksaw setup

 

[PearlyKing]

There is a guy on Facebook that 3D prints custom adapters to order. I don't know his prices as I have never inquired.
https://www.facebook.com/CustomVacAdaptersUK/

 

[robgul]

Thanks all. Much 'Food for thought'.
I also have a fine air filter, but sawbench, chopsaw, router table, bandsaw.. all need different hosing.
Rob, I wonder about the short lengths of (OK loss from concertina pipes noted) of flex hose. Or
perhaps you don't saw / route 6' lengths of wood.

I'm beginning to question the need|want balance of a tracksaw setup

If I saw anything sheet-wise over about 70cm I tend to take it outside on the demountable bench and cut it there with no dust extraction (just sweep the driveway afterwards!) - and having bought a tracksaw quite recently my table saw gets almost no use - using a jig with the tracksaw creates the "fence" that you get with a tablesaw so there's not a lot you can't do. [See Peter Millard on YouTube for loads of stuff about tracksaws - and I think there's a capability comparison between track and table saws in YT videos]

 

[pe2dave]

Thanks PerlyKing - useful to know.
Rob - I'm drawing in my horns to something like. My usage is insufficient for a full install.
<Hush>No need for a table saw</Hush>.
With a short track, we could say the same for the chop saw?
Even so, it's a £700+ investment
MFT 50, Saw+700 track 495, Benchdogs railsquare + dogs£166 (for the dogs incl), bench protectors 18.

The bill was climbing towards 1200 with workbenches, dust extraction etc.
Even then I'd have to lose the Scheppach 260... which wouldn't be a big loss to me.

Tks Rob.

 

[TheTiddles]

Ducting is one of the few applications where duct tape is the right tool for the job, it can accommodate a bit of variance. Taking a fitting to a plumbers merchants and rummaging through the soil/drain/guttering pipes often finds a cheap part that will fit
Aidan