Shop Vac = Central Vac

[LarryG]

A few weeks ago, some of us were discussing those 2" benchtop tool dust collection kits meant to be hooked to a shop vacuum, like this one from Lee Valley. I was considering one of these for my benchtop tools, which because of the configuration of my small, low-ceilinged shop cannot be served by my full-sized HF 2HP dust collector.

Over the weekend, I installed the LV kit in my shop and am pleased to report it worked out quite well. The kit contained almost all the pieces I needed; I only had to buy two extra 45d ells.

Basically, my main trunk runs along the backsplash of my 10' long workbench, which sits parallel to one long wall of my 10x19 shop. The shop vac is at one end and at intervals along the main trunk are four blast gates: one for my Ridgid oscillating spindle/belt sander, one for my CMS, and one at each end of the bench for connecting a "roaming" hose, for general shop cleanup. The fifth blast gate is at the end of a branch duct that runs up the wall and follows the ceiling slope over to directly above my assembly table. This one will be used for handheld power tools.

I've not yet had a chance to test the system with all possible tools, but what I have tried has worked well. The connection at the CMS is capturing about 75% of the dirt, even without a shroud around the saw. When I was cleaning up the shop yesterday, I had a 10' hose and floor wand connected to the blast gate at the extreme end of the run; a total of about 26' from floor sweep to vac. The suction felt every bit as strong as with the hose alone connected directly to the vac -- except that now I don't have to drag the vac all over the shop!

I also installed a new switched outlet to plug the vac into; it's in a central location right next to the CMS. That way I can leave the vac's switch ON and control it with the wall switch.

If you're interested in putting in a similar system, write this down: Ridgid VT2518. That's the model number of a connnection kit that contains a 10' length of hose and six 2-1/4" OD male hose ends. This is the exact size needed to fit into the blast gates of the LV kit; the floor wands and other attachments that come with shop vacs; the dust port on the Ridgid OS/BS; the tailpipe on the BT3x00; etc. Cut the hose to the needed lengths, snap in the fittings, plug the ends into your tools and the blast gates. Simple.

Between the cost of the LV kit, the two extra ells, the Ridgid hose kit ($20), and the switched outlet, this latest enhancement to my shop pretty well chewed up a hundred dollar bill. I think it's going to be money well-spent, though. I have often not bothered with hooking up the vac to whatever tool I was using simply because it was too much of a hassle; also, it had become a real PITA to drag the vac around between all the stuff that's crammed into my shop. Now all I have to do is connect a hose, open a blast gate, and flip a switch.

[Brian G]

Thanks for sharing, Larry. If I understand correctly, you needed the Ridgid kit for the hose ends because the inside diameter of one side of the blast gate measures 2-1/4", and wouldn't work with the plastic pipe contained in the kit. Is that correct?

I've debated getting a kit like the one you purchased. So far, I can't convince myself to do it. I stuck a 10' length of 2" ABS in the center of my shop, and with two lengths of 10' hose I can go from the Knuckles-brand chip collector to any tool. I have an 8' ceiling in the basement, though, so I don't have to worry about hitting my head on the pipe or hose.

Still considering it, though. . . it would be nice to have smaller lengths of hose going from the tool to the chip collector.

[Jim-Iowa]

Thanks for the report Larry!! I too have been looking at that set up.
Guess I`ll have to spring for it soon!

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by Knuckles

If I understand correctly, you needed the Ridgid kit for the hose ends because the inside diameter of one side of the blast gate measures 2-1/4", and wouldn't work with the plastic pipe contained in the kit. Is that correct?

Yes. Uh, I mean, No. Let me try to explain:

Everything in the kit connects up nicely to each other. The tubing is 2" OD; the hubs on all the fittings (couplers, ells, wyes) are 2" ID; so it's just like connecting up PVC plumbing pipe except that you don't have to use any glue. The *outlet* side of the blast gates is also 2" OD, so these will slip right into the hub of one of the fittings. This means you cannot connect a piece of tubing *directly* to a blast gate; you need a fitting to act as an adapter, or middleman. But that's cool because a blast gate is typically located where you use a wye. The straight-thru portion of the wye serves as a coupling for the two adjacent pieces of tubing and the curved leg of the wye is where you attach the blast gate. If you want to attach a blast gate at the end of a run, you can use an ell, as I did, or one of the straight couplers.

Okay. That leaves the *inlet* side of the blast gates. You know how you can plug the end of a standard shop vacuum hose straight into the tailpipe of your BT? Same deal with the inlet side of the blast gates. That's where the Ridgid kit comes in. It gives you a 10' piece of raw hose and six 2-1/4" OD male fittings so you can make up short hoses as needed to connect your tools. Say you wanted to connect your BT to this 2" DC kit. You'd make up a hose with identical 2-1/4" OD male fittings at each end. One end plugs into the BT, the other into a blast gate. Now say you wanted to use the same hose to vacuum all the dust out of the nooks and crannies of your BT. Unplug the end of the hose from the BT's dust port, attach the nozzle tool that came with your vac, and away you go. Or, attach the floor wand to do the floor.

IOW, the purpose of the Ridgid kit (other than providing you some additional hose) is so you can make hoses with the same male fittings at both ends, since that is what you need but is NOT typically available with all the stuff that comes with a vac.

(Actually, in my case, I cut up the 8' hose that came with my vac and used some of the fittings from the Ridgid kit to make up my short hoses. This allowed me to keep the 10' hose from the Ridgid kit full length, to give me some more reach when vacuuming the floor of my shop.)

One last point. After a little head-scratching over how best to do it, I ended up making the connection between the vac and the 2" DC kit by cutting off all but about 6" of the stock hose at the vac end. The hose's stock, screw-on fitting connects one end of this short hose to the vac, just like always, and the other, raw end of the hose made a nice slip fit over the raw end of the 2" plastic tubing. I added a hose clamp to snug things down and prevent air leaks, and the system was complete.

We just got a new digicam here at the orifice. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I'll take some shots that will hopefully be worth more than these thousands of words. [:I]

[Brian G]

Ah. . . now I understand.

I'm thinking that until I get my shop "cabinetized" and my tool locations established to my liking. . . I'm going to keep using my 2" ABS pipe and rubber couplers. It works okay enough for now.

Pictures are always nice, anyway.

{edit}

I was in the Eden Prairie HD tonight, and they had the Ridgid dust collection kit on clearance for $50 (normally $79). It included the 6 male adapters and the 10' hose, but had fewer lengths of tubing (6 @ 3'), fewer couplers, fewer. . . well, everything. I passed.. . . slowly. . . and almost went back in and got it. . . but stayed the course.

They had one of the hose and adapter kits at regular price ($20), and adding it to the more versatile Lee Valley kit. . . I think you got better value. That's especially true considering the Lee Valley kit has more connectors.

On the other hand, if one was comitted to spending $100 on a 2.5" system, then two Ridgid kits would be okay, too.

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by Knuckles

[Home Depot] had one of the hose and adapter kits at regular price ($20), and adding it to the more versatile Lee Valley kit. . . I think you got better value. That's especially true considering the Lee Valley kit has more connectors.

On the other hand, if one was comitted to spending $100 on a 2.5" system, then two Ridgid kits would be okay, too.

I saw that larger Ridgid kit before I ordered the one from LV. It was the full $79 price and at that rate, the LV was, as you said, the better value. Even with shipping, it was still cheaper than the big Ridgid kit (and it gave me an excuse to order some other goodies from LV, nyuk nyuk nyuk). But if I could've gotten two for $100, that's quite likely what I would have done. I've not noticed if the HD here has those kits at the marked-down price.

BTW, Shop-Vac offers a kit of their own. I think it may be basically the same as the LV kit except the blast gates are yellow instead of blue, and the quantities are a little different. It costs around $70.

The thing that kills the economy of any of these kits is if you have to buy extra fittings. I needed two extra 45d ells, at almost $4 a pop. Ridiculous, but what you gonna do???

[softop41]

Another source of pieces for a 2" system is Shop-Vac. I have been using the same principle for over a year and it works fine. I bought the gate valves from Shop-Vac and use 2" PVC for the piping. PVC in 10' lengths was a lot cheaper than the 2" clear in 4' lengths. The only drawback to that I have had to make some adapters from various PVC fittings to change diameters a bit here and there. The kits from Shop_Vac, Lee Valley, or wherever are definately more convenient but the challenges have been fun and the cost is less this way. I also use the Ridgid hose set with the orange ends; they are very adaptable! One thing to note here is that the hose I got from Shop-Vac is more pliable and easier to use than the hose in the Ridgid kit at about the same price, as I recall. I don't have any machines, like a planer or jointer, that make high volumes of large chips, so I don't make huge amounts of shavings at one time. I started with the clear tubing from Shop-Vac which was nice because you could see where any blockage was. PVC doesn't have that advantage but it has a slightly larger ID and I haven't had any blockages yet. In hindsight, the only blockage I ever had was caused by a sliver coming out of the BT getting caught is an elbow and I solved that by putting a seperator in line with the BT. One day, maybe, I'll pop for an HF and the Wynn filter but right now this works well and fits the space available. I would like to get a drum sander one of these days and then a real DC will probably be a must to get enough airflow..