Dust Collection

Introducing MagFitt™ Embracing a clutter-free and healthy workshop environment is crucial, especially when woodworking. The debris, from wood chips to fine dust particles, needs attention not only for cleanliness but also for the well-being of your lungs. Introducing MagFitt™ – a revolutionary dust collection system developed exclusively by Woodcraft, making the process quick, easy, and tailored for any size workshop. Why Dust Collection Matters While every workshop generates waste, the real challenge lies in combating fine dust that can linger in the air, causing health hazards. MagFitt™ addresses this concern efficiently, ensuring that your workspace remains both clean and safe. Ideal for Every Workshop Size For larger workshops, a central dust collection system is the go-to solution. However, for smaller spaces or garage workshops with limited room for expansion, the implementation of a traditional dust collection system can be challenging and costly. MagFitt™ steps in as the ideal alternative. How MagFitt™ Works MagFitt™ comprises Magnetic Machine Couplings and Hose Connectors designed to seamlessly integrate with your dust collector's 4" or 2-1/2" intake hose. Crafted from durable ABS plastic and equipped with rare earth magnets, MagFitt™ guarantees a robust and lasting connection. STEP 1 Attach a MagFitt™ Magnetic Coupling to each machine in your workshop. Utilize the built-in dust exhaust ports present in most modern power tools. Magnetic Couplings are available in both 2-1/2" and 4" sizes, as well as a 4" to 2-1/2" connector. STEP 2 Enhance your dust collector by adding a MagFitt™ Magnetic Hose Connector to its 4" or 2-1/2" intake hose. Hose Connectors are, of course, available in both 4" and 2-1/2" sizes. STEP 3 The magnetic connection between your machine and dust collector is made and ready to use! You can effortlessly move the dust connection between machines in your workshop without the need for any tools. For in-depth insights into dust collection solutions, check out our resources. Dust Collection Solutions for Home Woodshop (video) Bust Dust for Good - Woodcraft Magazine, Issue 81 Small Shop Dust Collection - Woodcraft Magazine, Issue 29 Explore our comprehensive resource page, "Dust Collection for Woodworkers" for additional information on best practices, CFM requirements for various machines, and tips on setting up an efficient system. Keep your workshop clean, safe, and hassle-free with MagFitt™ – the game-changer in dust collection.

Oneida Air Systems BenchTop DC Personal Dust Collector Overview MERV 15 filtration 110V/3A 110V auxiliary power outlet Analog variable speed control 62.5-74 dBA BenchTop DC Personal Dust Collector oneida-air.com, $599.00 Air filtration units are essential to a safe shop; no dust collection system is complete without one. They pull particles from the air that would otherwise make their way to our lungs—a serious health risk. Rather than whole-shop filtration, the BenchTop DC from Oneida Air Systems captures these hazardous particles at the source. Here’s what I found after testing this personal dust collector in my shop for a few weeks. The $600 machine is ready to go with virtually no assembly, only a detachable 110V power cord to plug in and a trio of airflow-directing vanes to install. Its carry handle and 20-lb weight make it easy to tote around the shop. The rocker switch triggers the 0.3 HP motor for up to 535 CFM of airflow. A simple analog dial controls the six variable speed fans. Draw latches at each end unlock to access the dual-filter system—a MERV 5 pre-filter and MERV 15 primary filter. Cleaning the filters was easy: I placed them in bags and tapped them on the floor, and then rinsed the pre-filter with water. Replacement filters are available from Oneida and hardware stores. The 25-1/4 × 16-1/2 × 9-3/4" BenchTop DC should sit within 20" of the work. If you find it tough to clear a space on your bench, a shop-made stand may help. Once in position, I noticed an appreciable decrease in dust. Oneida claims the MERV 15 filter captures 85-95% of particles sized 0.3-1 microns and 95-100% of particles between 3-10 microns. This machine is not designed to filter fumes or for use in a spray booth. As a test, I plugged my random orbit sander into the unit’s auxiliary power outlet and sanded some padauk. Later, I placed the unit behind my lathe while sanding a project. I also tried it near my old contractor saw while ripping a few boards to capture the fine dust coming off the top of the blade. And I set up the machine while hand-sanding between coats of finish on another project. In all cases, the BenchTop DC collected fine dust that may have otherwise drifted to my lungs. Oneida has designed a machine to fill a specific niche—capturing dust from sanding, turning, sawing, and other operations such as power carving that generate hard-to-contain dust. The Bench-top DC immediately filters those fine dust particles that would otherwise escape capture and float around your shop before being lifted to your ceiling-mounted unit. This at-source filter will help to protect your lungs. —Tester, Chad McClung

Tamar Hannah Tries to Fix Her Router Table Dust Collection Tamar Hannah was so happy with her Router Table Cabinet build, except for the dust collection, something was just not right... so she had to fix it! This video shows how she tackled the problem.

A shop vac and cyclone corral, plus a handy sanding station Whether your shop is Lilliputian or Brobdingnagian, it’s hard to overstate the importance of dust collection. Airborne sawdust is hard on the lungs and (almost as tragically) can ruin that perfect finish. Sawdust lying on the floor or on machines isn’t much better; it can create a slip hazard, obscure small parts and tools, and trap moisture, which can cause rust on metal surfaces. Even if you have a dedicated dust collector, it is well worth investing in a good shop vac to connect to portable power tools and to do general clean-up. One of the best things you can do to get more out of your vac is to add an auxiliary cyclone separator. These small plastic units allow most of the debris to drop out of the airflow before it hits the filter. This means less time cleaning the filter and better overall vacuum performance. By building a dedicated cart, the vac and cyclone can move together around the shop. To get even more use out of my setup, I also included a small downdraft table allowing the cart to double as a sanding station. The onboard iVac outlet even turns the vac on automatically as soon as I trigger whatever tool I have plugged into it. Plywood, pocket screws, and few a fittings Tall 3/4" Baltic birch plywood panels attached with pocket screws make up a tower. At the top sits a square of pegboard to form a downdraft sanding table above the vacuum. An upper front encloses the downdraft table, and the lower front keeps the shop vac in place. A few simple fittings connect the vacuum to a cyclone separator atop a five-gallon bucket contained on the open end of the base. This setup allows you to suck dust from the downdraft table, a tool’s dust port, or a handheld hose without stopping to swap. A sander platform next to the fittings also serves as a dust shroud for an iVac switch. And casters make the whole thing mobile. Order of Work Build tower Make the downdraft table Add base and corral Run hoses and connect fittings Build the tower Cut the plywood parts to fit your dust vac and cyclone setup. Drill pocket holes in the back, side panels, and lower front—including those used to attach the base—but don’t bore the upper front’s pocket holes until after sizing the ramp. Drill holes through the right panel for the vacuum hoses, locating them based on the height and style of your particular shop vacuum. While you’re at it, drill a smaller hole for your shop vac’s power cord so you can easily plug it into the iVac switch. Screw the back, sides, and lower front together and temporarily clamp the upper front panel in place. Size the pegboard panel ledgers to fit tightly around the inside perimeter of the tower, then screw and glue them 1/4" from the top. Remove the upper front, and locate the ramp ledgers as shown. Cut a 1/4" plywood ramp to sit atop the ramp ledgers, and slide it into place for a snug fit. After installing the ramp, mark and drill pocket holes in the upper front where they will be accessible above and below the ramp, and attach it to the tower. Holes for hoses. To avoid tear-out when drilling, stop when the hole saw’s 1⁄4" pilot bit comes through the panel, then finish boring from the inside face using that pilot hole as a guide. Depending on your vacuum, it may help to test-fit your vacuum, then locate and drill the collection hose hole after the tower is assembled. Tower assembly. Joining the tower using pocket-hole screws makes for simple yet sturdy construction. Ramp it up. After attaching the pegboard ledgers, use a spacer to locate the upper ramp ledger 5⁄16" below the left pegboard ledger and the lower ramp ledger the same distance below the bottom of the dust collection hole. Slide the ramp into place before attaching the upper front panel. Caulk it up. After installing the ramp and upper front panel, caulk the seams around the ramp to create a tight seal and maximize airflow through the downdraft table. Add the base and tool holders Attach the base through the pocket holes in the left, right, and back panels. Cut a semicircular arc with a 7-1/2" radius, centered 7-1/2" from the right side. Place the collection bucket in the semicircle and steady it with retainer blocks. The shoulders of the semicircle keep the base wide and provide a place to attach the casters. Attach the locking casters along the front edge so that they’re accessible when the cart’s back is against a wall. The sander platform mounts to the right side, keeping an orbital sander close at hand. Build it from a 7" square panel with 3" corral blocks glued around the perimeter. Cut a 15° miter at one end of each support, and pocket-screw them to the underside of the platform. Finally, attach the assembly to the right side. Brace the bucket. From a 21⁄2"-wide strip of plywood, cut three retainer blocks an inch long across the top and sloping to a 21⁄2"-long base. Secure the retainers to the base around the bucket using pocket screws. Hold my gear. Attach the sander platform so that the tops of the corral strips are level with the pegboard top. In addition to keeping an orbital sander nearby, the platform also protects the iVac switch from excessive dust exposure. Finishing up Install the iVac switch to the right panel beneath the sander platform, and feed the vacuum cord through to plug it in. (See the Buyer’s Guide on page 62 for details on the fittings used to connect the cyclone, vacuum, and downdraft table.) Now, plug the tool into the iVac switch so that it activates the vacuum. The left panel provides plenty of real estate for hanging a dustpan and brush, clipping on a push broom, or mounting dust collection fittings and other clean-up necessities.

A downdraft table is the most efficient tool for capturing sanding dust at the source. Stand-alone downdraft tables can be very expensive; however, our WoodRiver® Dust Connection™ 2-Piece Downdraft Panel Set makes it easy to build your own solution.

Oneida Dust Deputy Bagger Overview Heavy-gauge steel wall bracket Separates 99% of debris before it reaches the filter Works with most wet/dry shop vacuums No bin to empty, simply replace the bag Replacement bags readily available Oneida recently came out with a wall-mounted version of their popular Dust Deputy dust separator. I’ve been a fan of these small portable cyclone systems since they appeared about 15 years ago. They do a great job of separating out debris before it has a chance to clog my vacuum’s filter. My only complaint with mine is that it is one more object to drag around the shop—admittedly a small price to pay for not having to clean the filter as often. However, when given the chance to test one of the new wall-mounted units, I jumped at it. Gaining that bit of shop real estate back was most welcome. Once I settled on a location (perhaps a challenge in a crowded shop), installation was straightforward. The supplied template made it a snap to locate the mounting screws on the wall plate I had put up. With the metal bracket in place, assembling the cyclone and accumulator bin was a simple matter of bolting things together. I then ran the supplied hose from the top of the cyclone to my vac’s inlet and connected the vac’s original hose to the cyclone’s side inlet port. Here I noticed my first strategic error. With the unit wall-mounted, I needed a longer hose to cover my shop. Nothing a visit to Oneida’s website couldn’t remedy. (Note to marketing—why not offer a kit that includes a long hose?) The final bit of installation involved fitting the bag underneath. This proved to be one of those challenging, three-handed operations that will probably get easier with practice. To mount the bag, you have to hold its mouth in place around the bottom of the bin and trap it with a provided stretchy silicone band, then pleat the bag neatly under the band to prevent leaks. The unit performed well, though operation seemed strange at first in that the empty bag collapsed in on itself. Don't be alarmed. This is supposed to happen. The manual recommends turning the vac off after about 15 minutes to allow the debris that accumulates in the bin to drop into the bag. Once the bag begins to fill, the contents help hold its shape. Note that hand plane shavings and other large debris can catch on the steel grate at the bottom of the bin, potentially clogging it and requiring you to pluck them free. Also note that you must use 4 mil thick bags (such as contractor’s trash bags), as lighter ones can get sucked into the grate. Despite the added cost of the hose, I am pleased with the set up and am glad my days of dragging my vac around are done. —Tester, Ken Burton

At Woodcraft we offer a wide range of dust collection machines and accessories to keep your shop clean and your lungs healthy. Our Dust Connection® accessories are color coded to make sure it's easy to get the pieces you need. We have multiple types of hoses to fit your uses and budget. → Shop All - Dust Collection and Air Filtration → Shop All - WoodRiver® Dust Connection®

When you think about the dangers of woodworking, you usually think about sharp blades along with eye and hearing dangers. But I recently received a note from a woodworker that reminded me about the hazards of sawdust. He was turning an exotic hardwood called Makore and despite having an exhaust fan on, his eyes and nose were severely irritated by the dust. All woods have some level of toxicity, and people have their own allergies that can make certain woods more dangerous to them. I’ve had a customer tell me that Padauk, a bright orange wood from Africa, makes him itch just thinking about it. But Padauk doesn’t bother me – my personal kryptonite is walnut. It makes my sinuses explode if I breathe it in, so I‘m very careful when I work with walnut. Here is a link to a website with great information on various woods: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/ I wouldn’t want to create the impression that working with wood is so dangerous that no one should risk it. You can enjoy woodworking safely. Here are some basic precautions to take: Dust Mask – There are a variety of masks available ranging from a simple paper mask to cloth masks with exhalation valves. They offer some protection but if you’re doing a lot of woodworking, you will want a better, long-term solution. Respirators –More permanent masks that use replaceable filters. They are usually made of rubber and will form a better seal than the paper masks. For people with more severe allergies there are powered respirators that use battery powered fans to create positive air pressure inside a dust hood. Fan – Blowing air around you while you work can help keep the bulk of the dust particles away from your face. Just remember that the moving air still contains dust. Air Filtration System – Powered units that use fans and filters to cycle through the air in your shop. Beyond to making the air in your shop more breathable, when you’ve finished sanding your project and are ready to apply the finish, running the air filter for a while will remove dust particles from the air and keep them from ruining your finish. Exhaust Fan – Another option is to simply blow the dust out of your shop. Just be sure you have an adequate source of fresh air so you don’t ‘starve’ the fan. Shop Vac – Will collect dust, but models with limited filtering that exhaust air straight out the back can roil the dust in your shop and actually make things worse. Dust Collector – Designed to move a large volume of air, a dust collector will whisk away the sawdust from your woodworking equipment and keep the area clean. I’d be that last person to suggest you swear off woodworking, but you really need to pay attention to dust. The effects can range from immediate irritation to long term damage to your respiratory system. Use a combination of these dust control devices just to be safe.

You may think of sawdust as annoying, but you should be aware that it can also be dangerous. Sawdust poses a real health hazard if you don’t pay attention to it. The fine wood particles can affect you in a number of ways: Wood dust can irritate skin, eyes, and lungs. Typical reactions include sneezing, coughing, runny nose, rashes, and breathing problems. Some species of wood make us more sensitive with each successive exposure. With repeated exposure you may experience stronger reactions like rashes, boils or severe sinus/respiratory inflammation. There are wood species that are actually toxic. You need to take particular care identify and handle these species appropriately. And then there are carcinogens. Some species of wood have been linked to cancer. I wouldn’t want to create the impression that working with wood is so dangerous that no one should risk it. You can enjoy woodworking safely. Here are some basic precautions you can take: Dust Masks and Respirators – There are a variety of masks available ranging from simple paper masks to cloth masks with exhalation valves. They offer protection but if you are doing a lot of woodworking, you will want a better, long-term solution. Respirators are more permanent masks that use replaceable filters to block the dust. They are usually made of rubber and will form a better seal than paper masks. For people who have more severe allergies there are powered respirators that use battery powered fans to create positive air pressure inside a full dust hood. Fans – It helps to have a fan moving air around you while you work to keep the bulk of the dust particles away from your face. Just remember that the air it’s blowing contains dust and can still be hazardous. Air Filtration Systems – Powered units that use fans and filters to clean the air in your shop. In addition to making the air more breathable, when you’re done sanding your project and are ready to apply the finish, running the air filter for a while will remove dust particles from the air and keep them from ruining your finish. Exhaust Fans – Another option is to simply blow the dust out of your shop. Just be sure you have an adequate source of fresh air so you don’t ‘starve’ the fan. And of course you need to pay attention to where it goes – your neighbor may object to you blowing the dust over to him. Dust Collectors and Shop Vacs – Both capture large dust particles and wood chips and keep the shop cleaner. Be sure to match the unit’s capacity to the task at hand and be aware that unless the unit’s filters can block particles down to 3 microns, it will still be returning dangerous dust to the shop’s atmosphere. This is one case where you should sweat the small stuff. Those small, almost unseen dust particles can damage your health. Take sensible dust precautions and breathe easy!

What size shop air cleaner do I need? We recommend an air cleaner that is capable of filtering the air in your entire shop every ten minutes. To figure the airflow needed for your shop, multiply the length x width x ceiling height. The result is the cubic foot of your shop. Then divide this number by ten. This is the cubic feet per minute needed for your shop.

Couplings Couplings allow you to connect pipe or fittings together without crimping. The coupling on the left in the drawing is a large-end coupling—it’s designed to connect fittings to fittings. The coupling on the right in the drawing is a small-end coupling, and the ends will slip inside the ends of your pipe. They’re used for connecting pipe to pipe, or pipe to flexible hose. They’re readily available in diameters ranging from 3" to 12". Elbows The two main types of elbows you’ll use in your system are fixed and adjustable. Die-stamped fixed elbows (top elbows in the drawing) offer a smooth, obstruction-free interior. Although gored fixed elbows (bottom elbows in drawing) don’t have as smooth an interior as die-stamped, they still are obstruction-free inside and cost about 20% to 30% less. For odd angles, nothing beats an adjustable-angle elbow—just make sure the radius is at least 1-1/2 times the diameter of the pipe and that it’s made of at least 24-gauge metal. Reducers There are two basic options you can choose from when you need to change pipe diameter. One option is to use a reducer like the one shown here. Reducers are available in sizes ranging from 3"-to-2" up to 10"-to-9", in 1" increments. Go with a spun reducer instead of a welded one, as it has a smoother interior. Another reducer option is to use a fitting called a tee-on-taper. They’re similar in appearance to the tees shown on page 51 except that the one or more openings can be tapered. This creates less static pressure than using a tee and a reducer. Tees Just like elbows, tees are available in many shapes and sizes. To minimize turbulence and reduce the chance of dust and chips settling in your ductwork, whenever possible you should use tees whose branches enter the main line at 45 degrees. The tee at the left in the drawing is a 4"-on-12" tee, referred to as a "four on twelve” since the branch line is 4"in diameter and the main is 12”. The tee on the right in the drawing is a 6"-on-6". Both are 45-degree lateral tees. Sizes range from 3"-on-3” up to 18"-on-18". Wye branch A wye branch allows you to split a branch line equally in two directions. Sizes start at 3”x3”x3” and go up to 10"X10"X10". The opening sizes can vary, such as 8"x4"x4" for situations where you want to split a large main line into two smaller branches. Economy wyes are often spot-welded together; industrial wyes have a continuous weld at each seam. The only drawback to these fittings is that they’re expensive: Prices ranges from $60 for a small wye to $140 for larger sizes. Swivel-ball joints A swivel-ball joint is designed to connect a pipe to pipe or pipe to flexible hose while allowing it to pivot. Although they’re used primarily in industry to connect to dust or fume hoods that need to be repositioned frequently, they’re also useful for hooking up rigid pipe to a stationary tool where the dust hood moves (such as a small planer). Sizes available range from 4" to 12", and they cost anywhere from - $90 to $250. Transitions HVAC transitions like the round-to-rectangular shown here are quite handy for shop-made pick-ups or dust hoods. They’re particularly well suited for placement behind radial arm saws and power miter saws as dust catchers. Attach the end of a flexible hose to one of these, and you can press it into service as a pick-up for a lathe or even as a simple bench- top or drill press dust catcher. Accessories In the last year or so I’ve noticed a proliferation of manufactured accessories for dust collectors. One accessory package that I’ve found very useful in the shop is a flexible hose with various nozzles like those shown in the drawing. The flexible hose is both articulated and fairly rigid so that you can position it where you want it and it’ll stay there. This setup works great as a pinpoint dust catcher for a band saw, scroll saw, or drill press. Floor sweep Although most folks think of a floor sweep as a great way to clean up the shop (and it is), you can also use one next to a machine where sufficient dust collection can be difficult (such as a drill press). Floor sweeps are available with or without a door. Both types of floor sweeps need a blast gate above them to control the flow of air; don’t count on the door of a floor sweep for a seal—the amount of air that can slip past one of these can seriously degrade your system’s performance. Blast gates Blast gates are used to control the airflow within a whole-shop dust collection system. There are three main types of blast gates available: full blast gates, half gates, and self-cleaning gates. Full blast gates (see below) are the most common and come in sizes ranging from 3’ in diameter all the way up to 24" in diameter. Although blast gates are most often used to control the air flowing to a machine, they can also be used to balance the air going from one branch to another. You can install half gates in existing ductwork with out having to disassemble the ducting. You cut a slot halfway through the duct and slide the half gate into place. The blade of the half gate is cut round to match the diameter of the ducting. The gate is held in place with blind rivets inserted though the casting and into the existing ductwork. Half gates cost about the same as full blast gates and come in sizes from 3" to 16". Full blast gates Full blast gates are available in either metal (usually cast aluminum to keep weight down) or plastic. As always, I recommend using the metal gates, as they wont interrupt the ground path in your system (if connected properly) and they’ll stand up better to wear and tear. Metal blast gates usually have a screw that you can tighten to lock the gate open or closed. To allow airflow to pull the blade tight to the surface of the casting, install the gate so that the screw is pointing in the direction of airflow. Self-cleaning blast gates are particularly useful in shops that machine either green wood or highly resinous woods that tend to stick to and clog up a gate. On a self-cleaning blast gate, the shutoff blade is longer, and there's a T-shaped rubber gasket on the end of the gate (near right photo). To clean the gate, loosen the two nuts near the gasket so that you can pull out the gasket. Then push the extra-long blade completely through the casting to clear out the chunk. This article is excerpted from Controlling Dust In The Workshop by Rick Peters.

Adding a pre-separator to your single-stage dust collector will save you time and money. It’ll save you time because it’s a lot easier to empty one of these than the lower, or “chip,” bag of a bag-over- bag collector. It’ll save you money in the long run: Your dust collector will last longer since the impeller won’t be under a constant barrage of heavy chips, or damaging bits of metal such as the occasional screw or nail that finds its way to the floor. And it will allow your filter bags to do their real job—filter out dust, not collect chips. As I discussed in Chapter 1, a filter bag loses its ability to filter efficiently as the lower bag fills up, because as it fills, the filter surface area shrinks. Less filter, same pressure—more blow-through. This occurs at a much slower rate when you’ve got a pre-separator attached between the ductwork and the collector. Note: Here again, this pre-separator will add resistance to your system. Typically, it’ll add anywhere from 2” to 3” of static pressure loss. A mini-cyclone Yet another “trash can” pre-separator, this pre-separator is quite different from the drop box shown on page 91. Instead of using an internal baffle to “knock down” heavy chips, this pre-separator uses a combination of PVC pipe and fittings and a round trash can to create sort of a mini-cyclone. Here again, I used a Rubberrnaid heavy-duty trash can since it will hold up under the suction of a 1 ‘li-hp or smaller collector. Don’t be tempted to use a thinner-gauge can: It will surely collapse as soon as you turn on your collector. How It works Dust and chips flow into the inlet pipe and travel down into the container, where they exit into the container through a 90-degree elbow angled toward the container wall. Just as in a cyclone, the heavy chips spin around the walls of the container, losing their momentum until they fall to the bottom. Lighter chips and dust are pulled up through the outlet port into the dust collector, where they are captured by the filters. Just as with the drop box, pre-separator efficiency drops as the container fills. Check it often, and always before a big job. Assemble the unit The pre-separator is quite easy to build. The only challenge is cutting the large-diameter holes in the lid. The best way I’ve found to do 45-degree angle—the idea here is to swirl the chips around the inside of the can. Seal around both inside and outside edges of the pipe with silicone caulk. Safety Note: Since dust and chips are moving rapidly through a large plastic container, take the time to ground the container, to reduce the risk of sparks caused by static electricity. Running bare copper wire through the interior of the container and connecting this to your metal ductwork will do the job. GROUNDING CONCERNS Plastic blast gates Anytime you insert a plastic part in your ductwork, you break the ground path. This can lead to static problems, including the possibility of a dust explosion. When installing plastic blast gates, like the one shown in the photo, it’s important to reconnect the ground path. A simple way to do this is to run a ground strap or wire from pipe to pipe, attaching the wire with sheet-metal screws. (Position the wire so that it doesn’t interfere with opening or closing the gate.) PVC fittings If you must use PVC pipe or fittings, you’ll need to run a ground wire both inside the pipe and around the exterior to prevent static electricity from building up. Most dust collection companies that sell plastic parts also sell a grounding kit. Make sure to follow their installation directions to the letter, and use a continuity tester or a multimeter to verify that the ground circuit is in fact continuous. To prevent leaks, use silicone to seal any holes you drilled into the pipe for the ground wire. Flexible hose To prevent static problems with flexible hose, make sure to use wirewrapped helix hose and prepare the ends to guarantee that your ground path is complete. To do this, use a utility knife to remove a 1” to 2” section of the plastic covering the wire inside the hose, as shown. Then as you install the hose and tighten down the hose clamp, the wire inside the hose will make solid contact with the metal C flange of the blast gate or pipe you’re hooking it up to. It’s best to bare the wire in a couple of places around the inside perimeter to ensure that it makes contact with the pipe or blast gate. This article is excerpted from Controlling Dust in the Workshop by Rick Peters".

How many of us have several different tools in our collections, each of which has a fractionally different exhaust diameter? I know I do. One evening while preparing to connect my shop vacuum to my bench-top sander with duct tape, my eye happened to catch an old bicycle tube hanging in the shop. I felt like Columbus discovering America. I cut a 3" piece of the old tube and slipped it over the exhaust port of the sander, and did the same to the 1" connecter on the vacuum hose for a perfect airtight connection. With the variety of bicycle inner tubes that are available, this would probably work with an infinite number of tools.

Have you ever accidentally ripped a dust-collector hose and found yourself wishing you had a connector to fix it? Or have you ever wanted to connect a couple of shorter dust-collector hoses to give you extra reach but didn’t have the connector to do the job? Well, maybe you did after all. It’s a good bet you have a 1-lb. coffee can sitting around your shop full of nails or other hardware. Just cut off the bottom of the can and–voila!–instant 4"-diameter dust-collector connector.

Create a healthy turning station with this simple fixture. Reader Jerry Bolin of Prattville, Alabama, sent in this dust-collector idea for mid- and full-size lathes.. It attaches to the ways via a pair of shop-made clamps. Convinced of its merit, I had contributing craftsman and turner Bill Sands build Jerry’s collector and test it out, hooking it up to a dust collector, and then to a shop vacuum. While it was never meant to draw in large shavings and chips, it effectively sucked in the fine, hazardous dust from scraping and sanding–the stuff that could otherwise end up in your lungs or cover shop surfaces. Of course the dust collector had more pull, but the shop vacuum also performed well. The collector is simple to make, using 1⁄2ʺ Baltic birch plywood, scrap hardwood, jig hardware, and 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe. The perforated collector pipe is secured to a pair of base side assemblies that adjust in and out, depending on the turning’s diameter. A trio of PVC sleeves (or shutters) fit and rotate over the collector pipe holes, allowing you to concentrate the suction to just the turning at hand, whether a bowl or long spindle. Before building the dust collector, be sure to size the parts for your particular lathe, using the formulas in the box at right. Hold the pipe to the drill press fence as you bore each suction hole at the marked locations. Clamp each shutter pipe to a right-angle jig to hold it firmly and then rip along its length. Cut the collector pipe and shutters 1 Crosscut the 4ʺ-diameter PVC pipes to length–one for the collector pipe (A), and the three for the shutters (B). (I used my 12ʺ mitersaw. Using a bandsaw, while supporting the PVC pipe with a miter gauge, also works.) 2 Using a metal rule, lay out two rows of 3⁄4ʺ suction holes, starting 3ʺ in from the ends of the collector pipe (A). Space the hole centers 1 1⁄4ʺ apart radially and linearly along the pipe. Using a 3⁄4ʺ Forstner bit, drill the holes, as shown in Photo A. 3 Using spring clamps to securely hold a shutter pipe (B) to a right-angle jig, raise the tablesaw blade to 1⁄2ʺ, and then safely cut a kerf in the pipe, as shown in Photo B. Cut kerfs in the remaining pipes. 4 Make a PVC bending jig by cutting a 1⁄2 × 4 1⁄4 × 16ʺ piece of hardwood scrap. Cut a centered 1⁄8ʺ kerf, 1⁄2ʺ deep along one edge. Clamp the jig in a bench vise. Now, insert one ripped edge of a shutter pipe (B) into the jig’s kerf. Using a marking knife, cut along the jig’s edge to score a line 1⁄2ʺ up from the ripped edge. (Doing this helps with the bending when heat is applied.) Raise the pipe 1⁄4ʺ to expose the scored line and use a heat gun to apply heat evenly along the pipe length. Now press the pipe edge fully in the kerf, and bend the pipe flanges, as shown in Photo C. While the pipe remains hot, burnish the heated bend with a block of wood to form a 90° flange. Use only enough heat to soften the PVC for bending. Repeat for all ripped shutter edges. Download the Base Side Template from onlineEXTRAS, below. Move the heat gun along the shutter pipe; when the plastic becomes pliable, bottom out the edge in the kerf and roll the pipe over. Turn the clamps to shape at the lathe, and then test-fit the clamp parts to your ways. Make the base sides, end cap, and clamps 1 Lay out the end cap (C) on 1⁄2ʺ plywood. Using a lathe, form the cap to fit snugly in the headstock end of the collection pipe (A). Test-fit the piece. Remove it and drill a centered 1⁄4ʺ hole in the cap. Insert a 1⁄4 × 1 3⁄4ʺ carriage bolt in the hole, and fit the cap in the pipe, flush with the end. Drill a pair of opposing pilot holes, where shown in Figure 1, and secure the pipe to the cap with #6 × 1⁄2ʺ washerhead screws. 2 Referring to the Base Side Template, lay out a side on a piece of 1⁄2ʺ plywood, tack or tape a second piece of plywood underneath, and then bandsaw both sides (D) to shape. Drill a 1⁄4ʺ hole in the headstock base side for securing to the end cap (C). Scrollsaw a 4 1⁄8ʺ hole in the opposing (tailstock) base side. Now attach the flanged inlet fittings to the tailstock side with machine screws and nuts. Note that a full-sized lathe may require longer sides. 3 Cut the rails (E) to size, and then, using a dado set, cut the grooves shown in Figure 1. Glue the rails to the bottom edges of the base sides, flushing the ends. Cut and screw in the T-Track, flushing it with the rail ends. 4 From 1ʺ-thick scrap hardwood, cut and then turn two clamps (F) to size, as shown in Photo D. (See the Clamp Detail in Figure 1 for a look at the completed part.) Ensure that the grain, when the clamps are installed, runs perpendicular to the ways. The spigot should fit between the ways. Drill the 1⁄4ʺ hole in the center of each clamp. Add the hardware. 5 Using the hardware and plastic dust-collection fittings shown in Figure 1, slip the shutters on the pipe, assemble the base sides to the pipe, and then to the lathe. Give your dust collector a trial run. (Consider adding a blast gate if the connection will be a permanent part of a full-shop dust collection system.) If using a shop vacuum, fit on a 4ʺ quick-connect fitting that reduces to the diameter of your hose.