# Shop Vac



## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Any one use only a shop vac while sanding at the lathe? Is it adequate.

When I got my 1-1/2 HP (2?) Jet dust collector, I hooked up a 6" dia trunk line with 5 or so Tees and blast gate to go to each tool. Slowly I've been removing some of them because I've learned I've streched the DC too far. If I could delete the one for the lathe, and just use a shop vac, then it would cut my whole system in half. I would have one hooked permanetly up to the sander and then a removeable hose for the jointer and band saw. Dust collection on my contractor saw never really worked, so that's been gone for a long time. If I ever got a better saw, I would simple use the roving hose.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

If you are only using one line at a time it doesn't really matter how many there are, not sure why you would want to eliminate half of them.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I have the same Jet DC's*

You probably know by now that unless the hose/collector is right at the point of dust generation,they aren't very effective. Any flex hose in the system just adds to the inefficiency to a DC whose CFM is overrated to start with. 

So, I use a shop vac on the bandsaw, router and over the blade on the table saw and move the DC right to the jointer, planer and drum sander using at most a 6 ft long flex hose. Mine have the pleated cannister filters which are more efficient with more surface area than a bag filter.

Power tools generate 2 types of wood waste, fine dust and chips or shavings. Bandsaws, drum sanders, routers and table saws generate fine dust, while jointers and planers generate larger chips and shavings. A shop vac creates a lot of suction, at a high velocity in a smaller hose, where a DC moves a large volume of ai8r in a larger hose at a lower velocity.

My Jet DC is on the mobile base and I move to each tool as I need it except the table saw where it remains pretty much in place all the time. I didn't mention I have 2 of them, but that helps also. I use quick connect fittings for ease of change over from machine to machine.

To some dust collection is an exact science with charts and CFM's all figured out. For me it's shoot from the hip with some common sens thrown in.:yes:


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

That's basically what I've found; keep it simple.


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

I don't have a real DC system, and yes I've used my shop vac when sanding at the lathe. I need to fabricate a movable pickup chute that I can position as needed - what I have now is just a plastic floor sweep mounted to a wooden bracket. But it does work and picks up the fine dust from sanding.


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