# Why do people add dust/chip collectors to their shop vacs?



## Guaps (Jan 8, 2014)

I have seen several youtube vids of people adding a dust/chip cyclone collector to their shop vac. Usually they are made out of a couple 5 gallon buckets (one example: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-DustWood-Chip-Collector/) What is the advantage to doing this instead of just using the bucket that is a part of my shop vac? More powerful suction? No replacing filters?

I have claimed about 1/3 of my garage as my shop (bandsaw, drill press, radial arm saw, belt sander, etc). I just roll the shop vac to which ever station I'm working on and plug the shop vac in. But my wife really hates it when I'm sanding/cutting and there is laundry hanging to dry since the shop vac doesn't catch everything. So if this will help solve my problem, I'll buy a couple buckets today!

Thanks!


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Ever vacuum up 60 gallons worth of planer shavings with a 6 gallon shop vac? I've got a separator on mine because the separators quicker to empty, and I don't loose suction as it fills. That, and since my separator is actually made from a 10 gallon bucket, I actually increased the capacity as well. I also can't remember the last time I needed to clean the filter, vs having to clean it every time I emptied the bucket before the separator


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## jdonhowe (Jul 25, 2014)

+1 on epicfail48's comments. A separator (I have a Dust Deputy) is esp. useful in keeping the filter clean when sucking up hard to clean things like drywall dust. It doesn't improve suction, and you still need a filter in your vac.


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## Guaps (Jan 8, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping for something that would help with the dust issues. And I don't have 60 gallons of planer shavings - I only have 59  I don't even have a planer. Given my space restrictions, I don't think this is a vital part of my set up yet.

Thanks for the info!


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Not 60 but more than 60 after planing 180 bd ft of poplar. I emptied the drum 4 times. 

Get a Dust Deputy. You won't be sorry and your shop vac will stay clean.

My Dust Deputy/Shop Vac is now dedicated to the miter saw with an additional blast gate plumbed into the piping so I can connect a sander or router or whatever via smaller hose.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

MT Stringer said:


> Get a Dust Deputy. You won't be sorry and your shop vac will stay clean.
> .


Boo! Make a double-bucket thien baffle!


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

My shop vac is unquestionably the most often used tool in my shop. The addition of a Dust Deputy has kept me from having to clean the vac filter, which keeps the vacuum working efficiently. Especially when sucking up fine dust from sanding at the lathe. It's a bit cumbersome to drag the vacuum around behind the cyclone, tethered by 2-1/2" hoses that always seem to come apart, but overall I love it. I used a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket that gets filled up fast when vacuuming planer or jointer shavings and I wish there was a bigger bucket that I could find cheap.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

I went ahead and sprung for the Laguna 16 gallon cyclone and added a Thien Baffle - makes all the difference in the world. Unless I'm doing a lot of sanding I can go a couple of weeks without cleaning the filter.


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## verdesardog (Apr 2, 2011)

There is no need to spend money on a commercial cyclone, since I already had the barrel this cost less than $20 to make: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/dust-seperator-67466/


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