Replies

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | May 22, 2009 04:53am | #1

   Ralph,

   I'm a little bit confused  but would like to know if the hose from the DC fits onto/over 4" 26 Ga. metal piping?  Also will the ducts from the machines fit to the same metal ducting?  If so, then you should be able to use short sections of the metal ducting to provide the connections.

   With the setup you're contemplating, i.e. piping to one machine at a time via flexible hose I would have a 4" quick connect on the end of the hose coming from the DC.   Makes it easy for switch from one machine to another.

   Also, I buy all my DC fittings from the same supplier, not sure if that matters or not.

   Regards,

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   RGomez | May 22, 2009 04:58pm | #4

   I have a 4" quick disconnect fitting at the end of the flexible hose coming from the Dust Collector that will be moving from machine to machine. What the problem seems to be is that the "4 inch" dust ports on 2 of my machines will not accept the hard plastic quick disconnect fitting at the end of my flexible hose. They seem to be slightly off, enough to have the quick disconnect hose pop off/not fit right. Also, there is a lip on my jointer/planer combination machine's 4" port that seems to be for clamping on a hose direct (no quick disconnect)to provide a no slip surface but impedes the ability of a quick disconnect fitting to connect on properly.So all this is why I got the idea to put the quick disconnect blast gates right at the ports of the machines. I KNOW that the quick disconnect fitting on the end of the flexible hose will fit into the quick disconnect blast gates. However, my problem now is that the gates won't go directly onto 2 of my 3 machines 4" ports (nor the fitting from the hose directly for that matter). I have a Woodtek table saw, a Laguna 10"jointer/planer and a Grizzly band saw. Everything connects fine to the Grizzly but the other 2 are slightly off. This lead me to trying to find a product where you have a somewhat flexible material on one end (fitting to the machine) and a hard plastic end that would fit to a quick disconnect fitting on the flexible hose on the other end. I don't know if I am overstating things but it seems to me that this problem (inconsistencies in the machining of the 4" ports of foreign machines) would be common enough that there would be something out there for this type of problem. Any suggestions ? I am really just trying to get a dust collector from machine to machine with hookup not being too much of a hassle. I don't want to wear out the flexible hose coming from the DC by stretching the plastic over the ports every time and need to replace or cut the hose constantly from the stretching etc (thus the 4" fitting I put over the end of the flexible hose).thanks for any advice.
   Ralph

1. 
   jonnieboy | May 23, 2009 09:23am | #11

   RGomez,

   I don't know if I am overstating things but it seems to me that this problem (inconsistencies in the machining of the 4" ports of foreign machines) would be common enough that there would be something out there for this type of problem.

   I am dealing with this problem right now in setting up a dust collector system. It's insane! I've been haunting the electrical conduit aisle, the sheetmetal ductwork aisle, and the plumbing aisle, not to mention every site on the internet who stocks dust collector fittings. 

   Would you like to join my new action group, Society for Prosecution of Manufacturers of Dust Collection Fittings Whose Measurements and Tolerances are Arbitrary and Basically Just Don't Match? SFPMDCFWMTABJDM for short.

   I'm going with both the Plumber's Boot suggestion above and the Quick Disconnect on the Woodstock page given above,

   http://www.woodstockint.com/Products/18003006

   That fitting (Jet?) that screws into the hose on one side and whose other side is supposed to pressure fit on and off any other 4" fitting -- junk. At least in my limited experience.

   Misery loves company, I guess, is all I have to offer here. Good luck, and I'll see you at the support group. Pass along anything you learn along the way.

   --Jonnieboy

    

    

1. 
   RGomez | May 24, 2009 04:01am | #13

   Pretty funny stuff. I would think that this problem would be common enough. Like I said I checked out Rockler but it seems to me that in order to go that route you have to invest in a small line of there products and pay for the shipping and handling etc. I don't know- maybe after I experiment a while with this other stuff I'll wind up going that route. The funny thing is that on my Grizzly band saw all I had to do was slip the quick release gate over the existing 4" dust port and the quick release fitting on the end of my hose goes right over that no problems what so ever. I'll try the plumbers boot thing first as I live 5 minutes from a hardware store. They keep asking me if I need help but I continue to tell them no with a crazed look in my eye. I guess one more trip will have make no difference. Ralph

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 24, 2009 04:15am | #14

   Ralph.. I just loved your words..

   They keep asking me if I need help but I continue to tell them no with a crazed look in my eye.

   Very much like ME! I hate shopping, but somehow a hardware store is a different world!

2. 
   RGomez | May 25, 2009 03:51am | #15

   Well today I went and got the plumbers boot(s). Worked like a charm!Problem solved for about 12 dollars. Thanks for everyones time.Ralph

3. 
   jonnieboy | May 25, 2009 07:17am | #16

   RGomez,

   Woo-hoo! Par-tee! Plumbers to the rescue.

   -Jonnieboy

4. 
   FrankDrackman | May 25, 2009 09:32pm | #17

   Remember, Plumbers boots = good

   Plumbers butt = bad

   I sometimes get it mixed up so I had it tattooed on my lower back.

5. 
   KiddervilleAcres | May 26, 2009 02:54am | #18

   You have a plumbers boot tatooed on yur back!?

   Uh, that's very different.

   :-)

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

2. 
   BG | May 23, 2009 12:14pm | #12

   RGomez,I suspect your going to have to take a piece( maybe 6" or so) of that flexible hose and clamp it permanently to the machine and, on the other end, another clamp to the gate. A plumbers boot may be a good alternative. However, the flexible hose you have right there and can test if it will work, anything else has you running back an forth to the store.

2. 
   flairwoodworks | May 22, 2009 05:05am | #2

   Ralph,

   Most dust collection fittings are designed so that you must link every part with hose. So if you want to have a blast gate right before a port, you need to cut a short length of hose. From what I have seen, 4" dust collection stuff is pretty universal.

   Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
   and now www.flairwoodworks.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

3. 
   Jfrostjr | May 22, 2009 03:57pm | #3

   I'm not really sure if I understand your problem - but.

   An item called a plumber's boot might solve your situation. They are available in a hardware store and are inexpensive. Why not check one out. They worked for me.

   Frosty

   "I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

1. 
   RGomez | May 22, 2009 04:59pm | #5

   What is a plumbers boot? Ralph

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | May 22, 2009 05:53pm | #6

   Ralph,

   Plumbers boots that I've seen are a short length of rubber hose with a hose type clamp on each end.  They are flexible enough so they can be stretched to fit over pipe ends that may or may not be exact.  Great for connecting drain pipes or different composition.

   I'm still curious as to whether 4" metal duct might offer you a solution.  Many times I resolved issues of this nature from taking the mating pieces to a local hardware or auto supply store; still another possibilities.

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   RGomez | May 23, 2009 05:27am | #10

   Thanks for everyone's advice.I think I am going to check out the plumber's boot option first.I'll let you know which way I eventually solve the problem.Thanks again.Ralph

2. 
   Jfrostjr | May 22, 2009 06:28pm | #7

   Bob has it right. (As usual!) They are used to make watertight connections between different sizes and types of pipe. Just ask your hardware store to show you one.I used it to connect my Laguna bandsaw port (odd size) to 4" hose.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

4. 
   davidbrum | May 23, 2009 12:32am | #8

   I buy one of these for each machine. I tap them on, male side out, to the dust ports. Since they are cone shaped, they fit a variety of sizes. They stay tight if you tap them gently with a rubber mallet. They give a perfect match if you use the same sleeve on the end of the hose (female side out).

   http://www.woodstockint.com/Products/18003006/

   David B
5. 
   mike4244 | May 23, 2009 01:42am | #9

   You need two empty 1lb coffee cans with the bottom cut out. Also two 1 quart plastic soup containers from a chinese restaurant( or something similar) Cut the bottom out of the containers. Hose goes over coffee cans on each end and is duct taped in place,soup containers are duct taped to the cans. This is all there is to it.Now you can move the dust collector from one machine to another and push each end of the hose into their ports. The taper on the soup containers will keep the hose intact without fasteners.

   mike

6. 
   oldbeachbum | May 26, 2009 08:36am | #19

   lots of good advice by many experts.............

    

   also check out the Rockler website or catalogs before going off on too many tangents.....many useful items there for all types of d/c applications

    

   I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits

   
   

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   Edited 5/26/2009 3:01 am by oldbeachbum