Replies

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Oct 30, 2007 04:33pm | #1

   I suspect your lack of response is due to a shortage of central vacs in this country and around the world. I've never noticed that this forum is shy about providing information - IF they have the knowledge or experience to be of constructive help.

   P.S. We don't have a central vac. They must be nice.

   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. 
   Carya | Oct 30, 2007 07:28pm | #3

   Frosty,

   I guess I'm suggesting it if you don't have one.  They are great.  I actually vacuumed the house every day for weeks because the task became fun.  (Yes, I'm odd.)  Seems to me that for what woodworkers tend to spend on tools such as DC, filter, shop vac, etc. that a central vac would be useful if only installed for the shop let alone the house.

   I would disagree that central vacs are not popular, although I don't have numbers.  Half the people in my area seem to have them and they provide rough-in for every new house here, afaik.

    

   Andy

    

2. 
   Dave45 | Oct 30, 2007 04:50pm | #2

   A shop DC system is really just a central vac system - on steroids. - lol

   I don't know the specific numbers, but central vac's have a lower flow rate (cfm) due to lower powered motors and smaller ducting.  Their ducts have to fit inside the walls so they can't be the "typical" 4" or 6" diameter.  They're fine for typical household work (mostly dust), but really won't handle the wood shavings, chips, and larger "chunks" generated by a typical woodshop.

   I actually use my DC system as a shop central vac.  My Ridgid shop vac sounds like a fighter jet on full afterburner, and it's a pain dragging it around.  When I built my DC system, I put in a couple of gated ports that will take my shop vac hoses.  Plug in a hose, attach the shop vac extensions and tools, and I can vacuum almost everywhere in the shop.  Sweeping the shop always leaves dust hanging in the air.  Vacuuming gets it all.

1. 
   Carya | Oct 30, 2007 07:43pm | #4

   Dave,

   I would disagree with the statement about a central vac being insufficient for woodworking.  I would never hook it up to my jointer or planer or as the only collection for my TS, but it works very well for the router, mitre saw, drill press, hand sanders, hand tools, etc.  Those do not require a 4" duct.  As I have said, my Beam will suck anything up to the size of a mouse.  You don't want anything larger in a shop vac or DC anyway.  Perhaps a lot of people are just not aware that a modern central vac is not the same as your run of the mill cannister or upright.  Bigger motor and bigger can.

   Clearly, the shop vac and central vac don't provide the volume required by two or three tools but most things in the shop are ok.  I actually hook up both central and shop vacs to some tools such as the router when its in the table.  My ridgid vac is also loud and its much easier to drag a 1 1/4" hose than the shop vac and its 2 1/2" hose which I end up vacuuming out with the central vac anyway.  The three are definitely different tools with different uses.  You cannot call your DC a central vac in any form.  This is why I'm asking/suggesting the central vac.

   Perhaps the biggest difference between the central vac and the shop vac and DC is in how much (vastly) easier it is to empty and that it has no consumables.  The filter is permanent and self-cleaning.

   I don't even have a broom in the shop.  That would defeat the whole purpose of dust collection at all.  If I want to use a broom, I'll go curling.

    

   Andy

    

1. 
   Dave45 | Oct 31, 2007 01:46am | #5

   I would never hook it up to my jointer or planer or as the only collection for my TS

   My DC is. That rascal will suck the chrome right offa trailer hitch! - lol

   My router, ROS, and detail sander get connected to my DC via the shop vac 1-1/4" hose.  My router/shaper and oscillating spindle sander get connected via the 2" shop vac hose.  And, as I said earlier, I use the shop vac hoses and attachments to vacuum the shop.  The shop vac itself sits forlornly in the corner until I need it on a jobsite.

   I know that central vacs are more potent than the old Hoover upright, but I don't see much point in having any kind of shop vacuum system that can't do it all. - lol

2. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 31, 2007 07:18pm | #8

   The filter is permanent and self-cleaning. No fight here BUT how can that be?? Really...

1. 
   rwjiudice | Oct 31, 2007 07:36pm | #9

   Mine is a cloth bag ("permanent") that infates upside down in the container when on, then when the vac is turned off it falls back down, dumping the contents in the container ("self cleaning").

   Understand, this is no "hepa" filter! But it doesn't have to be since mine is mounted out in the garage. Those mounted inside the house are usually vented outside so dust isn't a problem.

   We LOVE ours. If we ever move, there are 2 things we won't live without..... the central vac and our inground pool!!!

   Edited 10/31/2007 12:36 pm ET by rwjiudice

1. 
   Carya | Nov 01, 2007 12:22am | #10

   I second all of that, except the inground pool. How do you move an inground pool? ;) Only thing I would add is that the heavy (cloth?) filter seems to have a weight in the middle of it that drags it back down and drops most of the crap off in the process. Will, I asked the same question about the filter when I bought it. Supposed to be permanent. Andy

2. 
   Drew1house | Nov 01, 2007 11:42pm | #11

   guys... I think a central vac sounds perfect for the shop... here is what I would do though (I am going to do this for my central vac which is hooked to my house not my shop...) Get the mini-cyclone from either oneida or from clearvue cyclones. You just run through the cyclone first and then into the canister. It will eliminate 99% of your dust before it hits the canister or the filter... I wish there was a convenient way to hook one up to my shopvac... it would be totally convenient to use it sitting next to the centralvac canister in the garage...Drew

3. 
   sapwood | Oct 31, 2007 08:46am | #6

   I've got a central vac in my house and have seen the advantage of having one in my work building. So far, only time and money have kept me from installing one in the shop with ducting running into the office, gallery, and other spaces. Soon, my wife will be using one of the rooms in the building for clay work so I'm looking into the suitability of a central vac for clay dust. Using the dust collector with it's large motor that doesn't like frequent starts and stops seems inefficient. I like to clean up with vacuum and when I do install one, I'll have a hose at every shop outlet. That means at least three in my shop, one in her's, and a movable one in the office/show areas.

1. 
   Carya | Oct 31, 2007 01:27pm | #7

   Don't know what clay dust is like but mine works very well for everything including drywall dust.  Never noticed the 'muffler' even get dirty.

   I would limit the inlets based on the capacity of the unit.  I think mine is an average size and I installed seven inlets.  I think there is a small leak at each one.  Would have installed a larger head unit if I knew how useful it would be in the shop.  I only have one inlet (near the router) and just use a long, light hose to go everywhere.  I'm going to install a few switches around the shop though as central vac conveniently has a low voltage control and its own relay.

    

   Andy