I have a when 13 inch thickness planer with a 2 1/2 inch dust port.  Right now I have it attached too a rigid shop vac and it fills it up pretty quick.  So I was thinking about attaching a 4 inch adapter to the 2 1/2 inch port and hooking it to my larger shop vac, but Im not sure if it’s a waste of time because of the loss of cfm…? Or should I see if I can find someone to maybe 3d print something that will work.  Any thoughts, please.  Im really getting annoyed with all this dust collection stuff…sheesh.

I would try to hook it to the DC, but not with the 2.5" port. What about looking in the HVAC section at the box store and seeing if there's a boot that comes cloes to what will fit on the planer and use that? Another thoght would be to cut the 2.5" port off the OEM, and fasten a 4" opening to it in some manner.

I'd try the adapter and see how it works. 

22 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Another thoght would be to cut the 2.5" port off the OEM, and fasten a 4" opening to it in some manner.

 

That's what I did with my Dewalt. I didn't cut off the OEM port but adapted it to a larger hose. 

 

 

 

Another thing you can do is add a separator between the machine and your dust collector. I installed a home made "Thein" separator inline to collect almost all of the chips/shavings before they got to the dust collector.

 

 

Some Ideas-

https://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=1428.0

https://www.jpthien.com/cy.htm

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodriver-dust-connection-mini-dust-collection-separator

Likewise, I have two Thien collectors, one on a 30 gal garbage can for the planer and table saw, connected to a Jet dust collector, and the other on an 8 gal or so for hand held power tools like sanders and biscuit joiner, and general clean up, then runs into a  Ridgid shop vacuum.  Both extract a vast majority of the dust.

6 hours ago, kmealy said:

Likewise, I have two Thien collectors, one on a 30 gal garbage can for the planer and table saw, connected to a Jet dust collector, and the other on an 8 gal or so for hand held power tools like sanders and biscuit joiner, and general clean up, then runs into a  Ridgid shop vacuum.  Both extract a vast majority of the dust.

 

I would go with the adapter . There are many variations out there. I put a Dust Deputy between my drop box and the DC. It collects almost all the fines.

18 hours ago, Gunny said:

I'd try the adapter and see how it works. 

I guess that would be the right thing to do…try this first. Thank you.

18 hours ago, lew said:

 

That's what I did with my Dewalt. I didn't cut off the OEM port but adapted it to a larger hose. 

 

 

 

Another thing you can do is add a separator between the machine and your dust collector. I installed a home made "Thein" separator inline to collect almost all of the chips/shavings before they got to the dust collector.

 

 

Some Ideas-

https://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=1428.0

https://www.jpthien.com/cy.htm

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodriver-dust-connection-mini-dust-collection-separator

Thanks Lew.  I do have a separator. I like the way you made the adapter.

14 hours ago, kmealy said:

Likewise, I have two Thien collectors, one on a 30 gal garbage can for the planer and table saw, connected to a Jet dust collector, and the other on an 8 gal or so for hand held power tools like sanders and biscuit joiner, and general clean up, then runs into a  Ridgid shop vacuum.  Both extract a vast majority of the dust.

Thank you mealy.

6 hours ago, Gerald said:

I would go with the adapter . There are many variations out there. I put a Dust Deputy between my drop box and the DC. It collects almost all the fines.

 

Good place to start.  Thanks Gerald.

4" might be too big for a shopvac.  You really should do the math  to determine the CFM  you'd get vs what you need.

 

here is a calculator but you still need the CFM  you are pulling in your best Dust vac https://www.nordfab.com/en-us/technical/ducting-calculator

Edited August 30, 20251 yr by Cliff

4 hours ago, Cliff said:

4" might be too big for a shopvac.  You really should do the math  to determine the CFM  you'd get vs what you need.

 

here is a calculator but you still need the CFM  you are pulling in your best Dust vac https://www.nordfab.com/en-us/technical/ducting-calculator

Hi Cliff.  Im not hooking to my shop vac, I want to get away form using the shop vac because if just fills up to quickly.  Ill be hooking it to my larger dust collector.

1 hour ago, Pauley said:

ll be hooking it to my larger dust collector.

you should be able to get a CFM for that in the doc's that came with it. 

My RL160 maxes out at 6" or 160mm 

Edited August 30, 20251 yr by Cliff

15 hours ago, Cliff said:

you should be able to get a CFM for that in the doc's that came with it. 

My RL160 maxes out at 6" or 160mm 

Thanks Cliff.

For adapters you can't beat the Home Depot (or wherever) plumbing aisle.  Lots of rubber sleeves with hose clamps from one size to another.  One group I worked with called them "slumlord specials"

 

A separator sounds like it would solve your problems too.

Edited August 31, 20251 yr by JWD

22 hours ago, Pauley said:

Hi Cliff.  Im not hooking to my shop vac, I want to get away form using the shop vac because if just fills up to quickly.  Ill be hooking it to my larger dust collector.

 

Why not add a "separator" to both? Lots of examples of examples of shop made separators for shop-vac on line.  

4 hours ago, JWD said:

For adapters you can't beat the Home Depot (or wherever) plumbing aisle.  Lots of rubber sleeves with hose clamps from one size to another.  One group I worked with called them "slumlord specials"

 

A separator sounds like it would solve your problems too.

Hi Cliff.  I have a separator on my shop vac, t the blue barrel one from rockers.  Also my larger has a separator on it. I have gotten this rubber sleeves before and they work great, but never heard the term slumlord specials, that’s funny.

4 hours ago, lew said:

 

Why not add a "separator" to both? Lots of examples of examples of shop made separators for shop-vac on line.  

Hello Lew, i do already have separators on both my shop vac and the larger collector.

17 minutes ago, Pauley said:

Hello Lew, i do already have separators on both my shop vac and the larger collector.

 

Sorry, I misunderstood what you currently have. I'm and idiot 🤣