I recently bought a dust shoe for my CNC router (as much as I love babysitting it with the vacuum wand…), and now I’m working to connect my vacuum to it.
I’ve found a few products online, but I’m curious to hear your suggestions.
Below are photos of the dimensions of the various parts.
I do have access to a 3D printer through public library & commercial / community organizations, but I don’t personally know how to use one.
I DO need a longer hose than what I have with the vacuum - it’s just at the point where if I pull it, the vacuum will fall over to its side. I would consider buying locally a longer length of hose, but still need to sort out the connectors.
straight is better than tapered or curved or a coupler — your ears will thank you for each place you can keep things from getting noisier or changing pitch by using a straight hose w/o complications
There are a few popular/common hose sizes, Imperial 1½, 2½, and 4″ — but this is complicated by inside vs. outside diameter — I’ve found it expedient to just buy both when there are a pair of options
PVC piping is available in similar diameters — but it doesn’t quite match, so some folks have adapters available
there are also clear acrylic tubes which are nice when they can be integrated so that one can see that stuff is moving — but if you cut metal they get scratched up and become cloudy quickly — but again, the diameters don’t quite match up (you’d think w/ just I.D., O.D., and wall-thickness it would be easier to make things which match up…) meaning even more adapters
I wrote a bit about making adapters at:
(ob. discl., I work for Carbide 3D, but we no longer sell the HDPE blocks…)
and the big thing is leave extra material on the first/roughing pass, test-fit/measure, and adjust for the finishing pass conservatively — once cut away the material can’t be put back…
Lastly, the finance committee will thank you in the long run for using a cyclone and saving on filters and expensive bags.
