Dust Collection - How do I hook up a Festool Dust Extractor to a 4" port?
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leakyroof
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How small is your Festool hose in diameter? 36mm is pretty small to reduce down from a 4" port, 50mm would be a better match. At any rate, the large hose end of the Festool hoses are easy to mate to some adapters that are sized for Shop-Vac adapters. Take your Festool hose to a local woodworking, or a national chain like Woodcraft or Rockler and they should have an adapter in stock for you.
ccarrolladams
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lavon said:
The CT end of all Festool hoses will be 50mm and conforms to an international standard for shop vacuums.
There are adapters sold by several firms to connect a standsad shop vac hose, including those made by Festool, to 4" dust collection hoses or ports.
However, such connections are usually made so that a high volume shop dust collection system can suck through a smaller hose.
The thing is conventional shop dust collection systems pull a very large volume of air at relatively low velocity. With 4" (100mm) hose and larger, velocity is not important. Festool designed their CT Dust Extractors to work well with Festools. To improve flexibility of the hose, Festool made then smaller, 27mm and 36mm. The 50mm Festool hose is mostly used to extend the smaller hose. Those work with Festools because the CT pull a fairly low volume of air, but at relatively high velocity. The maximum volume for Festool CT is 137cfm. That is less than 1/4th the volume needed to do even a half-way collection from a table saw.
Of course your mileage may vary. The parts to connect a Festool 50mm hose to your table saw will only cost you a few dollars. If it works well enough for you, marvelous. If the Festool Ct does not provide enough suction, then try another approach.
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You should not expect this to work very well...lavon said:
Machines with a 4" connector will usually be served by a high volume low pressure chip collector - the sort you see with a big bag filter on top. The Festool extractors are designed to provide high vacuum to relatively small machines - they work brilliantly doing the job that they were designed to do but they do not extract a particularly high volume
If you connect your CT to a 4" port on, say, a planer/thicknesser you will not collect all of the chips. There will be insufficient air flow to get all of the chips into the hose. Your CT will fill within seconds and need a bag change.
If you do manage to connect your system up and it works properly then a video posted here would be a good idea!
Peter
All you need is a Powertec 70147 Tapered Adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M3J60O6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
The smaller end of this adaptor is tapered, and fits perfectly into your Festool extractor's outlet. You slip one end of a 4" hose onto the larger end of the adaptor, and secure it with a 4" hose clamp. The other end of the hose is, of course, fastened directly to your machine port. This simple arrangement minimizes static friction loss, since you're running 4" hose all the way from the machine port to the extractor. No Festool hose or accessories are needed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M3J60O6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
The smaller end of this adaptor is tapered, and fits perfectly into your Festool extractor's outlet. You slip one end of a 4" hose onto the larger end of the adaptor, and secure it with a 4" hose clamp. The other end of the hose is, of course, fastened directly to your machine port. This simple arrangement minimizes static friction loss, since you're running 4" hose all the way from the machine port to the extractor. No Festool hose or accessories are needed.
4nthony
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Peter Parfitt said:
I have a similar setup but with a Fein Turbo I collecting dust on a SawStop PCS. I use a PowerTec 70136 adapter, a Home Depot DustStopper, and a short run of old 2-1/2" Shop-Vac hose. The DustStopper comes with a short run of hose that plugs directly into the Fein. As ccarrolladams mentioned, the port on the CT is universal so it should be the same as the Fein.
The setup is by no means perfect, but I'm always amazed at how much dust makes it into the DustStopper and how little is in the Fein's vacuum bag (or inside the cabinet of the SawStop).
As Peter pointed out, a vac connected to a table saw's 4" port is not an effective solution. It may appear to work with dust collected in the shop vac or dust deputy or the like. The truth is that that is more a comparison between a shop vac and nothing. The proper comparison should be between a shop vac and a dust collector 1HP or 1.5 HP (2.0 even better).
I know because I saw the difference on my SawStop PCS using a CT 26 previously (for months while I was researching for a HEPA D.C.) and now a 1.5HP D.C. The overarm dust collection is hooked to a separate shop vac to give the best dust collection performance -- 95% to 98% unless it's an edge cut or cross cut with the miter gauge.
I know because I saw the difference on my SawStop PCS using a CT 26 previously (for months while I was researching for a HEPA D.C.) and now a 1.5HP D.C. The overarm dust collection is hooked to a separate shop vac to give the best dust collection performance -- 95% to 98% unless it's an edge cut or cross cut with the miter gauge.
Birdhunter
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I once tried a shop vac tied to a table saw. Pathetic. I now use a 2HP Oneida cyclone with a 6" duct necked down to the SawStop's 4" port. I also have a Festool Mini tied into the overarm guard. The Mini is turned on when the saw fires up. Works great. I once tried the bag type dust collectors. Found it trapped all the big stuff, but the fine dust was being blown into the air. Very unhealthy!
Some people make or invest in some kind of overarm dust collection accessory, an example of which is this commercial product:https://www.thesharkguard.com/
(Caution: It isn't safe to make a cross cut in the manner shown in the video!)
(Caution: It isn't safe to make a cross cut in the manner shown in the video!)
4nthony
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Birdhunter said:
Ha.
I once tried a stamped aluminum Porter Cable jobsite table saw I got off Craigslist. Pathetic. I now use a Felder Sliding Table Panel saw.
I once tried a DIY doweling jig. Pathetic. I now use a Festool Domino.
I once tried a [fill in the blank with a cheap, inexpensive tool]. Pathetic. I now use a [fill in the blank with a much more expensive tool].
The list goes on.
What one person deems pathetic is more often than not, adequate for someone else. We all use what we have and we upgrade when we can.
One would expect a $1500+ 2HP Oneida Cyclone with a 6" port to outperform a $99 shop-vac. You're comparing apples to
To the OP, go ahead and use your CT with the adapters mentioned. Understand what dust will be collected with your setup and make adjustments for the dust that won't be collected.
[cool]
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4nthony said:
I suppose it is a bit like picking up a 2012 magazine in the waiting room at the vets and entering the crossword puzzle !
Peter
