Dust Extraction Hose & Power Cord Management

squarecut

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Dec 2, 2013
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After using my first mini-boom configuration on my custom built mobile MFT for over 15 months I needed to improve on the original design. I had purposely designed the original to be relatively close to the table surface to maximize the available hose length when utilizing the full length option on my expandable MFT for ripping long boards. But as I have yet to use that feature, the ever present excess hose length close to the table top was becoming very bothersome. A new concept was needed.
Utilizing readily available PVC electrical conduit & fittings I fabricated a taller boom arm tailored to my custom built expandable MFT. I created a holder at the delivery end of the boom to keep the hose & power cord out of the way when not needed

The original design is shown in these two photos [attachthumb=1] [attachthumb=2]

The following photos show the revised configuration [attachthumb=3] [attachthumb=4] [attachthumb=5] [attachthumb=6] [attachthumb=7] [attachthumb=8] [attachthumb=9]
 

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On the 2 "rough" ends of your PVC conduit (the end of the 90 degree elbow at the top and the inlet piece down by the vac), consider adding a female-to-female coupler.  The couplers have nice and smooth edges, where as the off-the-shelf elbow and the short cut piece do not, they are rather sharp.

This will prevent any wear against the plug-it cord and the vac hose.  Of course, you can simply sand down those interior edges as well.  I would do one or the other though.
 
Excellent idea I see it includes that hose and the power connection.  I cut my power cord short as well, so it could be used across multiple tools.   

I did something a bit different as I have some Non Festool tools that need to be connected to my dust collector.  I used 1 1/2 " pipe with a variable pipe connector that allows my end unit rotate freely.  With this set up.  At the top,  I put connector in and the I added a 2 1/2 air pipe connector inside that so I could use a standard 2 1/2 hose or 1 1/4 hose    I'm showing 1 1/4" hose that fits my TS 55,  and my PC tools as well.  For table saw and Lathe,  I put in a 2 1/2 hose at the top.
 

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squarecut said:
After using my first mini-boom configuration on my custom built mobile MFT for over 15 months I needed to improve on the original design. I had purposely designed the original to be relatively close to the table surface to maximize the available hose length when utilizing the full length option on my expandable MFT for ripping long boards. But as I have yet to use that feature, the ever present excess hose length close to the table top was becoming very bothersome. A new concept was needed.
Utilizing readily available PVC electrical conduit & fittings I fabricated a taller boom arm tailored to my custom built expandable MFT. I created a holder at the delivery end of the boom to keep the hose & power cord out of the way when not needed

The original design is shown in these two photos

I especially liked the system you had for supporting the hose; brilliant!  I'll "borrow" that idea for my tablesaw over-blade dust pick-up.  Thanks for sharing!!
 
Can you share the sizes of each component of conduit for your boom arm?
 
[member=57056]mwest[/member]
All conduit is 2" PVC. The boom has 4 pieces of PVC cut from a 10 foot length, one coupling, one female threaded adapter, one male threaded adapter & one 90 degree elbow.
Starting at the dust extractor is pc #1- 7" long, going into a coupling, pc #2- 6-1/2" long leaving coupling going into hub of pc #3- 21-1/2" long going into female threaded adapter which has male threaded adapter screwed into it. Then pc #4- 2-3/4" long connecting male adapter into hub of 90 degree elbow.
 
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