How/what do I connect to this 2.5" flex hose? Nothing fits!

[Dan Friedrichs]

I bought some 2.5" flex hose from Peachtree. The ID is pretty close to 2.5".

With other (larger) flex pipe, I've always been able to find some sort of fitting or coupler that I can slide the pipe over. For instance, 6" flex typically can be stretched over 6" ASTM2729 solid pipe, 4" flex can be stretched to fit over 4" PVC pipe, etc. Obviously I need to slip the flex pipe over some kind of solid pipe to be able to connect it to the DC ductwork, or to build blast gates, etc.

But... I can't find ANYTHING that this 2.5" flex fits onto. They don't make S&D pipe that small, and 2.5" PVC pipe has an ID of 2.5", so it won't fit inside (or outside) of this flex hose. Shop vac fittings are 2.25" OD, so that doesn't work, either.

Does anyone know of a plastic (preferably) pipe I can buy that is 2.5" OD? If not, I'm going to buy 2.5" PVC and heat it up and squeeze it down until it fits...

[Steve Peterson]

I have a similar setup for a couple of small belt sanders. I probably should try to enlarge the ports to 4", but they come with 2.5" ports and I decided to leave them that way for now.

I purchased 2.5" flex pipe from Woodcraft. It is probably similar to the stuff from Peachtree. I also got a 2.5" dust collector starter kit from Rockler that has some plastic blast gates and a bunch of wire clamps.

The main trunk is 4" S&D PVC pipe. I tap off of this with a 4x4x2 Y, since I have never seen a 4x4x2.5 Y. The 2.5" blast gates are just a little too big to fit inside the 2" end of the PVC Y. I used a small drum sander to enlarge the Y slightly so the blast gate fits inside. The blast gate is tapered, so very little material needs to be removed to make a perfect fit. One or two screws holds it firmly in place. The flex pipe fits between the blast gate and the machine.

This worked out well for me. It keeps the blast gate solidly attached to the PVC and 12-18" away from the machine.

Steve

[glenn bradley]

I have a few of Rockler's version of the hose. They fit outside of a standard Ridgid or Shop-Vac hose coupler. I find them in the clearance bins for a buck: http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Vac-9068600-2-5-Inch-Hose-Coupling/dp/B00004RHKW

The 2-1/4" end of your shop vac will fit in the coupler and the coupler fits in the rigid-flex hose. They also fit any standard 2-1/2" DC fittings:

[Dan Friedrichs]

Whoa! $7.70 for a 3" piece of plastic pipe! :)

Humm...I guess I can look at proper "dust collection" 2.5" fittings, but I really want to build my own blast gates, so I guess what I'm looking for is a piece of plastic pipe that is 2.5" OD. Apparently, no such thing exists.

Sch 40 PVC:
2" pipe is really 2.375 OD
2.5" pipe is really 2.875 OD

No S&D pipe (SDR35, ASTM2729, or ASTM F810) is made any smaller than 3".

[Alan Schaffter]

Take a 6" long piece of 2.5" PVC. Drill two opposing holes in each end. Suspend the pipe from your shop ceiling with baling wire. Tie bench weights (or whatever you have) to the other end. Use a good heat gun or propane torch to carefully heat* the middle portion. Spin the pipe as you heat it. When it gets hot enough the PVC will get rubbery, stretch, and neck down in the middle. After it necks down enough let it cool and cut it to the appropriate length. You can do this to make PVC adapters from any size PVC pipe. You can enlarge PVC pipe by heating it and slipping it over the intended male fitting or by driving in a suitably sized plug turned on your lathe.

*Use with proper ventilation- PVC gives off Hydrogen Chloride and other gases, some of which may contain Dioxins, when it burns.. The jury is still out, but better safe than sorry.

[glenn bradley]

Whoa! $7.70 for a 3" piece of plastic pipe! :)

Yeah, no way would I pay that. I got 5 of them at the BORG in a clearance bin for a buck each :).

[David Hostetler]

I have the Peachtree 2.5" flex hose, and I use Peachtree's 2.5" screw in type quick connect adapters on it no problem. I did have to use clamps though, the hose ends will tend to grow a touch on you making the fittings loose...

Best of luck with it!