Layout - Dust Collection Across Open Floor

[Bill Adamsen]

I'd like to move my slider which would improve flow and add functional space in my shop.

One drawback to the move is that the dust collection would need to run across the floor from the wall where I have an unused 6" drop, to the slider. The run from wall to slider is just a few feet and located conveniently out of the way underneath the end of the slider's stroke. Here's the catch. Since it is a multi-function machine, where the 6" drop gets to the machine, I'd need to split it into three 5" ports ... saw, J/P and shaper. I want dedicated connections, I don't want to have to move the flex, except to swap from J to P like I currently do. This means three gates, and they'd all be down near the floor. I'm not wild about that. It also means that I'd be stepping over the pipe if I wanted to walk around that end of the saw.

For those of you with a pipe from wall to machine ...
a) how annoying is it to step over the pipe, are there methods of mitigating the issue (transition to rectangular pipe and build wooden ramp)?
b) gates ... I have manual gates (perhaps the time has finally come) do you slide sideways or vertically?

[Phil Thien]

Can't you put the gates at the machine's ports, after the flex?

[Bill Adamsen]

Not really ... the slider dust collection inlet is located about 10" above the floor, the shaper hood removes, the J/P connections are extremely close to each other when in planer operation (I had to remove the planer hood and "machine it" to get the clearance). I could make the shaper and J/P the same inlet. That's what I have now. I could also cut two holes in the floor ... one down, and the other back up. Of course I'd rather confirm the location before doing something so radical.