PVC dust collection?

[Bryan Hunt]

For those of you that have installed PVC ducting for your dust collection system, did you glue your joints, or use screws? I'm thinking of using screws in case I decide to re-arrange the shop in the future (probably won't, but just in case).

Bryan

[Ken Deckelman]

I used 3 #8 by 1/2" hex head screws at each joint, then I applied a thin bead of clear silicone just in case...

[Dale Lesak]

I run 4" and didn't do either. they fit together tight and I've had no problems at all with the system. I've made a few changes and had to tap the joints apart they were that tight. The only screws I have used is to hold the gates into the pipe or fitting. I did use screws on the drops that weren't against the wall and was just hanging down. The one by or on the walls are held in place with the wall brackets and have never come apart.

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Bryan. I built a Bill Pentz design cyclone a couple years ago, and used 6" PVC for the ducting. At the joints I put one sheet metal screw that was just long enough to poke through into the inside of the pipe. Yes, I know the purist would cry fowl, I don't care.

At the joint I also used PL brand window caulking after the joint was screwed together. I just wore latex gloves to smooth the caulking into the joint just enough to seal it. I don't know why, but I too might want to take it apart some day. My thinking is that I may be able to run a utility knife around the joint to break the seal, and then after removing the screw, pull the joint apart.

[Bill Sticht]

Hi Bryan
I used 4" pvc and the joints are holding tight with no screws or adveshive as mentioned early.
the vertical runs held in place with pipe clamps. good luck with your project.

[Rick Gooden]

I did the same as Dave with friction fit on 4", gates tacked with screws. I've had this arrangement for a couple of years and has served me well. I am about to make significant changes and now I am very glad it will be easy to disassemble and reassemble in a different configuration.

[Jameel Abraham]

Make sure you shove the duct into the fitting as far as possible (usually about 3" for 6" duct). I only put screws where joints might be under some stress or gravity pull. You definitely dont need caulk. I check all my joints and there aren't any leaks. I did caulk a couple places where I could hear hissing (shut all your gates and crank on the DC, you'll be able to hear where its leaking). Ed Morgano (ClearVue maker) doesn't recommend any caulk or glue.

[Stan Welborn]

Make sure you shove the duct into the fitting as far as possible (usually about 3" for 6" duct). I only put screws where joints might be under some stress or gravity pull. You definitely dont need caulk. I check all my joints and there aren't any leaks. I did caulk a couple places where I could hear hissing (shut all your gates and crank on the DC, you'll be able to hear where its leaking). Ed Morgano (ClearVue maker) doesn't recommend any caulk or glue.

Same hear. I only used screws a scant few places where it was supporting itself. No caulk.

[Matt Meiser]

6" PVC, screws in in a few places where needed to hold things together, then caulked. Mine leaked just enough to make caulking everything best. DO NOT CAULK BEFORE PUTTING PIECES TOGETHER! Trust me. I made that mistake at my old house and had to destroy some fittings to get things apart.

[Jim Podsedly]

I just installed thin walled 4" pvc in my shop today.

Well i had a pice of flex hose from Jet and the hose does not fit over the pvc!

Now what?

what have other done? what kind of flex hose will fit over thin walled 4" pvc?


btw - i put two screws in each joint and caulked. real dilemna on 4" vs. 6" but went eventaully settled with 4". I hope i do not regret in the long run.

Thanks,
Jim

[Terry Sparks]

I just installed thin walled 4" pvc in my shop today.

Well i had a pice of flex hose from Jet and the hose does not fit over the pvc!

Now what?

what have other done? what kind of flex hose will fit over thin walled 4" pvc?


btw - i put two screws in each joint and caulked. real dilemna on 4" vs. 6" but went eventaully settled with 4". I hope i do not regret in the long run.

Thanks,
Jim

Buy a 4" schedule 80 coupler, glue your flex hose to the inside of the coupler, get some thin metal strips for bracing that will accept a small machine screw to bolt it through the coupler to keep everything in place and if you wish, run a bead of caulk around the end of the flex hose inside the coupler to smooth the transition between the two. All that's left is to slip the open end of the coupler onto your ducting.

[Matt Meiser]

Another thing that works is to buy a piece of snaplock HVAC pipe. It should slide inside the PVC and the flex.

[Daryl Upole]

I glued most of mine except for a couple strategic joints to break apart. I have made modifications but the couplers are cheap and I just cut and re-glue. The ones not glued, I have noticed dust that collects on the pipe; so it definitely works its way through. So, on those I used some really good 2" 3M tape.

I've had it up and running for a couple years now.

PS, I wired my shop to kick on the DC when there is current sensed from the circuits that I wanted. I think I got the details from a Fine Woodworking article and all the parts were at Grainger for that. I've never regretted doing this.

[Jim O'Dell]

I've used 6" PVC exclusively on the intake side. I have used white paintable Alex Laytex caulk. Like Matt said, shove the pipe together, then caulk the outside ring. Easily comes back apart.
I don't know about the Jet hose, but the hose I got, normal duty not the heavy duty, from Woodworker's Warehouse is a tight fit, both 4" and 6". I had to heat it up with a hair dryer, and walk it on. I've even quit using clamps on it...doesn't need it. Try a hair dryer for a few minutes to heat up the flex hose. That might do the trick. Others have taken a hack saw and cut slits in the PVC pipe, used a hose clamp to tighten the radius, then slip the hose on. I'm glad I didn't have to do that. Although, I did toss the Wynn Environmental 6" flex piece that Ed puts on the bottom of the Clear Vue cyclone. I could not get it to go over the pipe on the chip barrel lid. Total frustration! But in honest/full disclosure, that hose is heavier duty that what I bought. But I've had no problem with the flex hose I bought. Jim.

[Todd Franks]

I have 6" PVC. Three sheet metal screws per connection, and to prevent leaks I sealed every joint with foil tape. I'm upgrading to a cyclone and will be reworking some of the PVC. I'm SO glad I didn't use any caulk.

I also used the same trick Matt suggested, metal HVAC pipe for connecting to flex hose (I use Wynn Env.) I had to crimp the ends in order for the metal HVAC pipe to fit inside the PVC pipe

-Todd

[Jim Becker]

Use foil tape or screws with caulk. If you use screws, try to get very short ones that have little or no protrusion into the air stream.

[Bart Leetch]

I just installed thin walled 4" pvc in my shop today.

Well I had a piece of flex hose from Jet and the hose does not fit over the pvc!

Now what?

Thanks,
Jim

I use a straight coupler cut in 1/2 at the gate 1 piece on side of the gate at machine. For the hose I take a short section of PVC & set it on end on the band-saw table & cut 5/8" out of the side & using a big hose clamp pull it back together & glue it with PVC glue. This should fit tight inside of a regular piece of PVC. Sometimes I've had to put 1 wrap of duct tape around it to make it fit tight & then caulk. The small end will fit into the hose & the big end will fit the opening to the blast gate.

[Doug Shepard]

I used screws to fix the blast gates into the 6" PVC but other than that it was mostly just pushed together then sealed with foil tape. I did put a handful of screws through the perf. hanger strap and then into the heavy fitting slip ring at the branch points though.

[keith ouellette]

I used 4" pvc and the set up was temporary so i used tape. That was a year ago and it is still working. I didn't do anything to the horizontal sections and they don't seem to leak.
You can also put tape around the pipe (just one or two wraps) so the pipe will fit tight in the coupling joint. I have one that way so I can change it with another hose and that works well.

[Jameel Abraham]

I'm using hose from Wynn as well. The hose fits over 6" S&D, but you have to clip then pull the wire out for about 3 turns. Then I spray some windex on the duct and slip the hose on. It's a tight fit, but not too bad. It helps if you can assemble the hose to the duct before adding the duct to the system, that way yo can reach inside the duct and use both hands to shimmy the hose on. Use a bridge-style clamp to make sure it stays put. Don't worry about the holes in the hose you made to cut the wire out. If you do it right, they end up on the duct, and are not in the airstream.

[Bas Pluim]

You can get a PVC reducer, the hose fits perfectly over the narrow end (http://baspluim.googlepages.com/mountingthepipes) Of course, you're reducing the pipe diameter size, but hey - you've got the same size on the dust port of the machine....

I used white duct tape for all the joints, latex caulk to hook up the pipe to the blast gates. Pipes are mounted via zip ties and clamps, only used screws to secure the blast gates to the pipe.

[John Thompson]

How has been covered well.. why has been mentioned as it is easy to take apart if you decide to change the arrangement but...

I will also add you can't see thru PVC.. I have found it certainly doesn't hurt to take a joint apart every so often and run a ram-rod through as you would on a cannon barrel. You would be surprised at what can accumulate in corners, etc. to block potential air flow.

Another example would be I have a 20" planer... 2 1/2 HP cyclone.. opened my machine ports to 6" to avoid down-sizing the 6" pipe and use direct hook up to each large machine which gives me the longest run of about 16'. It will suck your socks off your feet. Should be plenty... huh?

Thursday I ran about 400 linear feet of poplar through for drawer sides. Started with 3/4" and was thicknessing to 5/8". Ran two 8" wide piece through a time and was taking a little extra deeper cut (slightly over 1/16" a pass as opposed to 1/32"-1/16" normal for me) to speed it up. Flow dropped after about 30 minutes. Opened the joint at a turn to find a clog of fine shavings with that much being taken off of the 16" width I was running through in one pass.

Again... you can't see through PVC, so an occasional spot check is not without merit, IMO!

Sarge..

[Paul Greathouse]

Another vote for the heavy duty foil duct tape. It works great for this purpose, it makes the connection air tight and hold it togeather.

[John Seiffer]

Well i had a pice of flex hose from Jet and the hose does not fit over the pvc!

Try a Jet JW1047 4-Inch Quick Disconnect - Just $4 from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Jet-JW1047-4-Inch-Quick-Disconnect/dp/B00006S7CL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1198383128&sr=8-1

One end screws into the flex hose and the other end slides over the PVC. I can't remember if it slides over the end of a PVC pipe or you need a coupling (which makes it a bit wider). One way or the other it works great.

[Alan Schaffter]

My 3 Hp DC w/cyclone has about 100' of PVC S&D drawing from 12 drops, so I have a lot of pipe and fittings. Everything is friction fit, no screws- they are not needed. No tape either- I sealed the fittings AFTER assembly with a very thin bead of silicone. Silicone is better than latex or other caulk because it doesn't bond to the PVC and once cured you can easily rub it off with a finger to redo your setup and reuse the pipe. The silicone caulk does not need to be forced into the joint either- remember your DC is pulling it tight.

[Bryan Hunt]

Thanks everyone for sharing your valuable experience. You have given me some great information that I'll put to use in the next couple of weeks.

Bryan

[Jim Kountz]

I just installed thin walled 4" pvc in my shop today.

Well i had a pice of flex hose from Jet and the hose does not fit over the pvc!

Now what?

what have other done? what kind of flex hose will fit over thin walled 4" pvc?


btw - i put two screws in each joint and caulked. real dilemna on 4" vs. 6" but went eventaully settled with 4". I hope i do not regret in the long run.

Thanks,
Jim

A 4" thin wall to 3 in SC 40 reducer works great for connecting flex hose to PVC.