4" or 5" to the machines?

[jason lambert]

I am installing my 2hp oneida and all my machines are 4". I see people almost alwas use 4" hose. I think Oneida sometimes recomended 5" to the machines. Should I be using 4" or 5" to the machine? I need to know to order blast gates also I don't want to run 5" if 4" is fine it is extra think hose laying on my floor.

[Chris Padilla]

6 inch! :D

[jason lambert]

I knew someone was going to say that!

Did you not read the question 4 or 5, 6 was not a option....

Just kiddn may do 6" then. That is one think tube to have to be tripping over though.

[Chris Padilla]

Yes, the 6" tubing is massive and trickier than a boa contrictor to deal with for sure. I was just man-handling mine this weekend planing a bunch of cedar for my gate. However, it sucked it all through nice 'n clean!

[Jim Becker]

I recommend you stick with 5" and 6" drops. That way, you'll insure you have adequate air flow for just about any machine you might need to service. Of course, to do 5", you'll need to stick with metal duct (my choice anyway). 6" keeps PVC open to you.

[Lance Norris]

Jason, I would run at least 5". 4" just isnt big enough. I have a Unisaw with a 4" port and the cabinet was always packed with sawdust. It got so bad that the motor end cover was getting packed with sawdust and I was worried that the motor was going to overheat and be damaged. I added a second, seperate 4" line into my saw and the difference is dramatic. Effectively, I increased the size of the pipe into the saw. Now there is maybe half a handful of sawdust left in the corners of the cabinet and nothing in the motor end cover. Go with larger than 4".

[Michael Lutz]

I am running 5" and 6" drops, even if I reduce it to 4" flex to enter the machine. I may in the future want to upgrade the port on the machine and flex pipe is easier to change than the whole drop. I do have one 4" overhead drop for overhead dust pickup on my TS/RT combo. I didn't figure I would ever want it larger.

Mike

[Larry Fox]

6 inch! :D

Another vote for 6". If you can, I also recommend opening the port on the machine to equal the size of the pipe. I opened the port on my Uni to 6" and the cabinet is now 99.9% dust free where it used to be pretty much packed when it just had 4".

[Chris Padilla]

Another vote for 6". If you can, I also recommend opening the port on the machine to equal the size of the pipe. I opened the port on my Uni to 6" and the cabinet is now 99.9% dust free where it used to be pretty much packed when it just had 4".

I did the same on my Griz 1023Z TS; it pretty much evacuated the entire saw when I first hooked it up!

[Jesse Cloud]

Go for 6. Never had trouble with it, some of my 4 inch drops have not performed well. I'll eventually get around to upgrading, but it would have been cheaper to go with 6 inches from the beginning.

Modifying your machinery usually isn't a problem. They tend to put the dust ports on a part of the tool where there is lots of thin sheet metal. Just find a 6 inch port at the borg or woodworker's supply. Take the old port off, mark the hole for the new one, cut the new hole with a jigsaw, attach the new port with some rivets or sheet metal screws. Hook up the flex hose and you are in business!

[Steven Wilson]

Well, size it for the CFM requirements of the machines you're going to use. Many tools have 4" ports but that doesn't mean that the 4" size is appropriate for the machine (which is why folk's recommend redoing hoods on planers, tablesaws, and such). In general I would recommend 6" main branches with either 6" or 5" drops terminating in 6" or 5" blast gates. In a few applications, drill press and tablesaw blade guards for example, 3" or 4" ports are appropriate but that's the exception. I used a short 7" main with 6" branches, terminating into 6x5x5 wye's with 5" blast gates. 5" hose met my requirements and it's a bit easier to work with than 6". For the overarm TS blade guard I use 3" hose and for the drill press I use 4".

[David Giles]

Having retrofitted all ductwork, drops and machine ports to 6" PVC, I vote for 4" legs (for now). Bigger ductwork gives lower pressure drops and higher air flow rates. But a larger blower/motor can offset smaller ducting. It's not the best, but 4" is cheap and easy to install. A 6" main header is a good idea. For jointers and planers, 4" is probably more than adequate for chip collection. When you want to install a 6" port on the tablesaw, upgrade the connecting leg size as well.

[Bobby Stanley]

I used the 6" x 4" x 4" splice by Peachtree Woodworking to provide two 4" pick ups at the table saw. One at the bottom and one right at the underside of the blade. The overarm guard was supplied with a separate 4" line.