Floor Vacuum Attachment for a Dust Collector
Advice on whether and how to incorporate a floor-cleaning vacuum head and hose into your dust collection system. June 15, 2014
Question
I’m looking for a hose and floor sweep attachment to hook into my dust collection system. There is always some dust and chips that get away from the collector and I have seen a few attachment kits on the market.
Forum Responses
(Dust Collection and Safety Equipment Forum)
From Contributor M:
Although this is a fairly common practice and a convenience, there is the danger that you could suck up some metal which could spark and cause a dust explosion. A loose screw or staple, even a small tool can go up the pipe and bang around or wreck your fan.
From contributor U:
After using such a setup I found the 2" length of hose that was needed was too cumbersome and hard to store. I also had to put new outlets around my previous shop to accommodate tying in to my dust collector. Then I always was having to get special connectors to hook the 2" hose with the larger collector lines. I finally quit this system and bought 2 shop vacs that are just used for cleanup. I like it much better and can use the vacs for special tool setups to catch the dust when using my main system is not practical. I also use my sawdust in my garden as mulch so I don't want the contaminates coming off my floor going into the bags. Get the floor sweep attachment and use it with a shop vac.
From Contributor G:
To avoid the screws and chunks sucked up into the blowers I use the cyclone lids for garbage cans found in many woodworking stores. If it is coming directly off of a machine it can go through the dust collector, but if cleaning up around the shop I make sure the hose is routed through the cyclone lid. The heavier items settle to the bottom and the lighter dust and air goes to the collector.
From contributor D:
I use one from Woodtek that's modified with a magnetic pick-up bolted to the front.
