Dust collection reversed

[manhusbandfather]

I will need to plane old decking boards next year. I will be making lots of saw chips and would like to know if this will work.

Instead of attaching my shop vac (2 1/4" hose) to the dust collector of my Ridgid planer and have to empty it every 15 minutes can I take the hose from the vac and put it in the blower section and connect it to the planer dust shoot and blow the chips to the other end of the dust shoot that has a bag tied to it? The bag would be extra strength and have a few holes to exhaust the air. Do you think this would work?

[Rafael]

1st, I suggest you stop drinking. 2nd, this will blow dust(alot of dust)and chips up and out of your jointer. The only alternatives are a dust collector with or without a separator, or go without and sweep a huge pile of dust and chip.

[manhusbandfather]

Sorry Rafael but the booze is long gone from me.
I never said I was using the jointer but the planer. The 13" Ridgid.

Please go ahead and post me your corrected opinion.

[Rafael]

Maybe I need to stop drinking. You did say planer and for some reason I thought jointer.
Try it and see what happens. Part of the purpose of the dust collection on the Ridgid planer is to evacuate chips that could mar the surface of your work, by doing what you propose you might be defeating that. You will definitely have some chips and dust being forced out of the infeed and outfeed, how much can be determined by trying your idea out.
Harbor Freight has an inexpensive(about $140) 2hp dust collector, if it's in your budget it would solve your problem.

[manhusbandfather]

Thanks for your imput.
I have a 1`250cfm collector in my shop but I will be planing the wood outside on a job site and don't want to haul the collector with me.

Your right about it pushing some in the cutter area although the force of the cutter wind may cause an air flow with the vac/blower to be at my advantage...we'll see.

[Rafael]

Let's just hope it doesn't produce a tornado. :D

[Lorax]

Since you're gonna be working outside, why not spread out a tarp and "let the chips fall where they may"? BTDT :D

[BadgerDave]

Originally posted by Lorax:
Since you're gonna be working outside, why not spread out a tarp and "let the chips fall where they may"? BTDT :D Excellent idea Lorax. Yet another fine example of Yankee ingenuity, where were you when Torre needed ya? :D

[manhusbandfather]

Too unpredictable. A little wind will cause big problems. Children may still be in the yard. Neigbors may not be happy....

It would be easier but not professional.

[Lorax]

Neigbors may not be happy....Neighbors? What are they? smile.gif Would that be the folks that live about 3/4 mile West of me? smile.gif Or the ones about 3/4 mile East of me? smile.gif Yeah I guess I've got neighbors. Livin' in the country and lovin' it!! tongue.gif

[manhusbandfather]

With neighbors that far I would have no problem with letting it go the the ground. With neighbors no more than 10-30ft away...it's a different story.

[unaligned]

Why not try one of those seperator lids made for 5 gal. buckets, they have the openings for 2 1/2" shop vac hose and would be much easier to empty than the shop vac itself. I have one but I have not tried it yet with my planer so I can't tell you if it works or not, I should mess with it tonight and see now that I am thinking about it.

[manhusbandfather]

Unaligned- You have the same idea as I did although I have the smalles ridgid shop vac and I am not sure if it will work well using the separate can connected to the planer. If you have the same vac as I do please let me know how it works.

Thanks