6" clear hose help

[Rick Moyer]

I had planned for 6" clear hose for my drops but WOW! this stuff is very expensive! I can buy 10' of S&D pipe for $12 but the clear hose is like $50!!!
Anybody have a cheaper source, or suggestions on alternatives? I was planning on several drops that would be 5 to 10 feet long ea., but not willing to spend several hundred dollars for this stuff. I don't want to go to 4". Can I use something besides the clear wire-reinforced stuff? I knew the fittings were pricey but didn't expect the hose to be so much.

[Roger Jensen]

I looked last year and couldn't find any cheaper sources. A couple folks mentioned that the clear pipe may get pretty scratched up so the 'coolness' factor of clear may be lost over time. The inside of a DC pipe is a pretty violent place.

Good luck and let us know if you install it.

Roger

[Rick Moyer]

I looked last year and couldn't find any cheaper sources. A couple folks mentioned that the clear pipe may get pretty scratched up so the 'coolness' factor of clear may be lost over time. The inside of a DC pipe is a pretty violent place.

Good luck and let us know if you install it.

Roger

I don't care about or have to have clear. Just need to drop from overhead to machines w/o wacking my head. Any alternatives anyone???

[Roger Jensen]

Sorry, I thought you were looking specifically for clear. I got 6" S&D pipe from a local irrigation store (Horizon). They'll have more selection than a Lowes or HD.

[Rick Moyer]

Sorry, I thought you were looking specifically for clear. I got 6" S&D pipe from a local irrigation store (Horizon). They'll have more selection than a Lowes or HD.

OK maybe I'm still not being "clear". I have the pipe already. I thought I would use 6" clear flex tubing from an overhead blast gate down to the machine; until I found out how much it costs. I am looking for cheaper (unlikely I guess) clear flex OR an alternative flex hose that is less expensive that will work. I may have to suck it up (no pun intended) and buy the stuff.

[Logan William]

McMaster Carr Part number 56355K34 is their economy 6" clear dust collector hose, if you buy a full coil of 25 foot its $3.03 a foot, partial coil is $3.70 a foot plus shipping. You will have to contact them ahead of time to get an actual shipping cost ahead of time, but their shipping is very reasonable as they only bill actual cost.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Yesterday, I paid about $6.00 a foot for six inch clear PVC with wire reinforcement. But I only needed two feet.

[Jim O'Dell]

Rick, use the solid PVC for your downs. Use as little flex as possible...the rough interior walls will rob CFM. I only use about 8" of flex per tool. Solid pipe as far as possible. Plus, if you have 5' hanging from the ceiling, every time you open a blast gate, that hose will start dancing a jig. Jim.

[Rick Moyer]

Well, yeah, I can see that, but what if I wanna move machinery a couple of feet away. With flex from the ceiling or thereabouts I can move without changing anything, whereas with piping I would have to re-plumb, and also have the pipe be in the way when moving about the shop.

[Jim O'Dell]

I can see that for a time while you solidify where you want your equipment to be, but in the end, you want to use as much solid pipe as possible.
What if you started with quick disconnects at your downs, got one 10' piece and made 2 downs with it and moved them to the tools you were using? It would allow you to find where you want your tools, then change to the solid pipe. Jim.

[Jim Andrew]

My equipment is hooked to the piping. Only hose I use is to my planer, and it's only about 12". Of course if a machine isn't where you want it, you have to change pipe.

[David Hostetler]

Not to try to sound nasty about it, but the cost of 6" flex hose should keep you from using too much of that stuff... I actually have less than 10' of 4" and 3' of 5" in my entire system. I bought a 50' roll of 4" and it is now a waste of money... I have very short flex runs on everything except for the lathe, which has a hood that I move from front to back depending on what I am trying to pick up, and of course the hose for the bench top tools...

I ran pipe as far as I could, and kept any turns to an absolute minimum. Most of my machines have 2 4 inch ports hooked up to them, air flow isn't a problem. Right now, having enough power in the shop is a HUGE problem...

[Rick Moyer]

You are right David about cost prohibiting it's use. I seem to spend more time re-arranging my tools that actual woodworking, though. Always trying to find a better set-up both for utility and now dust ducting, too. I'll try to come up with an arrangement where I can use mostly pipe. I guess if I don't caulk anything it will be easier to change again if needed.

[David Hostetler]

You are right David about cost prohibiting it's use. I seem to spend more time re-arranging my tools that actual woodworking, though. Always trying to find a better set-up both for utility and now dust ducting, too. I'll try to come up with an arrangement where I can use mostly pipe. I guess if I don't caulk anything it will be easier to change again if needed.

True, but not caulking your joints seems like a great way to end up with a leaky system...

I can only encourage you to try to use as little of that flex as you can... I know it's not Pentz approved, but the difference in cost between 4 and 6 inch is what convinced me to run 2 4 inch drops to the machines instead of a single 6". I get collection at the bottom end as well as top side... So far so good... Except power. I have to run a heavy duty extension cord in the house to the laundry room to tap power for the DC if I want to use it and the other big machines.

[glenn bradley]

Well, yeah, I can see that, but what if I wanna move machinery a couple of feet away. With flex from the ceiling or thereabouts I can move without changing anything, whereas with piping I would have to re-plumb, and also have the pipe be in the way when moving about the shop.

No worries. You are just caught between wanting some flexibility and the cost of that configuration. It may help to know that I have quite a bit of hose stored and am glad to have it. This hose came from lengths being shortened as my work habits became stabilized and I moved machines less (or not at all).

I am now down to only two tools with wheels under them that haven't been moved in years. The hose runs to these tools have been minimized as their final resting spots evolved I just leave the bases under them so I won't have to store them. The spare hose comes in handy for temporary setups or additions/remodels and is not money lost.