Kapex dust collection to 4" DC hose

[John Pratt]

I like the Kapex, but Really!? Does everything have to be proprietary and difficult to work with non-Festool stuff? Maybe I am just missing something and someone here can help. I want to hook up my Kapex KS 120 EB to my shop dust collection system which has 8" spiral pipe reduced to 4" at the blast gates for short runs of hose to the actual tools. I cannot find any fittings/reducers that will fit the Kapex dust port which appears to have a 1 1/2"OD. I know Festool wants you to use their CT line of collectors, but I see no need to go buy another dust collection system when I have a 5hp collector in the shop.

I currently have a DW718 mounted on the counter with a dust shroud and the dust collection pulls from the bottom of a bin below the counter. I want to mount both saws to the counter with their own dust collection. Is the way I have the DW718 the way to go with the Kapex or is someone out there with a better solution.

The Kapex and the DW718 will be permanently mounted on the miter saw counter. I don't need either of these saws to be mobile, I have another DW718 and a Milwaukee 12" slider for mobile jobs.

Thoughts?

John

[marty shultz]

Hey John,

Your Big DC won't do a good job of pulling a vacuum if it is reduced to 1.5". You're better off making a shroud around the capex and using a 8" or 6" hose to it. Or hooking up a regular shop vac. I have a festool vac on my kapex and there is still plenty of dust that doesn't get captured.

[James Zhu]

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-VAC005-5...se+for+festool

This Bosch hose fits my Festool TS55 track saw dust port. I do not have Kapex, but i would think it fits Kapex dust port too. Then you can try to find another adapter to connect the other hose end to your 4" port.

[Greg R Bradley]

The Kapex needs higher vacuum but lower flow than your system. A $70-100 shop vac with a Festool, Bosch, etc. hose will work just fine. Bosch VAC005 hose will work fine for around $40 but you can probably find a hose for half that price or even less. Use the DC system you have for the big tools or the area around the Kapex although that is mostly not necessary. The 2"/50mm hose that comes with most Shop Vacs will be fine with a slight step down fitting that will cost you nothing. A cheap shop vac and hose hooked up to the connector on the Kapex plus your existing system behind that hooked up to your DC will be a near-perfect combination.

[James Zhu]

If you decide to buy a dedicated shop vac for Kapex, then buy this tool and vacuum switch, start the kapex, the shop vac will be started automatically, stop Kapex, the shop vac will stop 10 seconds later.

http://www.rockler.com/i-socket-110m...-vacuum-switch

[John Pratt]

Thank you for all the responses. Now I have some options to think over.