# adapt a vacuum cleaner for shop use with the router



## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

This may be an old question on router forums but it has me stumped. 

I have old canister Hoover vac whose hose was shot. None of the fittings to the vac were standard openings because of the wiring that ran through the hose so I pitched it.

That left an irregular opening where the original hose slotted and turned into place to connect with the bag.

I need something to plug up the hole with a through pipe that is the right size for the bag and the router hose connection at the other end, then to the output port of the Craftsmen router.

So far looked at plumbing fittings. The goal is to glue and screw the new adapter onto the hoover and have it just for router use. The flange can be round or square but I have not seen anything on a plumbing flange that is wide enough to cover the irregular 2 in. opening on the canister.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

You might try something like this:

Multi-Step Hose Reducer - Rockler Woodworking Tools

Cut the adapter to the next size up from the OD size of your hose, and then use some minimally expanding foam to help secure the hose and eliminate leaks. Use duck tape or etc to further secure it. Then cut the small end down to a standard size and you wouldn't be restricted from just using it at the router.

I will say that unless you have a particular attachment to the Hoover, or it's uniquely powerful, I wouldn't invest much in your solution as replacements come around Black Friday that would suit you very well.



EDIT - I think I was trying to help you with the wrong end of the hose there. But the step adapter might give you some ideas.


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

The end of the hose that is the problem is the irregularly shaped hoover end-- something like a three leaf clover. That's why a flange to cover the irregularities is important. Once something can be attached and screwed in place (even if slight leakage) the adapters and reducers and such can make the connection to the bag at one end and a new hose at the other. I've thought of such things as port tubes for audio speakers sold to DIY builders (my hobby) as well. Nothing seems to suit.

And yes, the Stanley small "wall mount" canister vac has gone on deal for about $20. I think the Hoover will have better suction and allow a longer hose to be installed. I'm looking for a hose deal too. Hose for household sump pumps are cheapest but have no flexibility. It seems that the hose for routers is way overpriced.


Thanks for the reply.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Lon

I get my hoses from Good-Will stores and 2nd hand shops, many of the vac.that go in don't work so they pull the parts off and sale them for a song..

I also get some from the Vac.repair shops they have tons of used ones, but they are a bit higher in price the norm..


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

The flexibility and diameter of the hose for a router should be pliant and close to the 
port on the router in diameter. I guess some outfits like Woodcrafters and Sears have cornered the supply of this and are charging what the traffic an bear. But I don't think it is made uniquely for router hobbyists. There should be a supply of bulk someplace-- like hospital supply or something. These discussions are always good to think of new things to help the hobby.

Router forums is of great value and I hope this topic turns up some results.

As to thrift shops. I go to those regularly. I have two of the Hoover Spirits: the one whose hose wore out and power head's shell could no longer be screwed or glued (replaced the belt from slipping off regularly) and a a second one I found on the curb while driving by. Still no power head but the hose is in better shape. It's important that I use household vacs because here in an apartment, a shop vac would give away the small amount of craft with power tools I can get away with. ;-)

I really thought plumbing would have something for this. Perhaps a real plumbing supply place would have the right piece. But I'd have to be able to "name" it and I can't.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

It looks like if you cut off the funny end it will fit right into the router port.

Hoover Electric Hose for Spirit Vacuum Cleaner # 43433086 : EZVacuum!, Free Shipping on Top Vacuum Cleaners, Vacuum Cleaner Bags, Belts, Vacuum Filters, Brushrolls, Parts, Miele, SEBO, IQAir

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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

A generous helping of epoxy can fix a lot of those kinds of problems. The epoxies I have in mind are the ones you can thread like PC-7 or Belzona.


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

I've been using the regular hoover hose with my better Hoover Spirit. After I cut off the end of one of the crevasse tools, that fit into the Router port. I thought I was done. But the hose is way too heavy, short, and difficult to maneuver. That's why I want to put the 
right sort of flexible hose directly to the vac. I have to look at router hoses more closely. They do have some sort of nozzles at both ends. But they never go on deal that I have seen. :-(


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

Just saw this on the previous page at Rockler:

2-1/2'' to 3/4'' Rubber Hose Adaptor - Rockler Woodworking Tools

Same idea but it has a flange on which to screw to an irregular cutout. Maybe these are in the store at Sears where I can measure the square flange. Thanks for finding this. I'd prefer to get something local. With this sort of fitting available there's a good change a local hardware store has them. Anyway, another step forward.


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

And here is a nice hose of about the right dimension:

Amazon.com: Dust Collection Power Tool Hose with Fittings By Peachtree Woodworking - PW382: Home Improvement

I could buy a whole vac for that. It might be the final answer. I've gone down this road before but never bought one.


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## johnsonj (Oct 31, 2010)

*hoses from 2nd hand stores*

OMG, this is a fantastic idea!



bobj3 said:


> Hi Lon
> 
> I get my hoses from Good-Will stores and 2nd hand shops, many of the vac.that go in don't work so they pull the parts off and sale them for a song..
> 
> ...


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

Since last posting here I went to a hose store called General Rubber ("We knows our hose.") 

The guy there said his commercial product was more expensive than getting a kit off the rack of 1 1/4 in. hose from Sears. What I've been looking for now is a collar or cowling that I can drill with a hole saw for the pipe and glue and scews as a plate to the vacuum shell. Those shells are never square and flat so the plastic has to be both flexible and thick.

Only thing I've seen that come close to the right flex and thickness is a lid from some tupperware. I'm using that one though. ;-) It should be even thicker.

So last router job I did to rabbet and chamfer a speaker baffle I did hand clean up again.

As to resale places, I have never seen 1 1/4 hose there. My router is a Craftsmen. The easy thing to do is get a Sears kit. But like Riders In The Sky say, "that would be the easy way, but it wouldn't be (wait for it) the *cowboy way."


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## derek willis (Jan 21, 2009)

*Vacs for dust extraction.*

When you get your hose sorted, you may want to increase the waste capacity of your extractor, I'm showing here a box that i made to do just that, a compartment with a dividing baffle sloped to only about halfway down and perforatd with many 6mm. holes for the main extraction hose, and the storage part with the chippings hose, this way I only have to empty now and again.

5591205531_36b9d5d1f3_m.jpg (20.0 KB)


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## Jean-Marc (Apr 23, 2011)

Hi, Can you show us some photographs, I am willing to do the same thing.
Thanks


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

Today or tomorrow I'm going to just stick some pipe into the bag and see if I get any suction. Vacuum cleaners are a mystery to me.

With that done I can figure out how to seal up the opening cloverleaf shape and put a hose in more permanently.

The seal around the bag should should provide the "suction" I guess. In any case I haven't spent any real money on this yet.


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## derek willis (Jan 21, 2009)

*Vacuum extractor*

Jean Marc,
Here are 3 pics to demonstrate, just make sure that pipes and lid are airtight, I put some foam sponge around the edge of the lid, rear hose (behind baffle) goes to vacuum, front hose goes to router table etc.

Topof box showing in hose and out hose.jpg (242.4 KB) 
Inside box showing collection and baffle..jpg (305.9 KB) 
Showing angled perforated baffle..jpg (281.2 KB)


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Cyclone Dust Separator Lid
Two Stage Dust Separator Lid 
All that's needed is trash can and a plastic trash bag.

Dust Collection Accessories - Peachtree Woodworking Supply, Inc.

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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

A good shop solution for waste container and looks more practical and lighter for emptying. (Avoids the Noah building the Ark in the basement problem.)

My thread name is slightly off the mark though. I have no shop just need a solution. Yesterday I tried to do some "fitting through the packaging" of my router dust port and the sump pump hose extension at the big box store. I wasn't getting a good result. I could go out back and just detach a part of one from the apartment sump pump and no one would be concerned so long as I put it back on I guess.

But what is needed is just the parts that would go on one of those gallon size vacs that are supposed to hang up or something-- one inch flexible hose. It's got to be around someplace.


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## derek willis (Jan 21, 2009)

Didn't I just know that!!
Still mine cost nothing except a bit of ingenuity and effort.


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

Even though I suffer from CMS (can't measure stuff) I have determined using the various fittings from two identical vacs, the Hoover Spirit that the bag takes 1 1/2 pipe to the outside hose and wand. The hose is gone on one of these-- had a tear but perhaps I threw it out to soon. My bad. Even if retained the vac hose would have to be chopped to use one with some flex. Using a reducer coupling I had from earlier, the vac is indeed getting suction to the bag. Still no fitting at the vac shell though to get a short pipe to the bag and a connection to the router with some sort of hose.

The standard hose kit sold at Sears is a 1 1/4 inch flexible hose with a reducer fitting to the router port and probably the same at the other end. Still no plate item that I can close up the irregular opening with even if I bought the kit.

Perhaps over time someone will benefit from all this. Right now it may seem confusing yet.

I'm half wondering if one of the hobby support companies doent have something like this because it comes up repeated over time. Still, I don't know what to ask for a google or a plumbing shop.

Since I do speaker building I have seen speaker cups that look right with a flange but the plastic molding of the product prevents use:

Round Speaker Terminal

They are "the right price" though.


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

I had not considered pool stuff:

1-1/4'' x 20' Pool Vacuum Hose with Swivel Adapter | eBay

Too expensive but a good long length.


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## lovewow (May 13, 2011)

I'd prefer to get something local. With this sort of fitting available there's a good change a local hardware store has them. Anyway, another step forward.


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

Yes better see it and know if it will work. I went to the Radio Shack looking for that round terminal cup but they carry very little of that anymore. Also been up and down the plumbing departments of the hardware places. Finding plumbing parts with flanges for a 1 1/4 to maybe a 1 inch molded end like in that pool hose up there is rough.

I also went to a pool store. They don't even carry the smaller gauge hose shown in the 
ebay link above.


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

Well the latest on this is as follows. Trying to cut a hole and get adapters for a completely different hose assembly seems impractical. The regular Hoover hose with an adapter made from an end of a crevas tool should fit on something of one inch or inch and a quarter diameter.

Deluxe Pool Cleaner Vacuum Hose 1-1/4in x 21ft | eBay

The pool hoses are all 20 ft long so I don't know if they have any suction over that length.

OTOH today I went to Sears. Their standard kit of 1 1/4 in. hose only has a fitting for a 2 in shop vac inlet. But a 3 ft 1 1/4 hose for their small shop vac looks ideal. Two problems: a scant 3 ft is hardly long enough. And the price: with shipping as much as that 20 footer in the links above.

I mentioned above about going to the hose store and finding nothing. But something like the pool hose half as long is about right. If I could get it for $20.00 incl shipping it would be worth it. That short one at Sears was a big bring-down.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

loninappleton said:


> Well the latest on this is as follows. Trying to cut a hole and get adapters for a completely different hose assembly seems impractical. The regular Hoover hose with an adapter made from an end of a crevas tool should fit on something of one inch or inch and a quarter diameter.
> 
> Deluxe Pool Cleaner Vacuum Hose 1-1/4in x 21ft | eBay
> 
> ...


Hi lon - I picked up a 25 ft hunk of light weight hose from Home Depot for about $10. It's with the sump pumps and I believe it's a discharge hose. Some of the schedule 20(?) thinwall pvc 1 1/4 plumbing fittings slip right into it. I just cut pieces of it to length and made vac pickup "pigtails" for the handheld stuff with vac ports.


EDIT - http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053#specs


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## loninappleton (Jun 12, 2008)

Hi and thanks for the reply,

Yes, we have plenty of sump pump hose here and I thought about that. Word is that sump pump hose is too stiff and will crack.

However, since I am on the track of pool supply stuff, there is a 6 ft 1 1/4 pool filter hose that is probably ideal. Without having actully put my hands on it, I would say that that piece was the same as the 3 ft hose which is such a rare and expensive commidity from the smallest Sears vac.

This is what I'm going to look for at the pool shops locally:

Swimming Pool Filter Hoses - Hoses for Swimming Pool Equipment

These things are probably common as dirt, but I don't have not know anything about swimming pool gear.


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