The Perfect Shop Vac that Nobody Sells

[@LouSir-c8r]

The most amazing part of the video is that you put in all of those letters with CA glue and didn't stick any of them to your fingers! Master work.

[@EngineerMikeF]

Re low noise, my pancake compressor died, my buddy uncoupled the pancake & coupled in a new 65dB compressor, turned it on then jumped back confused & wondering what was wrong. When i told him that was the new design, he immediately ordered one for himself. It is soooooo nice working in a quiet-ish shop.

[@JustinDepew]

I agree. Noise has become one of my top priorities in tools.

[@marcothehammer]

Say WHAT? My tinnitus is very active at the moment (even though we're both writing). Loud noise always increases the ringing. SMH...

[@SometimeWoodworker]

Before adding comments, it’s a really nice addition and looks good as well. A couple of points. The first is that the 3 x 90 degree bends in the 2” pipe have a significant reduction in efficiency, a redesign of the plumbing layout will reduce that to 1 (or none if you use flexible pipe) though you would need to drop the collection box lower. The second point would be a significantly larger collection box as that would reduce particle that drop but then get sucked up by the air flow. Dropping the collection box lower and having a much longer connection pipe will not be a significant problem as it will only get used occasionally.

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

As far as the need for hearing protection - OSHA standard is 85 decibels. Rule of thumb is: If you have to yell to be heard, you need hearing protection. Awesome project. I really like the method for emptying it! Would have never thought of that.

[@raymondbunkofske4702]

Nice work. As a former exhaust system engineer I would recommend separating the cyclone unit and the filter more laterally. That would gain you a bit of hose length but more importantly it would let you use larger radius elbows in the connections. (Typically 45 instead of 90) This will make a big difference in the pressure drop in the connection and increase your flow.

[@GlueTubber]

the DeWalt topped box looks like a blocky Darth Vader... just the way my mind works! Well done sir!

[@JimPudar]

For the CNC holding - I usually leave .030” on the floor, then cut the shape out with the bandsaw and flush trim. I started doing that because I’m using a vacuum system for work holding, but I have found it works extremely well even when using clamps like you are in this video. Bonus benefit is that your spoilboard never gets chewed up. Easy to do in fusion with the “Bottom Height” parameter.

[@JustinDepew]

I think I would do this if I had a good router table set up. Right now it seems like a hassle to set up the router table to do this and I end up trying to cut all the way through on the CNC.

[@JimPudar]

@@JustinDepewI have actually been using a trim router with a 1/4” flush trim bit, I get really good results that way. It definitely helps to have the bandsaw to get close to the cut surfaces though. Another good option are tabs as lots of other commenters have mentioned. With the low cutting forces we are dealing with, you can use very few and make them small.

[@bmakoto1291]

🌟 Wow, Justin Depew! This is the first video I've seen of yours, and I was so impressed that I paused it before it was even halfway through just to write this comment and subscribe! Your methodical approach to carpentry and engineering is truly inspiring. I really appreciate how you think through every detail! I’m so glad I stumbled upon your channel and can’t wait to dive into more of your amazing content. Keep up the fantastic work! 🙌

[@bubbahogue5305]

Great Job, I like it. The software you use to create the CNC parts should have a tab function that holds the internal parts while machining. Then the tabs can be sanded off.

[@JustinDepew]

Good point, that would have worked well here

[@thequietfoundation]

I love the idea of vacuuming the small vessel with the bigger brother. kudos for the clever engineering.

[@itachi975x]

This project and idea are fantastic! The only thing I’d suggest is adding a small bucket to the filter box. That way, when you open the door, the dust particles will fall into the bucket instead of just flying around.

[@JustinDepew]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep an eye on it.

[@allthings2allmen]

Justin I watched that original video & also when you upgraded it with Sik-a-sil! I have never forgotten your brilliant build! I've been subscribed but I hate to admit I rarely watch your videos. (Mostly because of life & over all busyness.) Your content is well worthy of viewers! I'm glad I found you on here bud! Glad to see this latest dust collection creation.

[@stevenwilgus8982]

Kudos on your wisdom using hearing protection. So many don't realize that hearing injury is ACCUMULATIVE.... I suffered from being in Iraq two years. So I still use protection to protect what hearing I have left. Even "lower" db's can and WILL over time still hurt the HIGH frequncies and some mid-range hearing. And an AWESOME system!!!!!!!!!!! BTW: I am an ICU RN, over 30 years experience, pilot, firefighter, veteran. So I do in fact have real world experience.

[@aeynosarturii8053]

Justin your videos are always top notch. The builds you show are really ingenious in how you design and implement them. It is also nice that you represent what can be done in a small shop, which makes your content more approachable than many on KZbin. You have also found that sweet spot of wood working with 3D printing that I find so interesting.

[@nickkropat8857]

Your designs are always such a beautiful blend of function and form. Your vids always inspire. May the Algorithm always be in your favor

[@danamcdavid782]

I'm just curious if you are an engineer by trade, or just a really smart guy? Your builds are truly ingenious, functional, and look great to boot! Well done!

[@marcothehammer]

Using the main dust collection system to empty the specialty unit is really a great idea.

[@stevemurphy402]

This is a great idea. On your big filter you might be able to add a manual filter cleaner/shaker if it needs one too.

[@scottleyshon7317]

Apologies if this listed somewhere already, I’ve seen a couple of comments where folks have asked, but mind sharing where you got the filter? Thanks!

[@jim7smith]

Very well presented and engineered. I really like the precision of your builds.

[@parphi3051]

I had a thought… a spring loaded swing check plate on the clean out, with a gasket. The Dewalt vac would seal the check when under power. The main dust collector could open the check under power. Might have to fiddle with the spring tension to get the right balance.

[@IAmKyleBrown]

Very nice. I started down this path, but then ended up sticking my vac in the attic and been happy so far. However your design of a larger filter is what I could use still.

[@Newmeishu]

good job. i would probably just add a small drawer under the big filter, as it will make it easier to get rid of the fine dust that get into the filter part. I would be afraid of opening this after some days of working.

[@seansysig]

Very well thought out design. The filter box will always have dust particles in it due to static electricity. Put a ground strap around 4” pvc and ground with a green coated wire to a 3 prong plug using only ground post.

[@ruben9912]

When you're cutting out circles like that on the CNC it's usually best to use tabs or leave 1mm of material on the bottom to keep everything together without having to re clamp things or think much about your clamping setup.

[@hdwoodshop]

Great video, Justin. One small suggestion is a little string to hold the clean out cap so it can dangle instead of you holding it. I bought a cyclone some time ago…great project inspiration!

[@HalfAssHomestead]

I also run a shop vac head on a commercial filter. I left mine wide open to the air to suck out any fines or fumes in my shop. I just place a garbage bag around it when I shut it off, to allow the fines to drop into the bag. I leave the bag on it when it's not in use, to stop the fines collected from dropping out after it is off.

[@ericheft6184]

It would be interesting to do some tests to see if you really need to cap for your close out port. Seems like you'd get a bunch of dust falling out every time you go to open the port. On a side note, Its amazing how much stuff you have in what seems like a fairly small shop. Going to check out some of your other videos! Thanks for sharing.

[@smd486]

I have the Dewalt StealthSonic also and use it with a Onieda Air Dust Deputy. It works great and is super quiet. My local Lowes was selling the vacuum for around $150. Definitely recommended!

[@Paul-1123-]

just a quick comment on hearing protection and sound measurements. The dB scale is logarithmic, meaning that every 10 units on the scale in an increase of 10x in sound pressure. So going from 50 dB to 70 dB is actually a hundred fold increase. Wear hearing protection.

[@bradleytuckwell4881]

Just found your channel great content that looked a fun build well worth a subscription and I think after watching you 3D print I really need to get one and learn how to use it they are a handy tool in the workplace cheers

[@scooterjes]

You could look for a industrial PVC ball valve in place of those gates it should seal better.

[@johndoe6032]

Neat idea and build, but it would seem like a simple bucket to collect the dust that can be quickly removed with 2-3 quick-release clamps and a good seal would be simpler and kist as fast. Also, I'd be concerned that turning on your big DC with such a small enclosed space it's trying to suck from is going to be really hard on the DC motor. Looks like you could also use a reel for a nice long 2" hose right next to your air hose reel that would make hose management much easier.

[@carycolon3847]

Very well done. I like how you think things out in detail

[@buffalojones341]

I just learned a gamechanging CnC tip - no tabs or complicated hold downs required - use cheap amazon 1/8" inch chinese DOWN CUT or COMPRESSION bits with low dust collection, and the chips pack in to the kerf and hold the piece very well. I am able to get 70"/min cutting 3/4 oak ply in ONE PASS on my hobby machine using a makita router. The bits are held in a collet and are bought in 10 packs for about $30.

[@willemkruger4564]

Great build. Any links to the products used in the build? Checked your website and could not find. Thanks.

[@aldozamora1289]

Ditto. Would like to know what filter that is

[@magicronn]

Spiral hose connector: Brilliant idea!

[@robertsmith3518]

Not sure why ya need 3 Hoovers for such a small area but there are many things I failed to grasp . Good luck ,enjoyed the video . Cheers

[@AnthonyStabler]

Very thorough build video. I'm saving this one

[@WoodworkingWarrior]

When the small box gets filled half way with dust and you unscrew the dust cap, won't dust fall out all over before you re-attach the 4" clean out hose? You could 3d print a bracket that holds a thin piece of rubber and make a one way valve that cleans out the box when you open the 4" blast gate. Then when the shop vac is on it sucks the rubber closed not causing any leaks. Look at the one way exhaust valves on like 3M dust mask/respirators to see what I mean. Then you wont have to climb onto your saw to do the clean out. Hope that all made sense.

[@JustinDepew]

That's a neat idea, I like it.

[@edeaglehouse2221]

Lots of great ideas in this build. Thanks!

[@2112user]

I like the idea. Only thing I'm kind of questioning, plexiglass on the windows vs glass. I've owned many acrylic aquariums and know the damage the pool sand can do, I'm afraid dust might do the same. I'll be a while before I get around to doing this, so I'd love an update after some use, see if my fear is warranted and worth the issues of glass.

[@JustinDepew]

I thought about glass but the thought of sucking up something metal and breaking the glass made me stick to polycarbonate.

[@fin3125]

Most CNC software allows you to add small tabs at the bottom. You should be able to specify the size of them. They're easy to cut away

[@gti88ful]

"Oh, sweet! Another Justin Depew video! I love this guy!" XD

[@billcornett2256]

What is your day job? You definitely have an engineering mind. I really enjoy your videos

[@aaronswoodshed4103]

If you use a down cut spiral bit you wont have to workie abut the piece coming loose. The sawdust keeps it from moving. I've used this method for years now.

[@cottagemail4066]

This is a great build. Love your thought process and how you got to this iteration. I'm thinking of doing this also. Price for Dewalt vacuum I found. Please, what is name/model for filter so I can look price up on that part. Thanks!

[@peterfabricius662]

Great job, Justin. My DIY Dust Deputy leaves Zero dust in the Central Vac bucket. (I use the Central Vac to provide Vacuum to my Dust Deputy)… I cannot see how far your tube in the top of your dust deputy sticks down? But, it needs to be down inside about 4” to allow it to get clean air to go to the filter. It should be 99.9% efficient. Play with how far the tube goes into the DD. Your shop looks very nice. Is there an exhaust port on the Vacuum motor? If so plumb it outside and reduce the overall noise level.

[@kenjackson5938]

Fantastic,,, love it! Maybe.. look into a keyless chuck, but get a Good one..will be pricey but worth it.

[@JustinDepew]

On the wishlist!

[@mspeir]

When making rings on a CNC, it's always a good idea to add tabs.

[@dougcox835]

Remember that dB is a tricky measure. 10dB is double (or half) of the loudness as perceived. so 80 dB is twice as loud as 70dB for instance. I had a talk with chatGPT and it corrected what I thought. In terms of power like Watts it's 3dB and for voltage like the SPL it's 6dB but in terms of the way our ears percieve loudness it's 10dB.

[@timothywhite6532]

@JustinDepew, when you said the dust box port had a trick up it's sleeve, I thought you were going to install a butterfly valve that would pull closed when the vacuum is on & swing open when the big shop dust collector is turned on to empty it ... but I guess that wouldn't work as you sometimes run them simultaneously 😕

[@dblove924]

You should add a compressed air blow out solenoid valve to clean your filter.

[@frenchyroastify]

Nice. I agree that Dewalt vacuums are quite good and quiet.

[@rayleblanc7209]

My CNC software lets me make 3D tabs to hold parts in place at whatever thickness I want. Usually I make them 2 inches by .08 inches thick and cut them out with multi tool or razor knife.

[@prtmeister9680]

Great video. I am really impressed by all the items you 3D printed. You make 3D printing look so simple. Have you or would you consider a video devoted to 3D printing for woodworkers? I'm interested in 3D printing but don't know where to start. Can you point me in the right direction?

[@user-zj2mb3sp3x]

Buy a bambu labs printer like the P1S, or X1C if you have the budget. They just work and cut down alot on the tinkering required to print. Many printers such as the enders do not function out of the box and require tweaking and tuning of settings in software and sometimes of the physical printer itself. This causes alot of frustration for those trying to enter the hobby and treating the device as an expensive tool. The bambu printers will still need some software tuning depending on your material, but out of the box it works, it has material profiles that work especially if you use their brand of filaments which are reasonably priced. Matching material to settings is crucial because PLA from brand A is not the same material as PLA from brand B and as such needs specific settings. Oh and for CAD Autodesk Fusion (the free license) is perfect for a maker. Have fun!

[@odinata]

Subscribed! I like you style dude!

[@lennyf1957]

Could I hire you to design and organize my shop? Your shop is pretty much perfect, I really love it.

[@JustinDepew]

I think I have my hands full already :) thanks though!

[@Thisissomeone12432]

Put the 4" cleaner hole on the bottom, using a u bend, so the blanking plate won't drop sawdust when removed. Will give 100% clean out then.

[@JR-jq6dd]

Just a suggestion to decrease the static on your viewing window, wipe both sides with a dryer sheet.

[@JBLewis]

Great design and well made video!

[@IntrexinCustom]

I think this pretty cool and definitely looks great. So one thing is I think the boxes should of been detachable from the top. Kinda like how cyclone buckets and shop vacs are built. Mostly just because you are doing to need to do cleaning and esp the main vac one opening it up is going to get you a faceful of the really fine dust and its going to get all over the work area. The clean out part irks me a little bit, like I saw when you opened it you had to kinda keep the dust inside. Two thoughts there you could do something like a sink trap, like a curved pipe then your plug. It looks really good and I do like it

[@JustinDepew]

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll keep those ideas in mind for future iterations.

[@IntrexinCustom]

@@JustinDepew Just also want to say wasnt being negitive, I really like how it came out and I checked out some of your other videos. I definitely like your style and can tell your the same type of overthinker like I am hahaha

[@gloriousapplebees]

I'm not sure if this is in any of your other vids, this is the first one I've seen, but why the dust collector and the shop vac system? I assume there's benefits to the pressure vs volume of air they each move but I'm curious if you have any more detail or better explanation for why you prefer this way. Thanks!

[@gloriousapplebees]

I just noticed, I like the door for emptying dust, but curious how you plan to do that when it's full? Wrap a bag around the bottom and let it all fall in? Very cool system! Someday I need to get my dust collection game up a bit.

[@JustinDepew]

Yes you are on the right track. There's a big benefit in the shop to have both systems. They are different. One is high pressure low volume and one is low pressure high volume. Different collectors for different tasks. The low pressure dust collector works great as bulk dust collection at most tools, but would be cumbersome and ineffective when hooked up to a small tool like my sander.

[@Cpt_Adama]

Maybe the clean out port on the bottom rather than the left side?

[@joegregory633]

Thank you for sharing. This looks great

[@Isaacmantx]

What is the purpose of doing this in addition to a central dust collection unit? Is your suction simply not strong enough with the central unit?

[@WestTexasRingo]

Great video, keep up the good work

[@th19845]

Nice project. Your test with a half bucket of saw dust is not the reality of just collecting from one tool such as table saw only. Which will collect much better than your test. To much sawdust overtakes the system (as in a large amount of sawdust). To much sawdust will bypass the cyclone which happened to me when emptying a shop vac into my larger Laguna system which I will not do again. Collecting from a planner would be a good test and I think your system would be a success with that. Your creative imagination is top notch. Thanks for sharing.

[@JustinDepew]

I agree, good points.

[@haydenc2742]

Ever thought of using double sided tape to hold down those parts that need to be cut out yet still stay down until finished cutting?

[@JustinDepew]

Yes I have done that in the past but didn't think to do it on this particular piece. That would work well.

[@KyleBevis-u7j]

😫😫😫😭😭😭 OMG NO THAT WASNT 8 YEARS AGO 😢 I remember watching that when it came out. Life moves so fast.

[@JustinDepew]

Totally agree. Thanks for sticking around :)

[@kirkpowell6161]

Great project!

[@rodpotts2666]

very nice Justin.

[@mfwoodful]

The build, finish and video quality are truly excellent! But I don't agree totally on the construction details. I think that your filter is meant to work in the opposite direction because the metal mesh is placed on the outside. It is meant to have a blow from the inside or a suction from the outside. I think it is difficult to have a dust separation of more than about 99% in these kind of small cyclones and even if that is good it still means that a lot of fine dust will accumulate in the filter. It will of course still work very good some time but eventually you will have to clean it and it will be difficult when the mesh is on the same side as the dust. My solution is a filter with the mesh at the inside and then an extra spare filter. When the filter is clogged I take it out and vacuum it with a clean filter inside. And cleaning is pretty easy without the mesh. But yes, that means two filters instead of one. But mine are rather as your original shop vac filter in size, and therefore less expensive. But again - your video is still an inspiration!

[@JustinDepew]

I actually confirmed with the filter manufacturer before buying the filter and they ensured me the flow direction is from outside in. There is wire mesh on both sides. I agree this does seem difficult to clean but I will find out. This is a common industrial filter so it must be okay. A pre filter cover is not a bad idea but would require more maintenance.

[@mfwoodful]

@@JustinDepew My bad. I see now that there is mesh also on the inside - I have never really seen a filter with mesh on both sides before. But the issue with cleaning still concerns me somewhat. Have you considered pulse cleaning? I'm rebuilding my own dust separator for that right now, can't say how it will work yet but it looks promising from first tests. Not so complicated to implement as it may sound.

[@mandyleeson1]

Inspiring. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@ilanmagen]

you sure did wonderful job

[@BjornV78]

10:50 that's called "thinking outside of the box" , no pun intended, or is it? 😀

[@webcrawler3332]

I would ditch the cover and just put a blast gate there on the clean out box so you have two glass gates and then you just leave your flex hose connected all the time and when you need to clean out just open your gate on the clean out box and the black gate on the main trunk done

[@CharlesKiblinger]

Amazing! What's "0125" refer to? Also, who/what's the framed photo up on the wall at 30:42 and 35:47?

[@JustinDepew]

Thanks! 0125 is the date, January 2025. That photo is a photo my wife took of me and my car back in college for a photography class. It's a great photo.

[@JoanneFong]

I thought you were going to suck up the remote into the vacuum, and I’m not going to lie, I really wanted to see that!😅

[@ossieljuarez1936]

What table saw blade did you use to cut the polycarbonate? Also how is polycarbonate different from plexiglass? I always getting chipping on the edges when I cut those materials.

[@JustinDepew]

The blade is a regular combination blade. Plexiglass is a brand name for polycarbonate. You might be thinking of acrylic which is also clear but more brittle and prone to cracking.

[@EngineerMikeF]

19:00 Oops: might be easier to adjust the design or cut file to leave small non-release tabs @~ opposite sides of a full part cut so the center part is still attached but barely. Then cut off the sprue manually.

[@brewer13210]

I guess what I don't understand, is if you already have a dust collector, why not just get a vacuum kit for it (floor sweep and bench nozzle)? I have one from Rockler attached with 4" accordion hose & magnetic quick-change fitting...works fantastic, I can clean my entire shop floor and equipment, and probably took me 10 minutes to set up. This seems overly complicated.

[@JustinDepew]

There's a big benefit in the shop to have both systems. They are different. One is high pressure low volume and one is low pressure high volume. Different collectors for different tasks.

[@vmoutsop]

That is so cool. Great job. Hope to see more versions as the years go by.

[@NicholasIzzo-yq2me]

I don't understand the point of the blast gate if you just plugged it anyway 🤔

[@JustinDepew]

You have a point. At first I wasn't going to plug it and thus I needed the blast gate. As I thought about it some more I came up with the plug solution but I had already put the blast gate up so I just left it.

[@NicholasIzzo-yq2me]

@JustinDepew gotcha, I wondered if maybe you had plans for future additions to the dust collection setup using that gate perhaps. Thanks for the reply 😀.

[@gcarson19]

You ought to 3d print a badge to rebrand your vacuum head to 'Depew'.

[@JustinDepew]

Ha! I like that

[@urban2153]

Wouldn't using the actual dust collector with a cyclone be better? More air moved, quieter, while freeing up floor space and unneeded redundancy.

[@JustinDepew]

There's a big benefit in the shop to have both systems. They are different. One is high pressure low volume and one is low pressure high volume. Different collectors for different tasks.

[@nancej100]

Where did the dust go

[@K-politic]

that is the model number of that filter?

[@craigcharlestone]

Wow.

[@dave_ecclectic]

Vacuums are not dust collectors and they are not _high flow_ as you said they are high pressure (vacuum) high vacuum low flow Dust collectors are high flow, low vacuum. I would be interested in how much dust is dumped out of the stream into your oversized 4" lines. Your pipes are acting as a Seperator.

[@dadbain]

👍👍🏾👍🏻

[@daniallemons4832]

‘Going to war my CNC machine….’ Guess I’m done watching!!!!!

[@whhayes]

I enjoyed your presentation a lot. I will mention a minor, hopefully constructive criticism. As you speak, you connect every statement with “and.” Though your content is quite interesting, the “ands” get a bit annoying.