sealing a peristent leak in dust collector

[Bob Davis]

I have a Jet 1200DCK dust collector. There is a short 6 inch flex hose leading from the discharge of the blower to the inlet of the dust canister. I have a persistent leak where the hose connects to the inlet of the canister. No matter how I rearrange the hose or how tight I clamp it, I get a collection of sawdust buildup on the outside in one particular spot. There's no obvious deformity in the metal inlet.

Before I try all the various goops and tapes and clamp options to cure this, I thought I would ask here. What have you used to fix a situation like this? Keep in mind this on the discharge side of the blower where the internal pressure is highest in the system. My assumption is that the flex hose and crappy clamp are not going to seal, no matter how hard I clamp it because the internal surface is too uneven. Possibly a smooth band hose clamp will work instead of the wimpy wire hose clamp supplied by Jet.

Bob

[Doug Winterburn]

Coupla rolls of duct tape outa fix it :-)

-Doug

[Swingman]

Red Green show ... handyman's secret weapon may be in order: Duct tape ... it's pretty much what the good stuff was made for.

[Bob Davis]

You want me to ugly up my pretty knew dust collector with nasty grey duct tape? Yeah, yeah, I know. Go with what works. It already looks pretty darn used and worn with the coating of sawdust building up in that leak. I'll give it a try.

Bob

[Dave Mundt]

Actually Duct tape comes in many designer colors these days...Slivery gray is still an option, but it is not a limit. However, I would suggest that you look for "gaffer's tape", or make sure that you get "real" cloth type duct tape. The cheaper versions just don't hold up that long. another thing that might work is to pull the hose off the metal, and, put a circle of the thin, foam-type, double-sided tape used for hanging pictures etc, around the metal. Then, work the hose back on and clamp BEHIND the tape. A gasket or seal is a good thing to use, especially if it is something that will fill in ripples, etc. Regards Dave Mundt

[Robert Bonomi]

Two ways to fix the problem.

1) put some "gasketing" of some sort between the hose and the cannister inlet. anything with moderate compressibility will work. Just clamp _tightly_. 2) If you can reach the inside of the joint _while_assembled_, from either end, a strip of duct tape around the _inside_ of the joint is effective.

Taping the _outside_ of the joint may simply 'delay' the onset of problems, if the inside pressure is enough to induce the tape adhesive to separate.

[Greg G.]

Bob Davis thus spake:

Have you tried a short length of flat wound hose and a band clamp? Reforming the metal, if it is deformed and not round? Wrapping thin sponge/foam tape around the duct before installing the hose and clamping over this? Is it severe enough to bother worrying about? FWIW,

Greg G.

[Pounds on Wood]

Mine does that too Bob, but it never bothered me. You will get plenty of dust around the unit anyway, so that little bit won't matter. BTW I have the 1100 unit, but it's the same in that area.

If it did bother me, I would toss the clamps and put some silicone caulk around the hose. Let it dry and you won't ever need the clamps.

What DOES bother me is that 6" dia. flex hose is about 3 inches too short. It doesn't make a nice uniform bend. The bastards were too cheap to provide enough hose.

[Bob Davis]

Is yours the canister unit or the cloth bag? Actually I get precious little dust around the unit except the obvious leak. At first I was getting several leaks around the Canister filter. I took it off, cleaned the foam gasket and reseated it carefully, alternately tightening opposing clamp bolts. Now there are no leaks around the canister. The canister is gobs more effective than the cloth bag, so it makes sense that there would be less dust around when compared to the bag.

Bob

[Bob Davis]

Robert,

Let me thank you for your constructive suggestions. I, too, felt that putting duct tape on the outside of joint was a short term patch, since the pressure would be constantly trying to push and dry out the adhesive. Anyway, I chose to use your first suggestion. I got a piece of 1/8" x 1" rubber insulation tape and put one wrap around the metal inlet nozzle. After doing this, I had to use soapy water to encourage the flex hose to go on over my new "gasket". Then I clamped it tight.

I am pleased to report that not one single spec of sawdust is leaking at the joint now. I'm a happy camper. My sense is that this fix will last for years. We'll see.

Bob