If you own a shop-vac and don’t want to pay for a pricey two-stage dust collector, you have many options. There are plenty of DIY instructions for building your own, covers that you can add to a 5-gallon pail, or full-blown dust collection systems ready to hook up to your shop-vac. The latest addition to this last category is Rockler’s Dust Right Vortex dust separator.
The advantage of a two-stage system is that most of the debris is deposited in the first stage container, so you don’t have to change the bag or empty your shop-vac as often. The Dust Right Vortex is designed to create a cyclonic flow inside the container to separate the heavier dust and debris from the air. It won’t remove drywall or other light dust out of the stream, though.
The Vortex’s clear lid and translucent container allow you to see how full it is without taking it apart. It rolls on five casters and comes with a 3′ flexform hose to attach it to your shop-vac.
The Dust Right Vortex dust separator will be available at Rockler soon for $70.
Dust Right Vortex [Rockler]