If you use your DIY machines occasionally in the workshop, you might often not even consider connecting them to a workshop vacuum. One can get used to seeing sawdust and dust flying around without giving it much thought, but the truth is that our lungs will appreciate not being continuously exposed to the wood dust we generate. You can use a mask, but the best option is, in addition to using a mask when necessary, to have a vacuum system ready to connect to our machines, since they come with a connection tube for a reason. Although you might need to find some tube scraps to fit the vacuum to the machines.
I use a Kärcher workshop vacuum, but even though it’s for the workshop, I protect it with a simple separation system. My separation system is basically like a paint bucket (it’s an empty paint bucket and not much more) but with a filter and a couple of inlets, one for the workshop vacuum hose and another for the suction hose that I connect to the machines.
It doesn’t seem difficult to make, but I bought a “Big Dirt” separator from Electrolux a few years ago (which seemed quite expensive for what it is. But maybe not for what it does) to use as an ash vacuum for the fireplace, but it spends most of its time in my workshop.
In the videos I’ve posted so far, it’s not easy to see how effective the system is when connected to the homemade table saw, but you’ve probably seen that it works very well with the router table. What you can see well in this video is how I can turn the workshop vacuum and the corresponding machine on and off independently from the area of the table where I’m working.
The outlet for the vacuum cleaner is in series with the switch and is a simple installation to do, but I hope you don’t think of something like this to turn on the circular saw or the router, as it can be dangerous. For that, you’ll need another type of outlet that is harder to activate or a safety one like the one in the photo.
If you already have the safety switch, you might think about plugging a power strip into the safety outlet to turn on the machine and the vacuum at the same time, but turning on that much power in a normal garage setup is not a good idea. It’s always better to stagger the power. At least the low-energy bulbs you use to light the workshop will appreciate it.