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How to Hook Up a Shop Vac to a Table Saw

Zyon Silket

Table saws, typically used in home construction and renovation, create a lot of dust and debris. Although these environments are usually dirty, you do not want to add to the amount by spewing sawdust into the air every time you rip a board on the saw. A Shop-Vac is a wet/dry vacuum that uses a large canister and a flexible hose to help suck up dirt. You can utilize a Shop-Vac as a dust collector for your table saw if your table saw has a dust collection port.

A table saw will kick up a lot of dust when you use it.
  1. Measure the diameter of your dust collection port with a tape measure. For example, on the Powermatic 10-inch table saw, the dust collection port is four inches in diameter.

  2. Measure the diameter of your Shop-Vac hose. Depending on the size of your Shop-Vac, the hose is 2-1/2-inches in diameter, 1-1/2-inches in diameter or 1-1/4-inches in diameter.

  3. Select a dust collection reducer that measures the diameter of your dust collection port on one end and that measures the diameter of your Shop-Vac hose on the other.

  4. Slide the larger end of the reducer onto the dust collection port on your table saw and then slide the hose of the Shop Vac vacuum onto the other end of the reducer.

  5. Turn the Shop-Vac on before you start the table saw. As you rip the board on the table saw, the dust will suck into the Shop-Vac.