Making Your Own PVC to Blast Gates and ShopVac Connectors

Making Your Own 2" PVC to Vac Adapter
I was trying to decide how to set up dust collection in the shop and the problems of matching 2" PVC to some of the available dust collection fittings.   I looked at Rocklers and Woodcraft and saw only a paucity of adapters with the Rockler fittings never quite a matching a Shop Vac type fitting (I usually have to drill them out a little to 2 1/4", and they should be tapered).  

Then I had one of those cartoon "bright idea" moments (you know, with the lightbulb over the head) and realized "I have a lathe".   Lathes are very good at making perfectly round holes, of any size, in things or making large round things smaller.   I looked at the relative dimensions of 2" PVC and PVC fittings (inside and out), compared to blast gates and hose connectors.   So I chucked up a 2" coupler (or union), applied a flat scraper to the inside of one end, and voilla, a blast gate adapter.   I tried the same approach making a shop vac adapter with a piece of regular 2" PVC, and it worked also.  

The blast gate with a 2" PVC coupler sitting on top, B4 turning, it doesn't quite fit.

Inside the 2" coupler B4.

After turning, the coupler now fits the blast gate.   I always mark the turned fitting with large 'X's so I know which ones are special.

Inside the turned 2" coupler on the blast gate.

Turning PVC out for a ShopVac.

Turned 2" PVC to match a shop vac.   This is just a piece of 2" PVC that I turned into a shop vac adapter.

Inside the new shop vac adapter.

A couple of modified 2" unions under my router table.