Quote Originally Posted by wizard View Post
Probably! The first question you need to ask is this are you actually getting that 600CFM through the 2.5' hose? I kinda doubt it, a quick way to check would be to unplug the hose while the vac is running (pulling nothing but air) and see if there is a huge difference in volume or a significant uptick in motor RPM. If there is a noticeable difference then the hose itself is causing a pressure loss.

The trick with vacuum systems is to keep large masses of air moving quickly. If you vac is too small it won't have the volume capability to keep velocity up in a larger hose. If the vac supports a larger hose go for it, after all you really won't know until you try.
With my older CNC table, I had a router for a spindle so I had the same problem. What I did was mount the dust shoe to the saddle instead of the carriage, with two rods, so I can control the height. The spindle moved up and down independently, with the tool passing through a hole in the shoe for it. Worked pretty well.