Dust Collection Ports

I have seen much on this group on how much efficiency will be achieved if I change from my current Sears shop vac and 2" blast gates and piping system to a real DC system. Since most of my tools are Craftsman, will I need to modify the tool ports to make them larger? Any info on what others have done would be appreciated.

Rocky

Reply to
Rocky
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If you buy a real DC (which I also highly recommend), you don't have to change the ports on your tools... just hook the 4" line to a reducer and thence to your tool. OTOH, if you have a choice of ports for your tool, go with the largest. No matter what you do, you'll be better off than you are now with that howling shop vac.

I have a Penn State DC with the optional muffler and you can easily carry on a conversation while it's running without having to shout. Try that with your shop vac.

BTW, no matter what kind you end up with, invest the extra $30 or so in a cyclone trash can separator. Your impellors will thank you (for years).

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

choking down from 4" to 2" will lose you a lot of the benefits of the DC. it will work, but is unlikely to perform better than the shopvac. figure on setting up 4" ports on all of the machines you can, even if you have to cut some sheetmetal.

Reply to
bridgerfafc

I would think that choking down to 2" would give better suction. What comes to mind - a 4" water hose, if choked down will become a high pressure hose. Wouldn't the reverse apply for suction? Obviously I know nothing about moving air but it just *seems* logical, like putting a small nozzle on the shopvac.

Vic

Reply to
Vic Baron

The velocity will go up, to a limit, but the total flow will go down. For an electrical analogy, the smaller diameter hose is the same as a larger resistor.

Steve

Reply to
Steve Peterson

with the shopvac it will. with the DC it won't.

Reply to
bridger

I actually did some testing recently along those lines. I have one of the "6 HP" (ha!) ridgid shop vacs with 16 gal tank - typical animal with good capacity. I've been using it for the top of the router table. I tried the DC with 4" to 1.5" reducer. The shop vac won. Then I tried the DC with 4" to 2.5" reducer. The DC won - signficantly better than the shop vac. 4" is great but just too big for a router table fence. Sometimes you have to compromise. I do have 4" hose to a pick up above the tablesaw, however. :-)

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

It gives a higher velocity at the opening, but does not move any more air. Dust collection is a low pressure high volume application. You have to move the volume to move the dust fast enough on some machines. At low pressures, its legitimate to compare water and air for understanding. Now to illustrate what I am talking about, look at your various water hose applications. Fill up a barrel with a 1/2" hose and with a 3/4" hose. The

3/4" hose will win every time. Then think about the size of a fire hose where the application requires huge amounts of water. A dust collection application is more like a fire hose than a garden hose.

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

Everyone talked about the size difference, but no one addressed the compatibility issues. What brand of DC are you getting? You'll need either the Jet/Craftsman adapter or the Delta/Craftsman adapter. Unless you have the older style Craftsman that use grounded vents. Just clean them with acetone (being careful not to get it on your hands) before connecting another brand of DC.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I use a 4" hose to the router table, set so the open end of the hose is right over the cutter. this is the best collection I've been able to come up with for the application.

Reply to
bridger

I've messed around and done the same thing. It was impressive. But that was when my router table had $30 worth of parts in it. Now that I've got over $400 in it, I have to look slick, don't you know.

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

Thanks for all the input. My shop is fairly small and most of my work is fine dust from cutting balsa for model airplane building. Home improvement projects and some other wood working make the regular sawdust but I don't generate much in the way of chips (no lathe or planer). That being said and not having a dust collector currently, do I invest in something that has a built in cyclone or just go with the dual bag types. I like a clean shop.

Reply to
Rocky

the cyclone really comes into play with chips. if you make a lot of fine dust get good filters and leave it at that.

Reply to
bridger

You lost me, Edwin. What kind adaptor are you talking about? What's the brand of DC have to do with connection to a tool? I thought dust collection was done with fittings that almost fit plus a hacksaw and duct tape.

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

Edwin's pulling your DC hose.. errr leg, as usual ... not to mention that if you "clean" most any DC "adaptor" with acetone it'll disappear on you.

Reply to
Swingman

Whoosh! The sound of sharp dialogue flying over my head at Mach II speed. I'm too serious in my reading sometimes.

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

I have a two lines off my dust collector - one through the cyclone and one straight. The straight line is dedicated to the bottom of the table saw - a source of fine dust and no chips and it works well. I don't think you need a cyclone. I originally had none. I put one in to catch the cutoff pieces that kept getting sucked up by the nozzle on top of the table saw. I got tired of the "bang, bang, bang, CLONG" sound that happened when a little piece of oak disappeared and rattled along the DC network until it finally went through the impellor of the DC!

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

Just a note: 4" is fairly standard for real dust collectors but still imposes quite a bit of efficiency loss. IMO the definitive web site on dust collection for home woodshops is Bill Pentz' site, you will find it referred to frequently on the wreck:

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Reply to
Jim Weisgram

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