Dust Collection Question

[Mike W.]

I have a small basement shop. It seems like I do a little more woodworking each week. I'm starting to get some 'nicer' power tools and have neglected active dust collection all along. I basically used my tools then used the shop vac every couple of days to clean up. To keep SWMBO from getting edgy about the dust in the rest of the house I'm thinking of buying a dust collection unit. I do realize I can get the 'Womper 2000' for $900, and spending any less is moronic... but Im a moron so Im thinking of getting a cheaper model.

My question is this:

Most of the models I've looked at make a note of the number of inlets they have. The cheapos (under $200) almost all have one inlet.. and the more expensive you go, the more inlets you get. So, is it ok to buy less inlets than tools and just use blast gates? In other words, can I get a unit with

1 inlet and just make sure I only have one tool's blast gate open at any give time and use a bunch of 'Y' joints to connect them all?

Thanks.

[toolguy]

Yes, you can do this but the question to be asking is how many tools will you hook up with blast gates, how far away are each of them from the DC and what sort of tubing and size diameter will you be using. Once you've answered these questions you can determine how much cfm you need from your DC. If you undersize your DC then don't bother as the collection system won't work well. You can find the ratings via search or references or post your answers to my questions above and I'm sure you'll get a feel for how much HP you need.

Neil

[TDUP]

The best systems use piping and blast gates. Moving a DC from tool to tool gets old very fast and it is usually in your way. I have the Jet 1100 with two 20 to 30 feet runs and 7 hook ups with blast gates, that works very well for me. Always add a couple more Y's than you need for present in case you add a couple more tools. You can always use them just to hook-up a long 2" hose for general clean up. A drop for a floor sweep is nice to have also. PVC piping with a wire inside (static control) is a less costly way to go. With a little thought and layout you will have a system you will find a joy to use.

Tim

woodworking

[ahoffmann]

Tim, could you please elaborate a little more about the wire (I assume it is a copper wire? What gage?) inside the PVC piping? I am about to install some PVC piping for my DC. Is the wire just laying loose within the pipe? Is it fastened to each section of the pipe? How is it grounded? Tied to a water pipe? I have also heard it is not necessary to ground the system.

Al

[Dick Snyder]

Mike,

I was where you are about a year ago. I bought a Jet 650CK with a single inlet. It is true that it is a pain in the rear to move the DC around but since 75% of my dust is made at the table saw, it isn't THAT horrible for me. If you plan to get a significant number of tools then a movable DC may not be a great solution. A possible interim solution is to get something like a Jet 1100CK which you can roll around but which has enough power to be hooked up with ducting later when you need it.

Dick Snyder

[TDUP]

The wire can be 14 gauge wire running inside the piping and hooked up to a cold water pipe on one end and the dust collector on the other. The wire is ground to each machine and hooked together at the blast gate. So it does come out of every "Y".

Tim

[nospam_coloradotrout]

see

the ducting info

I kinda summarize as follows.

use 6" s&d, minimize length, minimize curves, minimize flex, use 6" everywhere - don't downsize at the machines, refit a 6" port

I'm in the process of trying to setup a central system with the Jet

1100 canister. Someday I'll be done (haha, right..) and will take some photos.

[captmikey]

Dick's advice is probably right on. I'm toying with a DC system and you don't know who (or what) to believe about needs or efficiency. I barely have room in my shop for a DC unit, and one that moves around might be more of a hassle than one I can park in the corner.

One also has to wonder if buying a 2HP Harbor Freight DC unit for $149.00 is not a bad idea rather than paying $399+ for a similar Jet or Delta unit. We're not talking rocket science here, just a blower and the motors for all these units are probably made in asia anyway. The other alternative is to search around for a used name brand unit and maybe get a bargain. One of the regulars here sold a Jet 1.5 HP unit a month ago for $150 which I would've bought in a heartbeat but somebody else beat me to it.

I also really wonder about the grounding. My father-in-law used to have a furniture manufacturing facility in north Jersey and he had a

15 HP cyclone serving about a 20,000 square foot facility with blast gates all over the place. Of course, he had metal tubing so maybe that's the reason he never had a problem. Still, how many DC equipped home shops have had explosions?

[George]

\SNIP

Get a blower on a can like the JET. It rolls easily, sequesters half of its bulk under a saw wing, can be stored under an assembly table.

Makes the grounding business moot. Not that you can "ground" an insulator. What you can do is run a wire to take some of the charge off the particles, but dust explosions demand a LOT of VERY SMALL particles in a cloud. One-man shop would be hard-pressed.

[Larry Bud]

I also have the Jet 1100 and it works great for a 1 man shop.

I researched DC for a long time, and in the end how far you go, how many CFM you run, etc, doesn't really matter for a 1 man basement shop.