Ducts for dust collector?

I just got my new dust collector (1-1/2 HP JDS Dust Force), and have started researching duct work. I'm just a small garage based do-it- yourselfer. I will never use more than one tool at a time.

PVC is cheap, easy, and widely available, but there seem to be lingering concerns about safety (fire/explosion). More important to me, I don't want to get shocked from static build-up. So, I have chosen not to use PVC for my ducts.

I see that Rockler uses flexible clear duct with a spiral wire inside for their ducts. However, since this is just another form of plastic, does anyone know if this will build up static like PVC pipe does? The corrugated nature of the pipe seems like it would restrict airflow?

Regular metal snap-lock "Stove Pipe" like you would get at Lowes seems the next choice, but they don't carry the tee's and other fittings I would need for duct work.

"Spiral Metal Duct" sounds like a great alternative, though a bit pricier. However, I haven't seen an actual price list or online catalog where I could order this stuff anyway.

Systems like Nordfab and the stuff Grizzly sell are completely out of my price range. The duct would cost more than my DC! :)

I want something fairly sturdy, easy to install, and of course priced within reaches of a mere mortal. So what do you use, and where can I buy it?

Also, since I'm only using one tool at a time, will 4" pipe be adequate for my entire system? I think I'll have about 35 feet of straight line, with two drops to my tools and the drop going to the DC. My DC only has a 4" port, so it doesn't seem like using larger pipe would gain me anything. Maybe I'm wrong?

Thanks,

Anthony

Reply to
HerHusband
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The clear with wire in it resists the static build up through the wire thats in it through allowing a leakage current. On the other hand I've never been shocked in my garage shop with pvc pipe, I've even touched it while it had been running for a long time. I just ran some spare wire through it and hooked it up to a grounded piece of conduit.

Reply to
yugami

Have you priced pipe at Oneida?

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Reply to
Max

Nobody has ever produced credible evidence of such a fire or explosion. Wrapping a spiral of wire around the outside of the ductwork will bleed off enough charge to avoid shock.

Mine has never shocked me, let alone exploded. There's probably some air restriction, but with a 5 HP cyclone I don't notice it.

It's also not made to take suction.

Penn State Industries. It's expensive as Hell.

No real point to having the piping bigger than the inlet on the collector.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Sounds fine. But I kind of enjoy the shocks, too. Tom

Reply to
tom

inside for

Sounds like another variation of a clothes dryer exhaust kit.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

You can use the regular PVC and spiral wrap a copper wire around it. A

1.5 HP DC is barely adequate for ceiling runs and drops--for that you need 3 HP, unless all your dust is very fine particles. Thirty-Five feet is a long run for just 1.5 HP. Why not just roll the DC to the machine when needed?
Reply to
Phisherman

I built my first ducts with PVC and ran a ground wire through it.

Next, I pulled out the wire, as it caused clogs. I didn't blow up.

The PVC started to crack and fall apart, and tighter turn radius of the PVC fittings and the 4" pipe seemed to be choking my system, and I plan on moving to a cyclone soon, so I replumbed with 6" metal.

The 6" stuff is working GREAT, I obtained 6" metal gates and flex pipe from Lee Valley, doing the reduction to 4" right at the tool. The results are much better, even with the existing DC. Certain tools, like my DJ20 are 6" right into the tool. I used all 26 ga. 6" steel pipe, with 3 pop rivets at each joint. I then used 3" aluminum duct tape to seal each joint.

As for finding metal pipe? Screw Lowes and Home Depot, and check your yellow pages for an HVAC supplier.

My stuff came from a local Winnelson franchise. They can be a bit intimidating, as you walk in and face a counter, vs. picking out your own stuff on a home center, but once you get used to dealing with these operations, they're great. Mine even takes Visa and Mastercard.

Start with a very short description of what you want to do, and let them help you put the parts together. Once he does the order, you'll drive over to a dock and they'll hand you boxes of parts! My guys accept returns, so I bought a little extra of certain items and returned what I didn't use. Check into the local return policy before you buy.

Reply to
B A R R Y

I only use 2, 10" lengths of that clear wire reinforced hose 20' total, to collect dust from all of my equipment. I use no ridged pieces at all. I run the hose from the collector to a hose hook hanging from the ceiling and back down to the floor. This takes care of equipment that is on the side of the garage. If I need to go to the other side of the garage I simply take the hose off of the hook and move it to the other side.

Do I get static shock, not once in about 2 years. Does dust cling to the ribs? Slightly but not enough to notice a performance drop. It does perfectly collect absolutely all the waste from a 15" stationary planer,

22/44 Drum sander, and probably as good as any other set up on collecting from the BS, TS, Disk Sander, Spindle Sander, Router Table, and or Drill Press. I use no gates or "Y's", strictly the 20" flexible hose. The beauty to not fastening it permanently is that you can easily move the hose to exactly where you want it to do other cleaning chores and machines can be used anywhere within the 20' length of the hose.

Reply to
Leon

One other thing, my set up is about as cheap as it gets and as easy to set up as it gets. You can start there and see if you actually want to go farther with it.

Reply to
Leon

Search the group archives. Lots of people, myself included, use PVC without any problems.

I have a 2hp Jet canister dust collector. I ran 6-inch S&D for horizontal runs across the ceiling, and down to the DC, with a short length of flexible line to make the connection to the DC inlet. I used "Y" fittings in a couple of places where an elbow would have been OK, as an access for cleanout. I closed the access opening with a screw-in cap fitting. I haven't had to use them yet. All vertical drops are 4-inch S&D, with metal (cast aluminum) blast gates to make the transisiton to flexible line to the machines. All 90-degree bends are done with two

45-degree elbows to keep the bend radius as large as possible. I purchased the S&D pipe and most of the fittings and hangers at a local plumbing supply. I found additional fittings at Lowe's.

My TS and router table are the farthest from the DC. I recently added a drop to connect an over-blade collector on my TS (Shark Guard). I also have a BS and jointer connected, and a radial saw using a hood built from plywood. I added a short vertical drop with a blast gate and bayonet quick-disconnect in an open area of my shop where I connect my portable planer or drum sander when I'm using those tools.

I think my system works pretty well.

Read the info on Bill Pentz's website about duct sizing.

Reply to
Art Greenberg

Since all of my power tools except the RAS are on mobile bases in 1/3 of a 3 car garage, and I generally have to move them for a project of any size. I do the same as Leon with the exception of a trash can cyclone in the middle of the 20' 4" hoses.

Reply to
Doug Winterburn

I have got to find space for a trash can in the middle. ;~) On 2 jewelry boxes I am working on I am almost ready to empty the bag for a second time on an 1100 cfm collector.

I keep thinking that there must be a way to reroute or add to the DC exhaust a hose to go to a trash can. When the bag gets full use the dust collector hose and the rerouted exhaust to clean out the bag.

Reply to
Leon

Really? Bummer. Thanks for the info. Something to consider.

I'm sure that's the approach I'll be using for a while. It'll give me time to research the ducting situation more.

Anthony

Reply to
HerHusband

Leon,

Thanks for the info. I suspect this is the approach I'll be using for a while till I know how the collector works in actual operation.

Also, the only stationary tool I have is my miter saw. Everything else is mobile and moves around anyway. So, I'd need a good length of flexible hose no matter what.

I'll probably approach the duct issue in steps. For now I'll just roll the DC near the tool and connect it with my current 10' hose. From there I might buy a longer hose so I can leave the DC in place and just drag the duct to the tool. Then I might investigate making fixed duct runs.

Are you using quick-connects on the ends at the tool? I was thinking of ordering some to make the connections easier at each tool, much like a shop vac hose.

Do you know which is more flexible, the black duct hose or the clear wire reinforced hose? I bought a 10' length of JET black hose which seems fairly flexible, but it wants to keep curling back into the loop it had in the box.

Thanks,

Anthony

Reply to
HerHusband

If you buy enough flex hose, you can leave the dust collector in it's normal storage area. 2, 10" hosed will reach just about every where and I dont have to wheel the DC out. While moving it is no problem it can get in the way and is not necessary. I only move it to empty the bag.

I use a hose union to join the 2 hoses and on the end of the hose I put a flared female end. This flared end easily slips over all the ports on the TS, BS, Planer, and Drum Sander, for smaller ports I use an adaptor at the tool to fit the flared fitting on the end of the hose.

I do not know for sure but the clear is flezable enough. If the black is like regular shop vac hose, IMHO that would be too stiff. The clear works very well. The clear does not have a memory. I go the clear flex hose on a 1/2 price sale for about $10 per 10' section and purchased 6 or 7 connectors and adapters

If it would help, I can tale a picture to show you just how simple my set up is and post on A.B.P.W.

Reply to
Leon

In a previous shop configuration, I had a similar setup only with the trash can cyclone mounted on a small extension hanging off the dust collector. I used two pieces of 4/4 red oak scrap (say 1.5 to 2" wide) bolted to the sides of the DC base plate, and a couple pieces fastened across underneath those to make a shallow cradle for the trash can; bungy cords from the cradle to the trash can handles were quite sufficient to hold the can on. DC to cyclone was a short hose. From the cyclone lid I ran hose back past the bags and zip tied it off there -- so you could drag the whole thing around by the hose. A single section of 4" hose came off the cyclone and I moved it from tool to tool. Worked really well for an investment of 20 minutes, some scrap and a handful of drywall screws. It got kind of old moving the hose, but it was a cheap and flexible setup. Emptied the can frequently; bag's filled up very rarely.

Currently thinking about resurrecting somethign similar (new shop space) but moving to hybrid setup where there would be some hard-piped sections servicing groups dusty (not chippy) of equipment (router table, RAS, TS) with blast gates. DC would have a short hose to the hard pipe, but the planer would still be hooked up by dragging the DC over to it. I could probably even put the hard-pipe connections in a noise abatement closet. When the planer runs, the hearing protection is in place so it should be no big deal to have the DC screaming too. Hmmm, that might be nice.

hex

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Reply to
hex

Leon,

I'm still trying to figure out where I'm gonna store the DC, but it's most likely going to be in a corner near my breaker panel. That'll make it much easier to install a dedicated outlet.

Is there some reason you opted for two ten footers instead of a single 20 footer?

Where did you get your "Flared ends"?

The black hose I got seems slightly more flexible than shop vac hose (despite the larger size), but it still wants to return to it's original shape.

Yes, please, that would be great. It sounds fairly straightforward, but pics always help with the details, and it's just fun to look at shop pics. :)

Anthony

Reply to
HerHusband

go here.. use 6" ducting.. it all makes sense..

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Reply to
Kevin

From the bill pentz site, I adopted thin-wall pvc, sewer & drain, and use very short runs.. and then using a 2 foot or so chunk of 6" clear flex from the vendor Bill suggests.

His site is top notch.

Reply to
Kevin

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