New Dust Collector Questions

[Leon]

Kicking and screaming I have been pulled into the 21st century as far as small shop dust collection is concerned. I finally caved. DANG that new Laguna BS produces a lot of fine dust. Until now I have let a good fan at my back blow the dust away from me and out the door. So, I bought the Jet 1100 CFM canister collector with remote control and timer . For about 2 hours I was visiting with Swingman today and he has the same collector and now I have a few questions concerning hooking up the hoses. Did I think to ask Swingman how his was set up? Did I look at his while in his shop?

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... I did not.

A few questions

1. I do not want permanent hook ups. I bough 2, 10' clear 4" hoses with the metal coiled reinforcement from Rockler, for 50% off. I bought the plastic ends to connect to the collector and the equipment. The pieces are threaded so that they can be attached to the hoses with out hose clamps, or so I thought. They have opposite threads. This worked like trying to thread a left handed nut on to a right handed bolt. I forced it on about 2 inches but it easily came off. I called Rockler and they indicated that they don't actually screw on and I would have force them on and perhaps use clamps. Why pay extra for threaded ends if you still have to use clamps? Are there opposite threaded ends available?

1. THE GROUND WIRE. Since my hose is plastic and the ends will be plastic and there will be no metal to metal contact between the collector and say the TS or stationary planer, what do I attach the ground wire to? I want to move from machine to machine by simply slipping the hose off.

2. How does the braided ground wire differ from the coiled wire molded into the clear hose?

1. Should I wrap the braided ground wire around the hose and tape or tape along side the hose?

Thanks.

[Chris Friesen]

Not sure if the plastic pieces are available in opposite threads, but I've seen left and right handed hose.

You may also want to check that the plastic fittings actually fit over all your equipment ports. Mine only slides about 1/4" onto the table saw port.

Then ground the hose to some bare metal on the collector. Might have to check with a meter to see where on the collector connects to the electrical ground.

Chris

[BobS]

Leon,

The archives are loaded with answers to this and probably most of them are about worrying if the dust will explode or otherwise cause a fire. All tests that I've read about that were aimed at home type shops, are not going to generate sufficient dust to be anywhere near the concentration needed for it to ignite and explode. That said, moving air will cause a lot of static buildup on the hoses.

To dissipate that static, at the end which connects to the DC, simply cut back some of the hose plastic to expose a couple of inches of the spring wire inside the hose. Bend it up to 90° so it forms a pigtail. Clean it off (sandpaper, file) so that bare wire is showing. Now take a wire nut and a length of 12 or 14 ga wire (green color insulation would be nice) and wire nut it on to the pigtail you just bent up. Connect the other end to ground.

The DC will be grounded thru the power plug and if you wanted to, you could connect that pigtail on the hose directly to metal parts on the DC but that usually requires drilling a small hole for a ground screw on the shroud. Most connector mounts (if yours has the metal Y connector) also have a gasket around the inside edge electrically isolating the Y connector from the impeller in the shroud. Just make sure you ground the hose wire and that will dissipate the static.

This has been discussed numerous times and there's people that swear that they know shops have blown up because their systems were not properly grounded and they know it for fact cause a friend of a friend told them so but the never saw it.... I grounded mine to reduce static build-up so I don't get surprised and zapped. I have a 16/32 Performax sander and that can generate a lot of fine dust but again, not nearly enough to explode.

Bob S.

[Leon]

I suspect the black hose has the correct threads. :~)

Both my TS, and BS have tapered ports and the plastic add on hose ends have flared openings. The fit seemed good.

Thanks Chris

[Leon]

Yeah I have heard and read most of them. I have been zapped by my 14' shop vac hose.

That is what I was thinking.

Mine has a plastic Y connected to a metal shroud that has a gasket. I'll wrap the wire around one of the screws that holds the shroud and goes through the gasket to the motor mounted back side if the shroud.

[Swingman]

LOL ... Hell, you were too busy answering my questions in my endless quest for the perfect mortise jig for chair parts. Besides, that coffee is good, isn't it.

Had you had time to get a word in edgewise, you would have seen that I just use clamps ... the double wire kind similar to the ones that came with the Jet seem to work the best for me. Be careful buying the ones that Rockler sells, particularly the "water hose" type ... must be chiwanese POS because they twist and jam up very easily.

I would ground the end(s), next to the dust collector, to the metal DC manifold with the wire that is in the flexible hose. That said, I haven't had a problem with static electricity with that particular hose, which I attribute partly to the high humidity we have here for most of the year.

[jd]

can't speak for the hose ends, but I would at least ground the wire inside the hose to the DC - this will allow the static to discahrge through the DC. I'm not sure what having a second ground (at the machine) would do. I doubt that a home shop could have a dust explosion (I've never seen or hear irst hand evidence of it). However, I have (persopnally) gotten a big enough static charge on an ungrounded DC hose to literally knock me over when I became the ground. No burns, but I was suddenly on the ground and saying "what the hell...."

-JD

[Robatoy]

Swingman wrote: [snipped for brevity]

Grounding it at both ends can cause a ground loop which will seriously muddy low-end information from either vocals or bass guitar. Speaking of static... there's nothing quite like stepping up to a mic to add a few harmonies and have a snake-like arc come off your lip into the microphone, making one forget the lyrics and uttering such wisdoms as: "is this the Opry?"

.... or so I'm told.

r

[Swingman]

Hell, if it hums at the right frequency we'll use it ... if not, we'll fix it in the mix.

End(s) (plural) "next to the dust collector" in this case meant the ends of two hose runs where they terminate _at_ the DC ... the Jet has a dual intake manifold for two hose runs.

Hmmm ... I wonder if Leon bought two blast gates?

Leon, get the metal, self cleaning ones ... mucho worth the price.

You know when it happens byt the sequence: tap, tap "Is this thing on?" ... "Shit!"

[Leon]

ORrrrrrrrr picking up an old automotive points capacitor that a mechanic just happened to leave laying on the counter after charging it up reeeeeal good. Now I am dating myself.

[Leon]

I agree. I was thinking that the hose wire was enough. I did mention to the sales lady that I was also going to continue use my ShopVac hose which is all plastic. Then I would have needed to have the extra ground wire. I have since changed plans. I once witnessed the wood shavings and dust standing at attention on the outside of the plastic shop vac hose one day. Looked like iron filings on a magnet. Being the curious one, I ran my hand down the hose to brush the saw dust away apparently I was holding onto something grounded. Busssssst. Damn.

[Leon]

Naw. You were thinking out loud and I was sucking it all up. The coffee was excellent as was the company.

I am going with, straight on to the collector with the double wire clamp. A coupling and 2 wire clamps to fasten the 2 hoses together, a jumper wire to ground both hoses together and a female end secured with a double wire clamp for the tool end. That female end fits the TS and BS perfectly. I'll connect a ground wire to the collector end of the hose assembly. Then 2 smaller fittings to attach to the OSS and the router fence. I am going to have to go to HD for a 5" to 4" reducer to add the planer to the mix.

I'll do that also.

Thank you Sir.

[Leon]

With most of my shop being on mobile bases, one hose is going to do it all. I'll add the gates if I decide on a more permanent location for the machines and use both ports on the manifold.

[Teamcasa]

"Leon"

I like to charge them up with the old Sun Coil Tester and toss them to the "new guy"! Hey Catch!! LOL - Oh the good ole days! Dave

[Teamcasa]

"Leon"

Maybe I'm just lucky but I have only been zapped (lightly) when I use the DC to pick up a pile of shavings, like after some intensive lathe work. I don't have any grounding of any kind on any hoses.

Dave