Improving My Dust Extraction Process

[ChuckM]

8 or 9 years ago, it cost me under $450 Cdn to have a master electrician install a 220V outlet to my garage (for use with the garage heater). (The apprentice did 98% of the work, and he left and came back after an hour or two.)

During the pandemic, I decided I needed two 20amp outlets for my shop, and installed them all by myself. I ran the cables all the way from the basement to the garage/shop, just like the way the electrician did. I paid for the permit plus all the supplies. The city inspections were done virtually. With 1 220V, 2 20amp and 1 15 amp outlets in the shop, I have had no more trips to the breakers.

 

[Hipplewm]

8 or 9 years ago, it cost me under $450 Cdn to have a master electrician install a 220V outlet to my garage (for use with the garage heater). (The apprentice did 98% of the work, he left and came back after an hour or two.)

During the pandemic, I decided I needed two 20amp outlets for my shop, and installed them all by myself. I ran the cables all the way from the basement to the garage/shop, just like the way the electrician did. I paid for the permit plus all the supplies. The city inspections were done virtually. With 1 220V, 2 20amp and 1 15 amp outlets in the shop, I have had no more trips to the breakers.

It really depends, if you have an outbuilding and only have 110v run, it may cost 1000's to have a cable buried and run 220v out to the shop.

Even in a garage, with finished walls, the sheet rock work and/or fishing the wires etc can be expensive

I am in a 48x60 pole barn with 200 amps and I wired it myself (no inspections where i live for "Agricultural buildings" so it only costs the wire/outlet and outlet box

Plus there is every scenario in between

 

[Crazyraceguy]

If I ever have a workshop (not my small 1 car garage that has to fit my car, storage and everything else) big enough to have a central dust collector, I'm putting all the piping underground. Sure that will be expense and harder to do. Sure it makes future modifications to the shop more cumbersome. Sure it makes cleaning out the pipes if there is a jam more difficult. IDC! Everyone always has a mess of hose and pipes all over their shop creating obstructions (either overhead, on the wall or in the middle of the airspace). Plus I've never seen that done and I want to revolutionize how it's done. My own personal claim to fame

As they say, there is truth in jest so..... truthfully, I want to have the space to be worried about such a thing. I envy all the shop owners out there. Feel free to leave constructive feedback on what other reasons this would be such a bad idea 

It has been done.....well over 20 years ago, my younger brother and his business partner did it in their cabinet shop. It was in an old building with a wooden floor, that had access underneath. They ran the ducting for the larger machines under the floor and into an "isolated" (but still inside) bag house. I don't remember what they used for the air handler itself. It was so long ago and I only saw it once or twice, plus it was before I ever worked in a wood shop of any kind.

I am planning to do the same thing in my garage space. I don't have access from below, but I plan to build up the floor, for insulation purposes, and leave an open path for a central duct at the same time.
It will mainly be there for a jointer and planer, as I have CTs for the other things. CT15 for the miter saw and CT26 for all of the Festool equipment. My shop space will be inside a garage that has an adjoining room, so the sound will be muffled at least. The air does have to come back to the main room, so it won't be totally eliminated, but mitigated at least.

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.
It will mainly be there for a jointer and planer, as I have CTs for the other things. CT15 for the miter saw and CT26 for all of the Festool equipment. My shop space will be inside a garage that has an adjoining room, so the sound will be muffled at least. The air does have to come back to the main room, so it won't be totally eliminated, but mitigated at least.

Why would you go through all the trouble to have a "central system" to serve just two machines? Wouldn't a dust collector with a dual port or splitter placed between or near the two machines do the same job?

 

[SoonerFan]

5HP is a BIG motor and will need 220v - which a LOT of US shops won't have without a fair amount of expense. 

2HP dust collector set up properly with non restricting outputs are just fine for 95% of non production shops, especially if you have dust extractors for smaller tools.

[member=81066]Hipplewm[/member] while I have plenty of 220 available in my shop I am hoping you are right.  I will be very happy if my 2HP Jet when configured properly (no restrictions, proper blast gates, 6in pipe, Etc) will handle my table saw, jointer, planner and sander without having to roll it all around.  I can use the CTs I mentioned for the other stuff. 

 

[Hipplewm]

5HP is a BIG motor and will need 220v - which a LOT of US shops won't have without a fair amount of expense. 

2HP dust collector set up properly with non restricting outputs are just fine for 95% of non production shops, especially if you have dust extractors for smaller tools.

[member=81066]Hipplewm[/member] while I have plenty of 220 available in my shop I am hoping you are right.  I will be very happy if my 2HP Jet when configured properly (no restrictions, proper blast gates, 6in pipe, Etc) will handle my table saw, jointer, planner and sander without having to roll it all around.  I can use the CTs I mentioned for the other stuff.

I bought the 2HP harbor freight dust collector and took out the motor and bracket, threw the rest in the trash.  Swapped to the 14" WEN impeller and cut the 4" suction out and replaced with a 6" pipe.  Cut a board for the outlet flange to change to 8" square, and used a transition piece to go to 8" round and out the side of my shop (120acres of nothing out there) added the DD XL and piped it to my shop using 4" drain PVC.  I am extremely happy with the outcome for

 

[Mini Me]

Forget the HP it is all about impeller size and if the motor can turn the impeller at full speed then go for it but I wouldn't use less than a 15" impeller. 6" duct will flow 1000CFM and 4" will flow in the region of 650CFM and 1000CFM at the machine is generally reckoned to be the ideal for collecting the small dangerous stuff. If you want to use less I say go for it because it is your health and no one should tell you what to do when it comes to your own  health least of all me.

 

[Steve1]

I exited the dust collector with the same size duct as the DC port, then transitioned to 4" where I split for the tools.  But my total length is pretty short.

One suggestion I will make is that when buying the blast gates, check that they have long sleeves on them if you are mounting flex to them.  I bought the Lee Valley blast gates.  I immediately noticed how short the in/out sleeves were but figured if other people can connect to them, so can I.  Nope.  They were useless to mount to, so I used only the sliding plate and made my own blast gates (which packaged better due to how I was mounting them)

I have the steel duct bonded to my electrical system ground.  (See green wires below) Then, when I transition to flex at the tool, I bond the spiral wire in the flex to the steel duct. 

I put my dust collector in an adjacent storage room to minimize sound. 
At first, I envisioned duct all over my shop.  But after I considered how I use my tools, I noticed that I keep my tools against the walls, but that I move them, typically to right in front of my table saw, when I use them, just because it's a better spot to handle long boards. 
So I ended up with just two duct exits. One semi-permanently to my table saw, and one for all my other tools.  I made magnetic quick connects for the tools.    Flex is pretty restrictive and I have 7 feet of flex to my table saw, and ten feet of flex for the other port.  But since my total length is pretty short, I don't worry about the restriction.

 

[ChuckM]

Those magport fittings are well received, and I've seen their shop-made version on YouTube or copies on Etsy (but selling at almost the same price as the originals). Such connection concept can even be found in the household setting:https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/home/laundry/74597-magvent-dryer-vent-connectors

My dust collector is used only for my table saw and bandsaw -- one at a time -- and so I go with just the basic connector: https://www.rockler.com/4-quick-disconnect-fitting-clamped

 

[Dane]

If you go the the Hooked on Wood YouTube channel, he makes a pretty compelling case for the Camvac extractors for a small shop setting.  I’m sure 5hp at 6” is the highest and best solution, but I’m not sure a 95 percent solution coupled with a decent ambient air cleaner isn’t more practical.

 

[Steve1]

Those magport fittings are well received, and I've seen their shop-made version on YouTube or copies on Etsy (but selling at almost the same price as the originals).

I made them out of PVC trim board and PVC sewer pipe.  PVC pipe cement solvent welds it solid as a rock.  I used 8  x 1/4 dia x 1/2" long Neodymium magnets on each coupling half.  Probably I could have used fewer magnets if I went a little bigger on the magnets, but this is the size that I normally stock.  Use them for catches, etc.

They work great.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Yes [member=57948]ChuckS[/member] it would work fine. What I am trying to do is get it out of the space. It's going to be small (12' x 24') and I don't want to waste space with a dust collector. If it is in the floor and comes up/out on the other side of the wall, it saves in at least a couple of ways. It cuts down on the length of the ductwork itself, by not having to go up to the ceiling and back down again at the collector. It also doesn't have to pull the dust/chips up either. I also don't have to hear the thing running, at least partially. It also offers the opportunity to filter the air again, before it returns, which it would only have to do during heating/cooling seasons.

 

[SoonerFan]

Wanted to provide a quick update on what I did and how it’s working for me.  First, I decided to use flexible hose anchored to the wall for my jointer, planer, table saw, drum sander and band saw.  Furthest run as a little over 25 ft/7.6m. For the longer runs along the wall I stretched the hose tight used brackets to clamp it to the wall.  The drops for each tool are longer than needed to allow me to rearrange a little without disconnecting a tool.  Only time I have to move the Jet DC now is while using my CNC which is in the opposite corner from my normal DC location.  This was much cheaper, faster and easier than using PVC and buying all the fittings, cutting each to size, etc.  For mobile dust collection I got a long life bag for my CT36 and stuck with normal bags for my Midi.

I am very happy with the result.  Dust collection for my stationary tools is great assuming I remember to open and close blast gate properly.  I notice very little dust collecting in the hose.  Long life bag is great for the CT36 which gets used to clean the floor, is the go to for misc clean up duties, etc.  I decided against a long life bag for the Midi since it does not fill up so fast. 

Should have done this a long time ago.  The time savings from not having to roll the Jet DC between tools has been great.