Dust Collection

**dlminehart** · 08-20-2005, 04:34 PM

I'll leave the details of which connectors fit to which hoses to someone who, unlike myself, has already figured that all out. The basic principles are to minimize hose lengths and number of direction changes, make the direction changes gradual (45 degree rather than 90 degree bends), put blast gates as close as possible to the DC to shut down unused hose sections, try to allow for more than one 2-1/4" opening (as in the BT3000) open on a 4" hose in order to allow enough air movement to take the dust all the way to the DC, use hose with as smooth an interior as possible, 4" sewer and drain pipe from Home Depot is inexpensive and properly sized, a wood chip trapping barrel is useful between junk sources and the DC to save your DC from hard-hitting chunks and unnecessary filter filling, a pleated filter is much more efficient (better airflow while trapping small particles) than the cloth bags (which tend to let the smallest and unhealthiest dust escape), some tools are less often used and (if side by side) can share a hose that has a slip-off connector.

**JimD** · 08-21-2005, 01:41 PM

David's advice is sound. To it I would add that there are multiple varieties of cloth bags. The ones that came with my Delta 1 hp DC would pass dust smaller than 30 microns. The ones on it now are good down to about 2 microns. 2 is a lot better than 30. To get the remaining dust I have a box fan pulling air through a washable furnace filter. My other tip is that you can easily make better blast gates than you can buy. A search on this website will get you some ideas. Basically you make a 3 piece plywood sandwich. The other two layers have a hole sized for a coupling for the pipe you are using. The center layer slides between a hole (to open the gate) and no-hole (to close the gate). I space the outer two layers by two business cards more than the thickness of the inner piece of plywood (which can be as thin as 1.4 inch)so that it will slide easily. Handles on the inner piece keep it from going all the way through and are handy for moving it. If you want to wall mount it, put a wider piece on the back side and fasten the two outer layers to it (spaced to let the inner piece slide). You can then screw the wider piece to the wall. The same sort of gate can be used to change to a smaller hose size (big size on one side of the gate, small hose on the other).

Jim

**lcm1947** · 09-11-2005, 06:43 PM

I'll tell you my setup although it's not the best but until I get around to plumbing everything 6" which I may never get around to this is what I came up with. After a year of switching hoses and moving the tools around to the DC or the CD around to the tool I just yesterday decided to try something different. I placed the DC in the center of my garage and situated the tools around it to where their ports are facing the center/DC. I have bought enough hose and end pieces to where each tool has it's own hose and stays on each tool. That way I'm only moving the DC around and it basically only involves rotating it around. It's much easier and quicker. I have the quick connect kind of hose ends for each tool to where I only have to slip the hoses onto the DC. The tool end of the hose stays on the individual tool. I just use the cheap black hose as it's the only hose that will work with the quick connect adapters or this is what I've read. If smooth hose would work then I'd certainly switch to that for the improved air flow. Anyway, that's what I've done and after working all day today out there it is really really much quicker and easier. Seems I have to use every single tool when I do anything anymore so I had to do something. Anyway, not the best setup I know but it works for me at least for now. Oh, yeah I have the shortest possibe lenghts of hose on each tool also and nothing is longer then 5 ft except the Shark Guard hose and that's the only 2 1/2 " hose I use also. I read somewhere that with the HF DC and using the cheap black hose that in order for you to have enough CF that particular hose couldn't be longer then 5 ft. Anyway, that's what I'm going by. Good luck and please let us ( me )know if you come up with something better. I'd be interested.

**ironhat** · 09-13-2005, 02:27 PM

As you can see there a lot of room for variation in DC setup, but that's a good thing. I was paralyzed with fear of doing it wrong until I *just did it* - right or wrong. Regarding the use 2.25" hose on a 4" line, all you need to do to prevent air starvation of the vacuum is to open another port about half way. You mention an already crowded shop. Have you thought of locating the DC on the other side of the shop wall?? In another garage bay, perhaps, and plumbing the line thru the wall (I did this)- noise and dust outside of my shop. Yes, I lose a bit of heat in the winter but I keep the run-time down to a minimum. Regarding a biscuit cutter, I use a floor sweep fitting and temporarily attach it to the edge of the work bench when routing, sanding and buscuiting (?) and it gets most of the mess. I'm planning on a bandsaw and following others prescription, I'll be putting a 4" PVC flange thru the backof the bottom of the cabinet. I haven't found anything good for the disc sander but I lay the hose close to the dust stream an it helps. I saw (wish I'd saved) a pic of a piece of 4" PVC which had about a 90* section removed from its length and slipped over the bottom of the belt and some homemade mounting brackets hole it in place. One end had an endcap and the other accepted the hose. There is a screw-on attach for the chip discharge of the jointer - works great. Lastly, the bag tha comes with the DC is usually pretty porous - 30 microns - and has to 'season' before it works better both in terms of suction and filtration. You can quicken the process by using a can of PAM (use the cheap imitation) and coat the inside of the bags a couple of times. Definitely do the pre-separator - buy a top from Penn Industries or make one out of any kind of drum. Just remember the basics that everyone else has told you so far and you're in.

**vrbradley** · 09-13-2005, 09:06 PM

Thaks fo all your help, I will try and use it wisely...

**Popeye** · 09-14-2005, 01:08 AM

Lets just say I'm "in progress" mode. http://bt3gallery.fhauto.com/view_al...umName=album15
Hopefully I'll have the system up and running by this evening or maybe tomorrow.
I'm using 4" thin wall pvc sewer pipe. Takes alot of jury rigging to get connections made. Some of it agravating but as the kids say "it's all good".
The seperator comes from plans in Shop Notes. Pat

**vaking** · 09-16-2005, 11:59 AM

Pat,
Saw pictures of your DC network. Very nice work. One question:
I have never seen this type of separator - all I saw earlier were hood cyclone type like LeeValley sells. Did you come up with design yourself or got somewhere? Is there any data how it works? It is a logical design, easier to make than cyclone, etc. The only question - how much pressure does it loose, how does it perform compared to cyclone?
Thanks,

Dust Collection

Dust Collection

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