dust`collector

[seeker]

I do wood working in a small garage, looking to get a dust collector what would you recommmend brand wise and size, i have a new bt3100 table saw, router, sander as my main dust makers.
thanks

[gmack5]

A lot of the guys have the HF unit. It has a relatively small foot print and does a fair job of catching the large chunks and a fair amount of the dust.

[BobSch]

The HF 2Hp with a Wynn cartridge conversion would work great.

[JR]

I think people end up with HF 2HP unit, or something similar, because it is thought this is the smallest size necessary for a permanent installation. The smaller 1 HP units are thought to be unable to pull chips and dust through long runs, although they'd be good if you moved the DC from tool to tool.

I used my shopvac for a long time, moving it from tool to tool. I found it to be always underfoot. The 2HP HF DC has a pretty big footprint, at about 2'x3', but can be tucked away in a corner with ducting conveniently plumbed overhead.

JR

[MikeC]

HF 2 HP unit works great for me.

[Knottscott]

Shop Fox, Grizzly, Penn State are just a few of the decent names in reasonably priced DC's. Of those, PSI is known to have the most realistic ratings. Most manufacturers grossly overstate the ratings.

[Tom Hintz]

seeker,
I have a review (link below) of the new Delta 50-760, 1 1/2HP DC that has a relativly small footprint but moves 1200CFM and filters down to 1 micron. I use this machine in my garage shop and have been amazed at how much cleaner my place is now. I only thought I was filtering the air before.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/d50-760rvu.html

[ironhat]

I got the Harbor Freight on sale a couple of years ago and plumbed it into some pvc - which I do NOT recommend. The DC works really well, especially with the pre-collector. I also set it up in the garage bay and plumbed it through the wall and place the switch on the shop side of the wall. Much much cleaner and more enjoyable working conditions (no coughing 'til I yak up a lung)! I wish that I had done this years ago!
Later,
Chiz

[gmack5]

Seeker, I owe you an apology.
I looked right at your post and the fact that you're brand-new to the group totally escaped my feeble brain.

Below is a proper welcome for someone that's just joined the ranks of BT3X00 owners.

Congratulations on the acquisition of your BT3100 and welcome to the "family".

One of the first things you need to do, after you get your BT3100 Saw assembled is, following your Owner's Manual, go thru the entire set-up proceedure, step by step, in the sequence laid out in the Manual. Each set up proceedure builds on the preceeding proceedure, so you MUST keep them in sequence.
Usually the Saw is set up properly, right out of the box, but you should still check it as this gets you familiar with all the adjustments on the saw and assures you that everything is as it should be.

Here's some free plans that'll take keep you busy for a while. http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/r...ex.php?cat=102

And here's some additional information about your Saw that you may find useful.

Regardless of what you've read or others have told you, NEVER use any wax or lubricant on your saw that contains Silicone, this includes all automobile waxes and polishes and most spray-on furniture polishes. The reason is simple, most of them contain Silicones and they will make your projects difficult to finish.
Silicones repell liquid, making "fish eyes" in your finishes, this will force you to remove the Silicones from your project and start over. That stuff (Silicone) migrates all over every where, don't ask me how, it just does.
If you put it in one place, eventually it will be all over the
entire saw. Your best bet is to use a "dry" lubricant, such as Teflon (PTFE), Powdered Graphite, or Candle Wax for the Raising/Lowering and Tilt mechanisms below the table top.
Then use either Johnson's Paste Wax, Minwax's "Finishing Wax" or Butcher's Wax on the working surfaces, table tops (All three of them) and the Rip Fence.
Do NOT Wax the Front and Rear rails or the Miter Fence. As a mater of fact, you may want to glue 220 grit sand-paper to the front face of the Miter Fence, cause you don't WANT things to slide on there.

You might also want to check out the "Articles" section on the www.BT3central.com site. Lots of good maintenance information on your saw and some of the Jigs and Fixtures that BT3Central members and others have designed for it. Located here: http://www.bt3central.com/articles/ The only thing you'll need to access the information is a recent copy of the Adobe Reader (It can be downloaded from the BTcentral site). One of the Articles mentioned is a "Check List", written by Jim Frye. You can find it here: https://www.sawdustzone.org/articles...nce-check-list

This list contains all the different areas on your saw that need to be periodically inspected or given some sort of special attention. In other words, a "Preventative Maintanence Check List" or PM. Performing this PM on a monthly basis would be a good idea. One of the other things you'll find there is an on-line copy of the User's Manual in downloadable pdf format (a handy thing to have).

Something you might think about is the use of a set of Draftsman's Triangles instead of the Carpenter's Square that they show in the Owner's Manual for setting up your saw.
An accurate Carpenter's Square is almost a myth!
A good one will cost you quite a bit of money, $40 - $75, or more. I would recommend that you consider using a pair of Draftsman's 30 -60 and 45 degree triangles instead. You'll find they're not near as expensive and are far more accurate than a run-of-the-mill Carpenter's Square. The 30 -60 triangle should have one 12" leg and the other leg would be 9" long. The 45 degree triangle should have at least 8" legs on either side of the 90 degree corner. That way either one can be put up against the side of the Saw Blade without touching the saw teeth.

One of the other "tricks" that I've discovered is to take a piece of "Wax" paper, fold it several times and rub it in the grooves that the "T" nuts that lock your Rails in place ride in. Makes the Rails move smooth as Butter.

Last, but not least, don't forget to paint the RED line!
It's a line that extends the line-of-sight from the saw blade to the front edge of the table to remind you NOT to let your Miter Fence or your FINGERS get in the way of the saw blade. Just put red paint, nail polish, or what ever, in the grove that extends towards the operator from the front edge of the saw blade.

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by ironhat

I got the Harbor Freight on sale a couple of years ago and plumbed it into some pvc - which I do NOT recommend.

Why do you not recommend the PVC ducting, Chiz?

[plarval]

Doesn't PVC ducting involve the whole static charge build-up issue? I've read many articles arguing that it does happen, and some that says it doesn't. There are cheap grounding kits that supposedly take care of it. I have the HF unit and love it, however, I don't use PVC. I just have a couple 10 ft lengths of pipe from their accessory kit I move around.