More ponderings on DC plumbing setup.

[dbhost]

Dave, here's a picture of the LV blast gate test installation, as promised. How everything fits together should be self-explanatory.



Note how the threaded quick-disconnect hose end fitting fits into the white styrene straight coupler. Also, I confirmed that the LV gate and the 4" S&D pipe are a good size match: the gate slides right in, nice and snug, with no need for any duct tape (nor is there room for any).

Larry,

YOUR post, with the pic is the most helpful thing I have seen so far. THANKS!

I may regret doing it this way accounting to Bill Pentz, but I am going to do the 4" route. I am sure enough that the HF DC just isn't enough DC to make use of 6", and 5" is too hard to come accross except in metal, and my budget is nowhere near that... So 4" S&D it is...

It looks like aside from the screw in hose ends, the hose wye, the 4 to 2.5" reducers, and the blast gates, everything else comes from the plumbing department at my local BORG...

[Tom Miller]

For what it is worth the dust collector is rated at 1300 CFM with 5" metal pipe and not more then 10' of 5" flex. IF your main line is 4" flex and is more then 10' long you have cut the CFM down to about 700 CFM.

This is absolutely true. What varies is how that information gets used.

For me, I see it as: if I can't plumb 5" (or more) line all the way to the machine (including making a 5" dust port on the machine) then there's really no benefit to me plumbing a 5" main line. One BIG caveat: I'm only sucking from one machine at a time, which is the case for me now and into the foreseeable future.

One other point: If anyone is currently using 10' of 4" flex straight to the machine, IMO you could trade in 5' of that flex for 20' of 4" S&D plumbing. When I watch the planer chips follow the coil of my clear flex, I'm amazed at how much extra mileage they get in before they meet the big impeller.

Regards,
Tom

[dbhost]

This is absolutely true. What varies is how that information gets used.

For me, I see it as: if I can't plumb 5" (or more) line all the way to the machine (including making a 5" dust port on the machine) then there's really no benefit to me plumbing a 5" main line. One BIG caveat: I'm only sucking from one machine at a time, which is the case for me now and into the foreseeable future.

One other point: If anyone is currently using 10' of 4" flex straight to the machine, IMO you could trade in 5' of that flex for 20' of 4" S&D plumbing. When I watch the planer chips follow the coil of my clear flex, I'm amazed at how much extra mileage they get in before they meet the big impeller.

Regards,
Tom

That is something I learned with the Shop Vac setup. Use only as much flex as is absolutely necessary. Longer than you need just kills your flow. Also keeping your runs as straight as physically possible, or at least make your bends as gradually as possible, has HUGE benefits. I REALLY like that Stovepipe mod for BOTH reasons. It eliminates some flex line, and it smooths the curve somewhat...

[Tom Miller]

Not sure how much those hose couplers cost, but before they were available I made 'em on the cheap. You can see them in this ~2yr old thread. Scroll down ~1/2 way for my post.

Regards,
Tom
Hmmm, looking at that thread is some real deja-vu!

[LarryG]

Tom, the threaded couplers are on the order of five or six bucks each, IIRC. (Put another way: "Waaaaay too much for nine cents worth of plastic.") I bought them to use with the black plastic blast gates, with which they mate up perfectly. Ditto for any black plastic fitting that uses the standard, tapered flange (jointer hood, table saw hood, etc).

If I didn't already have them, I wouldn't buy them ... I'd just cram the end of the hose into the end of the white fitting, which works just as well. These days, the only place I really need the QD capability is for the two connections on my router table.

[dbhost]

Tom, the threaded couplers are on the order of five or six bucks each, IIRC. (Put another way: "Waaaaay too much for nine cents worth of plastic.") I bought them to use with the black plastic blast gates, with which they mate up perfectly. Ditto for any black plastic fitting that uses the standard, tapered flange (jointer hood, table saw hood, etc).

If I didn't already have them, I wouldn't buy them ... I'd just cram the end of the hose into the end of the white fitting, which works just as well. These days, the only place I really need the QD capability is for the two connections on my router table.

You are close. $4.99 a pop. If I don't need them, I would be better without them... I am not allergic to unscrewing clamps and sliding hoses off either... And I have a mess of 3.5 - 4.5" hose clamps in the shop...