Should I side flip my HF DC impeller?

[dbhost]

As you may, or may not know I have the HF 2HP DC with the Wynn canister filter, and a 55 gallon drum based, side inlet Thien cyclone. My shop is in the middle of a MAJOR remodel that is presently stalled due to a broken truck, but I digress.

Due to my recent upgrades, and failing to account for space used for plugs, I now have insufficient space to put my DC back in place in the position it was in.

So I need to consolidate the space, which is okay, that will help me straighten hose runs, and eliminate some hose...

Now I have seen more than a few of these rigs where the DC is taken off the stand, and basically the impeller is flipped, such that the outlet of the impeller housing shoots straight into the inlet of the separator ring, and the whole shebang is mouned on the wall, or a custom made cart.

I am considering doing that, and wall mounting it because, well in all honesty, I have no intent to move the DC, ever.

However due to the orientation of the wall, DC, and ductwork where I want it, I would need to rotate the motor / mounting brackets so that they are along the side the impeller blows out of.

Can anyone tell me how to rotate this? Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble?

My idea is once I get the drywall up and painted, I am going to simply attach plywood to the wall there, and mount the whole shebang there with a simple cleat along the back wall to mount the ring to so that it is supported on 2 sides. Once that is mounted up, the separator gets connected below, and the ducts get installed...

So am I on to a good idea or am I about to make a big mistake?

A quick Sketchup of what I am talking about.


http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...9&prevstart=24

[worcmedic]

Is that the DC, HF has on sale for like $150?
I was looking at that and was curious how good it worked. I have a few HF items due to the fact of being disabled and on a fixed income.

I was at HD yesterday and noticed a Rigid SP on sale for only $259 compared to the regular price of $400 and is comparable to the DeWalt but with better reviews.

[dbhost]

Yes, that is the DC HF sells for $150.00 on sale. I have had mine now for I guess 3 years or so. Been fine...

Never knew Ridgid had one. I have seen guys paint HF DCs and put Ridgid logos on them... but never a genuine one... You mean a shop vac? That's a totally different animal.

[worcmedic]

Sorry, I was a little off topic. The SP was a Rigid Surface Planer or thickness planer, depending who you are talking to. Sorry for the confusion. From your review, I guess a HF DC will be in the works.

[dbhost]

No worries. I would strongly suggest you spend some extra $$ and get either a 1 micron bag filter as a minimum, or a 1 micron or better canister. The most recommended canister filter is the Wynn 35A. I got the spun bond poly which is a little spendy, but it is also what they consider a liftetime filter... I just tap on it and blow it out every now and again and it is like new...

[atgcpaul]

I don't see how you could go wrong with this setup. I've seen it done several times on other forums. The major difference is that the impeller hangs down rather than sits vertical. Not sure if this makes a difference to the bearings.

I also saw on a cyclone how there were two destaco clamps that moved the trash can lid up and down an inch so you could slide the bin out rather than having to muscle it out.

I would do this with my own HF DC but I can't make up my mind on the piping. Oh yeah, and then there's the mess, too....

[Dal300]

I waited to reply on this until I could get to HF and check out the 2HP unit. (I have the 1HP unit).

The manager and I got to looking at the motor and I asked if the bearing was rated for end load.

We took it apart, (He and I do a lot of that), looked at it and determined it isn't capable of sustaining the entire armature and the impeller long term. It's a pretty cheaply made bearing about the size of an inline skate bearing.

If it were me I would look for an upgrade version of that end bearing and replace the OEM.

The plus with that is that you'll achieve a closer tolerance and less side play, causing less wear in the long run.