dust collector setup

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  • durango dude
    Senior Member
    • Mar 2011
    • 934
    • a thousand or so feet above insanity
    • 50s vintage Craftsman Contractor Saw

    dust collector setup

    I decided to grab the Rikon 60-100 at Woodcraft, today. It was the last one - and I love Rikon's warranty. They have not let me down, yet (3 pieces).

    Question - I have the collector ---- what's the best way to set up?

    I'm thinking of just grabbing some vacuum hose from Rockler (something they do pretty well).

  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2
    Are you intending on making it a one machine DC for specifically (i.e. the TS) on a more or less permanent arrangement? Or are you planning to move the hose from machine to machine? Or are you planning to have some kind of manifold and gate arrangement connected to multiple tools?
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment

    • mpc
      Senior Member
      • Feb 2005
      • 979
      • Cypress, CA, USA.
      • BT3000 orig 13amp model

      #3
      That is a 1HP collector, right? So it would not handle long runs of permanent ducting really well - the drag/losses in piping would reduce the airflow (CFM) too much. I had a Delta unit of similar capability until recently (model 50-720). I used a double-length flex hose on the floor with a quick-connect at the end. It worked well for actual dust collection but was somewhat of a nuisance especially when I needed to switch to a different tool for a moment. And the hose was always in the way of my roll-around tool stands. A straight section of hard piping to get close to the tool area is better than a long section of flex tubing.

      For Rockler and Woodcraft dust collection hose and fittings: compare them before picking one. Their basic 4 inch hoses use opposite direction spirals so the fittings that thread into the hose are incompatible between the two companies. At least they were years ago when I last checked. I ended up standardizing on Woodcraft hoses (simply because I happened to buy a Woodcraft hose first before I knew of the differences) and threaded fittings. Press-fit fittings are interchangeable I believe. Compare their spiral-winding directions to other places that sell dust collection fittings/accessories to see what is/isn't compatible on the market.

      One thing I did find is the higher priced flex hose from Woodcraft is much more durable than the cheaper almost-clear stuff with silver wire sold at Woodcraft. The cheaper stuff tended to fail along the wire... so the wire no longer did its job keeping the hose from collapsing under suction. The higher-priced stuff has more of a copper color and lasted far longer - I'm still using it today with my new setup as the final link to each tool. It has more of a sticky/gooey feel to it when handing it though... ick. I don't know how durable Rockler's hoses are; I never tried them.

      I've since upgraded to a Laguna cyclone - the largest one they sell that works on 120 volts. I used HVAC ducting to make a couple of runs in my shop and it seems to be working well enough; I have blast gates at each tool and only one is open at a time. Some Internet sites claim cheap HVAC ductwork will collapse under suction loads. I bought a length of 30 gauge and tried it with my collector, capping the end to maximize the vacuum level. It held up just fine, even when I smacked it a bit to see if it was on the verge of failure. That Internet fear probably applies to 5HP and larger collection machines but not to the 1 to 2 HP units. HVAC ductwork is also available in 26 gauge which is what I ended up using for a little extra strength. Note that some "real" dust collector piping is in fact 26 gauge too... so I'm quite comfortable that my setup will be plenty durable enough. Normal HVAC wye fittings are backwards for dust collector use in that the crimped end (that goes inside the next pipe) ends up facing "upstream" so it'd catch the sawdust. A type of wye sold as a "flue wye" (intended to join exhaust from two sources into one external vent pipe) has crimped ends compatible with dust collection and that's what I used. The MasterFlow ones sold by Borg leak a bit, the joint at the Y is pretty sloppy so it needs a tape wrap but otherwise works fine. A lot cheaper than true dust collector piping. 26 gauge HVAC ducting is probably more expensive than PVC or sewer-and-drain pipe though. I used to get some static zaps with the regular flex hose - annoying - which is why I went with HVAC over PVC/SD. I wasn't worried about the Internet stories of static electricity causing explosions in dust collection systems; I just got tired of static electricity zapping me. Metal ductwork grounds easily; grounding plastic requires a little extra work.

      When placing the unit, think about where the hose will be laying and where the bag exhaust airflow goes - you don't want it blasting your primary work bench/area with <5 micron dust particles. For that matter, even if it captures all the dust, you still don't want it blowing air near your work area: that'll just stir up any dust laying about. I have a shop-made downdraft table for sanding and even with that some dust still gets airborne so I don't want something blowing it around the shop. I have Rikon's older (green) overhead filter unit; it's amazing how quickly the input filter gets caked in dust. Evidently there is still LOTS of dust floating around even when a decent dust collector is in use. Put your new dust collector on a separate electrical circuit from whatever power tool you'll be using; odds are you'd trip the circuit breaker if they're on the same circuit. Oh, get a remote control for it if it doesn't already have one! You'll be far more likely to use the dust collector for those "quick" jobs. I had the yellow iVAC unit that senses when a power tool is turned ON and then sends power to a shop vac or dust collector... mine lasted less than two years (of light use) with my shop vac. The one I had was rated at only 12 amps for the controlled tool which may not be enough "start up" amperage for a dust collector. Jet and others sell a radio frequency based remote unit that I used with my Delta. It comes with two remotes so you can "loose" one and keep working or keep them near two groups of tools for convenience. The receiver box had a normal length power cord so it acted like an extension cord for the dust collector - lets you position the collector a bit further from the wall than its own cord would allow. Some folks suggest putting dust collectors in a different room or in an add-on closet on the outside of your shop building; this way whatever fine dust gets through the bag ends up outside your shop... but this will pump heated/cooled air from your shop as well. It helps a TON with noise however.

      Tip for re-mounting the plastic collection bag:
      It takes four hands to re-mount the bag and get the large band clamp in position on many dust collectors. My Delta had loops at the top of the bag for the strap (like belt loops on pants) that helped but it was still a fight to get the stupid bag in position all the way around. Some Internet folks suggest using masking/painters tape to hold the bag in position while you futz with the large band clamp. That worked a little for me... but often the rim of the collector would get a fine layer of sawdust on it from sawdust remaining inside the fan area - dust that would float free as the unit wiggled during bag changes. Thus the tape wouldn't hold all that well. An idea I read about after I upgraded to the Laguna is to use magnets: epoxy rare earth magnets into a few wood blocks or drawer knobs - sounds quicker and far more effective than tape for holding the bag. When emptying the bag on your unit, smack/slap the upper fabric bag to dislodge some of the caked-on stuff and give it several minutes to drift down into the plastic bag. Tap/shake the metal part above the bag too - so that dust that has settled in the nooks and crannies falls into the bag. That's what would fall free as I fought the bag with my Delta... right in my face as I knelt down changing the bag.

      If the unit has room on the bottom shelf/floor, consider making a small basket or some other means of holding extra collection fittings and accessories. My Delta used metal panels on either side of the platform to support the motor+fan assembly so it had a storage closet of sorts. Really handy.

      mpc
      Last edited by mpc; 11-28-2020, 04:06 AM.

      Comment

      • capncarl
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 3564
        • Leesburg Georgia USA
        • SawStop CTS

        #4
        You will enjoy this new machine. Anything that helps control shop dust is a plus!

        I built and installed a Thein separator for my simular Delta unit and replaced the bag with a large pleated filter. This set up handled dust very well, cleaning bags were a thing of the past. The Thein collected all of the chips and most of the dust. It would collect for months between filter cleanings. My shop dust collector piping was 4” pvc. Like previous stated, this dust collector is not suited for a hard pipe shop. Using my set up with individual tools, as it was intended, with hoses did an adequate job. Hard piping, not so well.

        When I retired and started using my shop daily it became obvious very quickly that dust was winning the battle and my health was at risk. The 1hp Delta unit was replaced with a 5hp Clearview monster with jet engine like noise. That’s a whole different story.

        capncarl

        Comment

        • twistsol
          Veteran Member
          • Dec 2002
          • 2893
          • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
          • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

          #5
          Until I upgraded to a 3hp cyclone a few years ago I used the Rockler version of this. Looks similar but mine had lower CFM. I used the Rockler dust right collapsable hose and their quick connect handle and outlets for my 4 big machines. Rockler has improved their flex hose. The first clear version split after a few months of use. The newer Blue version is heavier and lasted years without any issues.

          I came into the shop one morning and found this.

          Split dustright hose
          Chr's
          __________
          An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
          A moral man does it.

          Comment

          • dbhost
            Slow and steady
            • Apr 2008
            • 9209
            • League City, Texas
            • Ryobi BT3100

            #6
            This is just me talking out of my ear, so take it for what it is worth, but as others have said, at the 1HP level you really don't have enough CFM to use that as a whole shop dust collector, but rather move it, and a hose, which should be kept as short as possible, from machine to machine.

            You might consider making a Thien Cyclone lid over a trash can of some and mounted up to a shop made cart that you can roll around. The Thien will help with your separation so you don't fill up / clog the bag so fast... Kind of a poor folks cyclone.

            The thing I like about rigs like that is if you have a garage workshop like me, you can roll the DC cart to the driveway and use things like the planer out there without the nasty echo you get in a small space, no spewing shavings to clean up, etc... An overall win.

            Good luck, and post up pics when you decide what to do about it.
            Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

            Comment


            • woodturner
              woodturner commented
              Editing a comment
              CFM is not directly or only a function of motor power - fan design affects it as well. Designers can trade off CFM and static pressure. One example is a shop vac - higher static pressure but low CFM,

              CFM is a measure of air flow - enough air flow is needed to keep dust and chips in suspension until they reach the collector.

              Static pressure is a measure of suction - enough suction is needed to extract the dust and chips from the machine and pull it all the way back to the collector.

              If unused ports are closed off when not in use and only one outlet is used at a time, 600 CFM and 6" or so of static pressure is enough.
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