It sounds as if you have a 2 car garage. If so, really think about a layout that will allow you to minimize the need to move tools. You mentioned an alcove that sounds as if you could almost have your main tools in a location that works for most woodworking. If it is a 2 car garage, I would keep my car outside in order to keep the tools in a good location. Keep them well away from the second bay and have your "tool parking plan" if your car needs to come in.
I have a 2 hp Bridgewood DC. I am lucky to have the breaker box in the garage, and plenty of spare slots, so 220 receptacles are possible for me. I can't remember the manufacturer's claimed CFM off the top of my head, but it was definitly big enough to handle the piping. Over 1000, I think around 1200-1250. I don't have the tools to measure actual airflow, but can annecdotedly say that it is more than sufficient. And remember that the manufacturer's claims may be higher than your actual results.
The shop is a 1 car garage. I have my band saw and table saw against 1 wall. If someone were cutting on each machine, the 2 would be facing each other. Standing at the table saw, the router table is behind you, agains the same side wall. The DC would be behind you when you are cutting at the bandsaw. That all lines the left wall of my 1 car garage as you walk in from the garage door. It starts with the DC, and ends with the router table. A 6" pipe goes up the wall at floor level for these. There is a wye for a branch between the 2 saws that runs a 6" pvc the same width as the table saw. From there, I have 2 flex pipes that attach to the thickness planer and jointer. When I am not using these, the hoses are typically disconnected and the tools rolled against the back wall. When in use, I connect the hoses as if they were permanent. All table heights are the same, so they work well as in/out feeds. For wider boards, I roll the tool away from the wall. Honestly, that doesn't happen much. The real trick was to line the band saw blade with the table saw blade for longer boards. Often, however, I simply angle the table saw enough to pass to the side of the bandsaw blade.
Immediately after the above mentioned wye is another one, with the branch going up. (There are gates at all upstream sections of the wyes to close them off immediatly) I cut a hole in a 45 degree bend to accept a 4" flex hose connector and glued that in place. This is the section for the table saw. After the bend, there is a 6x4 reducer to run up for a shark guard. Continuing straight from this wye takes you to the router table.
Currently my longest 6" PVC run is about 15'. That does not count the overhead section for the shark guard, which is 4". From the dust collector, there is about a 30" section, then the 1st wye for between the saws. The table saw has about 7' of 6" PVC to the 4' flex for the saw base, with an 8' run of 4" overhead to a 2 1/2" flex down from the deiling for the shark guard. That flex is maybe 5' long. There is a gate on each of these. On the 4" because I had an extra, on the shark guard run because I don't always use it (for example on dados). The longest run goes to the router table. It has an end cap that I drilled 2 holes in, and glued a 4" and a 2 1/2" flex hose coupler into. The 4" goes under the router table, and the 2 1/2" to the fence. A gate on both allows me to adjust flow, or not even use one. I do have to vent someplace if I just use the small section. Currently this 2 1/2" hose is a full 10' length, but only because I don't want to cut it yet. This is the only place where I didn't minimize the flex length. If I was not happy with the results I get I would have shortened the length.
My overall setup allows me to roll the tools to storage locations and put a car in if I want. I would just have to take off the 3' section of pipe between the saws. It is all slipped together, so that is easy. Fortunatly I don't often put the car in there, so I can remain set up. The wife's car has only been in there twice in 3 years. Once when we first moved in, a second time just to see if it could be done after adding the tools.
Karl
I have a 2 hp Bridgewood DC. I am lucky to have the breaker box in the garage, and plenty of spare slots, so 220 receptacles are possible for me. I can't remember the manufacturer's claimed CFM off the top of my head, but it was definitly big enough to handle the piping. Over 1000, I think around 1200-1250. I don't have the tools to measure actual airflow, but can annecdotedly say that it is more than sufficient. And remember that the manufacturer's claims may be higher than your actual results.
The shop is a 1 car garage. I have my band saw and table saw against 1 wall. If someone were cutting on each machine, the 2 would be facing each other. Standing at the table saw, the router table is behind you, agains the same side wall. The DC would be behind you when you are cutting at the bandsaw. That all lines the left wall of my 1 car garage as you walk in from the garage door. It starts with the DC, and ends with the router table. A 6" pipe goes up the wall at floor level for these. There is a wye for a branch between the 2 saws that runs a 6" pvc the same width as the table saw. From there, I have 2 flex pipes that attach to the thickness planer and jointer. When I am not using these, the hoses are typically disconnected and the tools rolled against the back wall. When in use, I connect the hoses as if they were permanent. All table heights are the same, so they work well as in/out feeds. For wider boards, I roll the tool away from the wall. Honestly, that doesn't happen much. The real trick was to line the band saw blade with the table saw blade for longer boards. Often, however, I simply angle the table saw enough to pass to the side of the bandsaw blade.
Immediately after the above mentioned wye is another one, with the branch going up. (There are gates at all upstream sections of the wyes to close them off immediatly) I cut a hole in a 45 degree bend to accept a 4" flex hose connector and glued that in place. This is the section for the table saw. After the bend, there is a 6x4 reducer to run up for a shark guard. Continuing straight from this wye takes you to the router table.
Currently my longest 6" PVC run is about 15'. That does not count the overhead section for the shark guard, which is 4". From the dust collector, there is about a 30" section, then the 1st wye for between the saws. The table saw has about 7' of 6" PVC to the 4' flex for the saw base, with an 8' run of 4" overhead to a 2 1/2" flex down from the deiling for the shark guard. That flex is maybe 5' long. There is a gate on each of these. On the 4" because I had an extra, on the shark guard run because I don't always use it (for example on dados). The longest run goes to the router table. It has an end cap that I drilled 2 holes in, and glued a 4" and a 2 1/2" flex hose coupler into. The 4" goes under the router table, and the 2 1/2" to the fence. A gate on both allows me to adjust flow, or not even use one. I do have to vent someplace if I just use the small section. Currently this 2 1/2" hose is a full 10' length, but only because I don't want to cut it yet. This is the only place where I didn't minimize the flex length. If I was not happy with the results I get I would have shortened the length.
My overall setup allows me to roll the tools to storage locations and put a car in if I want. I would just have to take off the 3' section of pipe between the saws. It is all slipped together, so that is easy. Fortunatly I don't often put the car in there, so I can remain set up. The wife's car has only been in there twice in 3 years. Once when we first moved in, a second time just to see if it could be done after adding the tools.
Karl
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