Shopvac DC question

[mikeg]

dbhost, (and anybody else that is using a shopvac as a DC)

How long are your runs? I've got a small 13x16 shop that I share with the boiler, water softener, and well pressure tank. I've also got a doorway and a corner cut out of the room for a door so space is definitely at a premium. I'd like to get a true DC but since I already have the 16 gallon shopvac I figure I'd try to make it perform double duty, at least for now.

I currently roll my shopvac around but would rather have it set in one place with a setup similar to dbhost's including the Thein separator.

I can't forsee needing to run more than one machine at a time and, with the exception of my planer's 4 inch port, all of my tools are 2.5" or less. I have an adaptor for the planer and the shopvac keeps up with it.

I currently have my bt3100, a craftsman 16" scroll saw, a craftsman 10" bandsaw, a delta planer, a small rounter table, a ryobi cms, a ryobi drill press and some misc tools like sanders. I'd like to add a jointer to the mix at some point.


thanks,
mikeg

[dbhost]

I have experimented with shop vac DC, and I am VERY happy with it with the planer, and jointer, and until I got the BT3100 with the shark guard and belly pan, I was happy with it on my old table saw.

My runs are honestly too long. But I was kind of stuck having to go up and around a door opening.

I am in the process of redesigning / rearranging my shop so that it is all in the one bay of my garage where the DC is as well. I will have less than 18' total plastic tubing used, and the flex lines have already been cut as short as I can make them and still have them work.

By the way, sorry about the disjointed replies. I am fighting the flu this weekend... Several of my coworkers came into the office to share the bug last week, combined with a sudden hot then cold snap... So I may be quite a bit less than coherent...

I forgot to mention when I first posted this, my biggest problem with the system is air leaks. IF you use the Shop Vac Sawdust Collection system, or the Ridgid Clean Shop Network then you will definately want to put a wrap or two of tape around the outside of each joint...

Not sure what planer you have, I know you said Delta, but they have a lot of different models over the years... I know my Ryobi planer is serviced quite nicely by the shop vac... as is my Sunhill Jointer...

If it weren't for my Ridgid Sander, and my drill press, I probably could have simply added a second wet / dry vac to service the shark guard and been quite good... That Ridgid OSS when using the belt tends to shoot dust off of the belt faster than the shop vac can pick it up.

I would suggest that if you have a dedicated shop space, and it sound like you do, if possible, at that size, use a smaller DC on top of a Thien Cyclone. If you want a full size DC, I might suggest the Delta 50-760 if your budget allows. OR Do a Thien baffle in the inlet ring of a HF DC which is what a lot of guys do...

[LinuxRandal]

I hope Phil chimes in here.

I know his website (forum still up?) had several different Thien separators, I believe there was one powered by the head of the hf dust collector. There are also (or you could make) trash can dolly's, so you could increase the capacity of your collection for items such as the planer, when needed.

But I am going to have to watch this, as I have a friend, asking about setups, for a dough room, in a pizza parlor. (lots of flour)

[dbhost]

Yeah, Phil's site / forum are still up...

There is one design I saw on his site, where one of the little portable dust collectors was spun sideways and mounted on top of a trash can separator, with the exhuast feeding through an exterior wall... Not sure if it was an HF unit, or maybe a Penn State, just know it was red...

I kind of wonder if there is a way to mount up one of Wynn's other models to say that red HF portable DC set up like that...

I am working on trying to figure out how to take up the least floor space possible using both the shop vac, AND the DC both with Thien Cyclone Separators...

[cgallery]

Your runs can be quite long, you just have to (as dbhost points out) watch out for leaks. I am using the Rockler/Woodcraft type clear piping system and while I think it seals very well, it clearly does take a little work chasing down leaks as your system's complexity expands.

My piping is basically about 16' long. I Tee off with hose at several locations for my tools. Most of the hoses are about 3' or 4' long, except for the one that goes to the table saw/router table in which I used a Wye so one hose from the plastic pipe can handle both saw and router.

I use this system for my Ryobi 16-32 drum sander, my BT3000 and router table (combined), my Inca 8-5/8" jointer/planer, my Delta 7" bandsaw (BS150LS), and my Ridgid oscillating belt sander. I'm not doing anything at this time at my drill press (just broom), but will probably add collection over there sometime soon.

[mikeg]

A couple of you mentioned Phil's forum/website. Do you have a url for it?

thanks,
mikeg

[dbhost]

Phil's website...

Phil's forum.