Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Planning for dust collection
John Crissman
>The other day SWMBO said, "In our next home you will have a dust collection system!"
As one can imagine, this was great news to me, because my current system is a couple of brooms and dustpans.
So, what should I look for in a dust collection system? Aside from price, my biggest concern in noise.
Thanks- John
Re: Planning for dust collection
Bert Workman
>John,
I was just like you until two weeks ago. My wife was done with the dust and said "get a system!" I picked up the jet 650 cfm model with the canister style filter and the plastic bags underneath. Wow, what a difference!
As for the noise, it is a bit bothersom. But the way I'm set up(temporarily)the DC is right next to the lathe. But it still isn't as loud as a shop vac. I put a 'y' splitter on the unit with two gates - one to the lathe collector and the other just has a hose. Sanding just isn't a problem any more. The air stays clear and my whife has quit complaining. And now when I'm done for the day I just switch the flow gates and use the other hose to suck up all the shavings.
My only regret is that I waited so long to get something.
Good luck,
Bert
Re: Planning for dust collection
Tony - Memphis
>I guess the noise is pretty subjective. I have a small shop (16x20) with the Delta 850 model and it doesn't bother me. Actually, between the hum of the air cleaner and the ac fan, its hard to tell if it is on sometimes. The biggest clue is the dimming of the lights when it starts!
Tony
Re: Planning for dust collection
Fog Tanner
>I have a Jet bag type which I use for some small hand sanding projects. Its basicly useless for any powered machines. I bought a 2hp Oneida system for all my powered use. It is quieter than the bag types, but still noisy. I located it close to the lathe or the other way around, to get the max air flow. I could put a muffler on the exhaust or just crank up the radio.
The best thing to do is go to the library and check out some books on dust collection. They have the pros and cons of each type. I bought one of the books and went over all the different types. I checked out some more and they all had the same conclusions, the best was the cyclone system and having used the bag type I agree.
If you go with the cyclone, like the Onedia, plan on running metal ductwork. This has a lot higher airflow than PVC and is no harder to run. The PVC elbows were not designed to carry air and have tight bends, where you can get large radius in the metal. You can also find some resources that will get into the grafs of airflow through the various pipe, including the correct size for the airflow/suction. Bigger is not always better. When I bought my Onedia unit, I provided them with a layout of my show, and they send me diagrams of the differnt runs and correct pipe sizes. I have 7", 6", 5", 4", depending on where the machine is located and what it is. The drill press has 4" while the table saw has 5". The band saw has both 5" and 2" off of a wye. And you will need blast gates on all the machines you hook up. And don't forget the floor sweep next to the lathe. There are some online sites that have calculators that will help, but it will take you a little time to figure out all the runs.
Do a lot of reasearch from differnt resoures. Its just like cars. If you drive a Ford, Chevys are dogmeat and if you drive a Chevy, you wouldn't have a Ford on a bet. I've had both Ford and Chevy - and even a Dodge - and I prefer a Ford. I've got both the bag type and the cyclone and prefer the cyclone - it does the best job for me. But, again that's personal preference.
Good luck on your research, its frustrating but you will be a lot healther for it.
Fog
Re: Planning for dust collection
John Crissman
>Thanks for all of the responses! I look forward to having a clean shop... one of these days.
John
Re: Planning for dust collection
David Galloway
>I would recommend some kind of cyclone, like the Oneida, although there are other choices. See the following site for the best info on the web: www.billpentz.com. Use that and go to the dust collection section. Bill has done an amazing amount of research. Enjoy the fruits of his labor. He changed my perspective from capturing chips to collecting SMALL dust, which is the real health culprit. Good luck.
DAvid Galloway
Re: Planning for dust collection
Peter Teubel
>When I'm sanding, I have alot of noise to content with....lathe, drill, dust collector, ambient air cleaner, and the compressor cycling every now and then.
My solution? Peltor WorkTunes headphones. Muffles all the noise and provides good music.
Re: Planning for dust collection
Whit
>I haved a Delta 2 HP dust collection sytem plumbed throughout the shop. 5" hoses, etc. I built a dust pick-up which I position as near the piece I'm sanding as possible. It collects nearly all the sanding dust produced.
Initially, I tried to collect shavings as they came off the lathe but they come off at all sorts of angles. Nothing worked so I bagged it. It's easier to shovel the shavings into a trash bag anyway. That way I don't have to empty the 50 gal barrel the dust collector (heavy) sits on very often.
Almost no dust gets upstairs from my basement shop. Wife's happy. I'm happy.
A final thought about dust collection. It's like the old story about taking a journey and each step gets you 1/2 of the remaining distance to the destination. How long will it take to get there? Answer: You'll never get there.
Whit