Dust Collection Noob

[dpm99]

All guitar building is on hold for me for the next month. We've moved out of our rental house, and are temporarily in an apartment while we try to close escrow as first time home buyers. In the meantime, I'm trying to plan out dust collection in my new shop. If we end up in the house we're in escrow for now, it will be half of an oversized garage (12X22 maybe?). I'll be putting up a temporary wall across the middle of the garage, and another in place of the garage door, with an air conditioner.

I've lived without dust collection so far. I use a respirator and clean up with a shop vac, or I just work outside. I want to step it up. I just don't know anything about this stuff, and was hoping somebody could point me toward some basic information on what I need to do. Since I'm building temporary walls, I can run pipes and vents wherever I want. I just have no idea what to do, or even what I need in a dust collector.

Can anybody get me started?

[demonx]

I just use a trolley type (on wheels) and then drag it to whatever machine I want to throw the hose onto. The things that I use it with are all close together so it rarely moves and just sits there.

Mine is just the older model of this but basically the same thing:

I find that with only one hose attached it has much more suction. I bought it with the intention of running multiple hoses but ended out just leaving the cap on the second port and keeping it as a single hose setup. It's no big deal moving the hose, only take a second.

[westhemann]

I have been thinking about the same thing lately.Right now I work outdoors but i want to dedicate an area for woodwork,but I was just going to buy a whole army of mini shop vacs and build attachments to the work area of every tool.I can't afford high dollar dust collection and I think shop vacs with good filters are pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Vac-2021000-Micro-Wet-Dry/dp/B004UQVQ0I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1333279498&sr=8-3

I was going to get one of these too just for the air.Now I do realize that the price of this is the same as the price of the big vac demonx posted,but I want less cumbersome stuff to move around.This one hangs from the ceiling and just catches what the shop vac will miss

http://www.amazon.com/708620B-AFS-1000B-Filtration-Electrostatic-Pre-Filter/dp/B00004R9LO/ref=sr_1_24?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1333279686&sr=1-24

[dpm99]

I wonder how much power is necessary. The 1HP ones aren't so expensive. Anybody know?

[westhemann]

1.21 jigawatts.

[MiKro]

I would suggest first with shop layout. Try this at grizzly for that.Grizzly shop layout interactive

Next for a bandsaw, table saw, planer and drum sander a minimum of a 1.5 HP dust collector is recommended. The 1 hp are just not strong enough to move anything at a constant volume. They need to move bout 1200cfm or more for these tools. Especially if you are going to neck down from 4" pipe to 2.5 pipe you will choke the system down. If you really need something for 2.5inch pipe a good shop vac is far superior to the dust collector. Make sure yo get a large collection size shop vac though. 10 to 15 gallon. Disadvantage of this is you must clean the filter often

Also check with Penn State for help on a dust collection system and setup. Penn State

That would be the first start on this.

MK

[westhemann]

That is a really cool shop layout tool

[HuntinDoug]

I have 3 main areas in my home shop (I live in a tri-level). I have 2 dust collection systems, and a ventilation system for my laser. For the main shop (garage) area I use this: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html It's inexpensive, mobile, and has worked well.

For the basement area where the CNC's are, I ran a 1 1/2" PVC system that collects in a shop vac in the garage. Coupled with one of these: http://www.oneida-air.com/inventoryD.asp?item_no=AXD001004&CatId={428A1AFA-E859-459E-8BF9-47817428D9AF} It also works quite well.

The laser is in the office area in the lower level. I use a motor similar to the HF dust collector for ventilation. It is housed outside in a 2 part plastic dog house with a chimney stack. It's nice because in the basement and the lower levels you don't have to listen to the noise from the motors.

[masterblastor]

I was going to get one of these too just for the air.Now I do realize that the price of this is the same as the price of the big vac demonx posted,but I want less cumbersome stuff to move around.This one hangs from the ceiling and just catches what the shop vac will miss

http://www.amazon.com/708620B-AFS-1000B-Filtration-Electrostatic-Pre-Filter/dp/B00004R9LO/ref=sr_1_24?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1333279686&sr=1-24

PM me your email address. I have plans for on that can be built for around $30 - $40 in parts. I'll send them over.

[RestorationAD]

I use one of these http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html as well and am planning on getting a filtration system. (I have now pm'd masterblaster about plans to build my own).

I also have another smaller one for the other side of the shop but I stopped using it because the 5 micron bag lets too much dust in to the air.

Try and get a 1 micron bag if you can as it will be a lot better in the long run.

Remember Dust collectors work on negative air pressure so they need bigger pipes to move more air. They are not shop vacs in that sense....

I use mine for everything.

[demonx]

After reading mirko's comment I checked mine yesterday, it's a 2hp.

It's served me well and will continue to serve but it'd be handy if it had a little more grunt. Does get the job done though.

Mine looks exactly the same as the link RAD posted except white and all white bags. Mine is Ledacraft brand but it's not on their website anymore.

Most of these things are all the same but rebranded. Grizzly/Leda same **** different country.

[dpm99]

I think you guys have sold me on the HF model. Can't beat the price. I love that shop designer too. I think I'm getting closer.

[demonx]

If you go that route, remember the hose is damn expensive and so are the hose clamps. I don't even tighten the hose clamps as I'm always moving the thing around.

In that layout, I'd not have the dust extractor in the corner, I'd probably swap it around with the drill press so that you won't have to move it and you can just pull the hose across to whichever machine you are using.

I know mine gets used a lot more than the drill press does.

[dpm99]

Good point. Like I said - noob. This is the stuff you want, right?

http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D4217-4-Inch-20-Foot-Hose/dp/B005W17RD0

[demonx]

Just something sturdy and preferably with the wire reinforcement so you don't have to buy it ever again.

You don't want too long as you will loose suction. I think when I bought mine years ago the sales guy suggested any longer than two or three meters is too long

I've also got a couple different adapters do I can put it onto my router and bobbin sander etc. The router I use an old vacuum cleaner end that I got for a couple dollars from the vacuum shop.