# Dust collection disaster



## Dewood (Jun 22, 2014)

Today while running some veneers through my drum sander I realize the air was filling with dust. I looked up at my ductwork, followed it to the dust collector and realized the top of the canister style filter had opened up and was spewing dust and shavings everywhere.boy what a mess.I have glued it back on with liquid nails, we'll see if that holds it.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

If the filter is coming apart it may be time to replace it.


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## fire65 (Apr 27, 2013)

Yes that is a disaster. LOL. I thought the damn thing blew up.


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## Dewood (Jun 22, 2014)

Gary Beasley said:


> If the filter is coming apart it may be time to replace it.


Funny thing is the filter did this just a few weeks after instalation. It looked like it wasn't sealed up correctly. I sealed up the seperated area. Today the opposite side blew out. I probably have about 40 hours on the filter and knock the dust off the interior daily. I will order a new one and see if my performance increases.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

If it's that new I'd be talking to them about a refund on it.


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

Dewood said:


> Funny thing is the filter did this just a few weeks after instalation. It looked like it wasn't sealed up correctly. I sealed up the seperated area. Today the opposite side blew out. I probably have about 40 hours on the filter and knock the dust off the interior daily. I will order a new one and see if my performance increases.


Sounds like there is something else going on. Filter canisters last a long time. 

How about some more information about your system, the installer, canister size, etc. Maybe the canister can't handle the CFM your DC is putting out.

If you had your dust collection system put in as a turnkey system, you should be asking the installer about the problem.

If not, you should be looking at your design calculations. 

Eric


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## pjwood (Nov 19, 2014)

We made a pretty efficient air filter by duck taping five 20” by 20” air filters as 5 sides of a cube and fitting the fan part of an old stand fan in the sixth side. We simply cut scraps of plywood to match the curvature of the fan to the missing square. 

The fan is running on low speed (no noise), the resistance to air flow is low, and the surface of the filter is enormous (2000 square inch!). The contraction is hanging from our ceiling above the wood stove, so not only it filters the air, it also distributes the heat. When the filters are too dirty we just get 5 news ones and reassemble the “cube”. 

The amount of thin dust caught is amazing!


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## Dewood (Jun 22, 2014)

ORBlackFZ1 said:


> Sounds like there is something else going on. Filter canisters last a long time.
> 
> How about some more information about your system, the installer, canister size, etc. Maybe the canister can't handle the CFM your DC is putting out.
> 
> ...


I have a Pennstate 2 hp unit and the filter is matched to the unit by Pennstate. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/DC2000B.html

I cleaned the filter with compressed air from the outside blowing to the interior. I can see pleanty of light threw the filter so I sealed the top back on with silacone and secured a ratchiting cargo strap over the top. I'm back in business and air flow is very good.


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## Dewood (Jun 22, 2014)

pjwood said:


> We made a pretty efficient air filter by duck taping five 20” by 20” air filters as 5 sides of a cube and fitting the fan part of an old stand fan in the sixth side. We simply cut scraps of plywood to match the curvature of the fan to the missing square.
> 
> The fan is running on low speed (no noise), the resistance to air flow is low, and the surface of the filter is enormous (2000 square inch!). The contraction is hanging from our ceiling above the wood stove, so not only it filters the air, it also distributes the heat. When the filters are too dirty we just get 5 news ones and reassemble the “cube”.
> 
> The amount of thin dust caught is amazing!


I like your idea, thanks.


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

Dewood said:


> I have a Pennstate 2 hp unit and the filter is matched to the unit by Pennstate. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/DC2000B.html
> 
> I cleaned the filter with compressed air from the outside blowing to the interior. I can see pleanty of light threw the filter so I sealed the top back on with silacone and secured a ratchiting cargo strap over the top. I'm back in business and air flow is very good.


You may be "back in business" for now, but what about 40 hours from now? Have you contacted Penn State yet? I would be interested in hearing about their response.

Eric


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## Woodenhorse (May 24, 2011)

Several years ago I worked in a facility with a very large industrial multi stage dust collector. We had it housed in a sound proof room to cut down on noise and when you entered the shop you had to turn it on before you could operate any machinery. When it was down for maintenance there was a lockout on the switch to avoid "accidents". Well, one day the maintenance man was cleaning the system and forgot to lockout the power switch. The unit blasted open the doors on the soundproof room and filled a 42,000 sq. ft. space with sawdust to the point of suffocation. The maintenance guy damn near wet his pants and came out looking like he came out of a flour mill explosion and exclaimed, "It's a big mess now!" It took two weeks to clean up most of the mess and years later we were still finding pockets of dust in cracks and crevaces.


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