# HF Dust Collector With Cyclone Setup



## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

I thought I’d start a new thread for this. My original idea is contained in this thread in which I am not the OP. The purpose of this thread is just to document progress and seek advice where I’m unable to locate an answer elsewhere. 
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/brilliant-dumb-idea-163977/

After much input from the members here along with little luck (HF coupon showed up in my email), I decided to go with the HF 2HP system. My shop is 30x50 with 14ft walls and 12x12 doors on each end. My plan is to run 4” sewer pipe up in the rafters close to the edge of one side of the overhead doors. 








This pic is looking north. The piping will be run on the west side of the doors. There will be a bathroom in the NW corner of the shop. The dust collector will live south of the bathroom on the west wall. I have a super dust deputy coming and will be looking for ideas to set that up on the same platform as the rolling dust collector platform for ease of cleaning the shop. I have a couple of ideas but I’ll research that here among other places. More to come.


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## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

Well I checked this morning and found out that two items on my HF order are backordered. Those are the 4” clear dust collection hose and blast gates. I found some other options on eBay but I got to thinking... (Always dangerous and sometimes expensive. lol). My plan is to wye off the main line which will run the length of the shop beside the overheads so they don’t interfere with the doors:








I did some looking but didn’t find much. So my questions are these:
1- Should I come off the wye’s with 4” flex hose or reduce it down to the tool port size for the tools? My tools have to be mobile as our shop is multipurpose. They don’t have to move far but do have to move when we have something else going on out there. The hoses can hang when not connected to a tool. 
2- For the floor sweeps, should I stay with 4” pvc down the wall or reduce it down to 3”? I’m concerned about getting dust and debris up a 14’ wall through a 4” pipe. I don’t know if that will be an issue or not with a 2HP HF unit with the stock impeller. Another option is to run 4” pvc partially down the wall and then reduce down. This would allow me to stay with all 4” blast gates if I did the same with the tool drops. 
3- I’m looking at other options for blast gates. HF has the best price with decent reviews. eBay has some decent prices. Rockler is $$$. Im not sure about the quality of eBay blast gates. I’m open to any input y’all have here. Thanks in advance.


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

Andy, I have heard a lot of good things about the HF collector. About the only way, I might help you is to say get with one company for your flexible piping and connections. The reason is everything will fit together.


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## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

hawkeye10 said:


> Andy, I have heard a lot of good things about the HF collector. About the only way, I might help you is to say get with one company for your flexible piping and connections. The reason is everything will fit together.


Thank you. Anyone else?


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## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

I had a busy weekend! Here’s the setup (so far) as promised. Everything is in 4” sewer pvc. 









I put a ton of drops in just in case we change things up in the future. 


















The wife’s floor sweep. 


















Piping to the floor sweep by my bench. 









Bench floor sweep. The actual sweep will reside under my bench until it’s needed. The flex hose will rest on my bench and can be used to clean up the top of my bench. 









Question- what’s the best way to go from 4” sewer to dust collection ports like on my delta table saw?


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## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

Hmmmmmm...


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## Ron_J (Sep 22, 2014)

Not sure what size the ports on the saw are, but you can get rubber fernco couplers to almost every size.

Side note...that seems like a lot of length to pull dust. Will the 2hp system handle it?


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Good point, Ron. Even though I have one of the HF units and it works just fine for our 20x20 two-car garage/shop I would question it working in such a large operation. I've read that the 2HP unit is really closer to 1.5HP and it has a small impeller. A lot of folks swap it out for a larger impeller. Seems like I read the Rikon impeller fits and is a good bit larger. We only use one tool at a time with the DC connected and it's adequate for that load.

But I hope yours works well for you, Andy. One advantage you have over our simple set up is the rigid pipe. We're using one 20' flex hose to move around to each tool and that's not as efficient as your sewer piping.

David


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

okbear said:


> After much input from the members here along with little luck (HF coupon showed up in my email), I decided to go with the HF 2HP system. My shop is 30x50 with 14ft walls and 12x12 doors on each end. My plan is to run 4” sewer pipe up in the rafters close to the edge of one side of the overhead doors.


Very interesting....Sorry, but I have no experience with the HF unit. I do have lots of experience with my own wood shop dust collection since 2010. 

I don't find any mention of the type or size of the sawdust that you will be collecting. That is very important for determining your dust collection system. Jointers and surface planers with knives have more stringent requirements than ones with spiralhead cutters. Some table saws only need a high power vac, while others need a cyclone DC to minimize the dust. Bench top equipment (band saw, scroll saw, drill press, sanders, etc) can usually work well with a power vac. 

I use a Grizzly 2HP Cyclone for any equipment that has a 4" diameter port or larger. 

If the port is smaller than 4" diameter, I use a RIDGID 14 Gal. 6.0-Peak HP Wet Dry Vac https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-14-Gal-6-0-Peak-HP-Wet-Dry-Vac-WD1450/100081216

I also still have a broom and dustpan that gets used a lot after a session with my hand planes and/or chisels.

It took me, about six (6) years to figure out the correct dust collection methods for my equipment and shop. You can read about my trials and tribulations here: https://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/pipe-diameter-vs-performance-59625/

It looks like you are off to a good start with your shop dust collection.

Eric


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## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

Ron_J said:


> Not sure what size the ports on the saw are, but you can get rubber fernco couplers to almost every size.
> 
> Side note...that seems like a lot of length to pull dust. Will the 2hp system handle it?





difalkner said:


> Good point, Ron. Even though I have one of the HF units and it works just fine for our 20x20 two-car garage/shop I would question it working in such a large operation. I've read that the 2HP unit is really closer to 1.5HP and it has a small impeller. A lot of folks swap it out for a larger impeller. Seems like I read the Rikon impeller fits and is a good bit larger. We only use one tool at a time with the DC connected and it's adequate for that load.
> 
> But I hope yours works well for you, Andy. One advantage you have over our simple set up is the rigid pipe. We're using one 20' flex hose to move around to each tool and that's not as efficient as your sewer piping.
> 
> David


Thank you both for the responses. I considered the distance and wondered how effective it will be with the HF unit also. In the end, I decided that this is the piping I need for my shop. If I need to upgrade the impeller or even add another blower (like Stumpy Nubs did) or a different blower I will. I’m on the lookout for a used HF blower I can pick up cheap just in case. I’ve also seen the impeller mod vids and if I remember correctly it added 37ish percent suction at the inlet but maybe that’s optimistic... That’s definitely an option but they’re proud of that impeller! lol. I’ve tried to make my piping as air tight as possible and I’m on my second roll of foil tape! I just about have everything done as far as the piping goes. I’ll look into the fernco adaptors. I tried those to go from the dust deputy to the piping and I couldn’t find one that would work. Perhaps I’ll have better luck going from the sewer line to the dust ports. Again, thank you both for the input. It’s greatly appreciated!


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## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

One floor sweep done and working. It handles dust and small debris fine. This is on the north end of my shop. 




When I got everything sealed up and tested the sweep line by my bench (southeast corner of my shop) it would not take dirt chunks bigger than a quarter all the way up the wall. It handles dust and smaller debris fine, though. Overall, I’m happy it works as well as it does given the length of pipe. There’s definitely room for improvement and I’ll explore those options.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Looks like it works just fine. And it seems pretty quiet, as well. Ours is a lot louder in our little 20x20 shop with 8' ceiling.

David


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## okbear (Jun 3, 2018)

ORBlackFZ1 said:


> I don't find any mention of the type or size of the sawdust that you will be collecting. That is very important for determining your dust collection system.


Thanks for your input! Right now my power tools are limited to my table saw, miter saw and sander. I have a line on a jointer and some other tools that I may be able to pick up also. So most of what I’m dealing with as far as woodworking goes is finest saw dust. I mentioned in my introduction that my shop is very multi use. Our family hobby is off road riding on atv’s and side by sides. I’m the maintenance and repair guy for our machines. None of my family can go around a mud hole (lol) so dirt will be a major item for the floor sweeps. I’ll go through the threads you linked. Thank you.


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

Looks like a good set up, one thing to not chince on is the foil tape, some is good some not so good, it will come loose in a short time the best is Hard Cast Foil Grip tape, it is at least 2 times higher, but it will never come loose, and retapeing all those joints ain't much of a party


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