# Help with duct work on my new DC



## Danny870 (Oct 7, 2015)

Hey guys, I recently picked up Harbor Freight's 1HP portable dust collector to use with my three shaper table and two router tables. I have my shaper tables and router tables in a straight line down one of my shop walls, and I would like to mount this unit on that wall around 3ft from the first shaper table. Then run a straight piece of regular 4" PVC pipe above the 5 machines along the wall, with drops and blast gates to each machine. This Harbor Freight 1HP unit has a 4" inlet, and the piping will be 4" but the DC will be on the ground and the pipe will be up above around 6.5ft to 7ft from the shop floor above the machines. My question is, 

what would be the best way to connect the DC on the ground to the 4" PVC up on the wall? Would it be possible to mount the DC up on the wall in line with the 4" PVC pipe and connect the PVC directly to the inlet on the DC? If so, how would I do that? Is anyone familiar with a coupler that would fit both the 4" inlet on the DC and the 4" PVC? 

Or should I mount the DC on the ground and run some flex duct to the 4" PVC? If I do that, what is the best way to connect the flex duct to the 4" PVC? Any advice would be much appreciated! (again, this is the Harbor Freight 1HP unit, not the bigger 2HP model they sell)


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*That ain't enough CFM*

Why did you get the 1 HP portable instead of the 2 HP on casters?

The 1 HP has a 660 CFM rating:
http://www.harborfreight.com/13-gallon-industrial-portable-dust-collector-31810.html


The 2 HP unit has a 1550 CFM rating:
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html

For your installation you need more CFM. You can get the 2 HP unit for as low as $170.00 or less, on sale with coupons found in most woodworking mags.

I would return the 1 Hp and get the 2 HP. H-F has a good return policy. You are starting into business, so it makes no sense in using a small DC since you will have other DC needs also.


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## Oakwerks (Mar 24, 2013)

woodnthings said:


> Why did you get the 1 HP portable instead of the 2 HP on casters?
> 
> The 1 HP has a 660 CFM rating:
> http://www.harborfreight.com/13-gallon-industrial-portable-dust-collector-31810.html
> ...


Good advice ..... I have a 2 HP ShopFox ... I bought it 6 years ago for my new planer, since the Shopvac couldn't handle the huge volume of chips... I've since added a drum sander, A tablesaw with a dust port, and a router table.... Better to buy a big one, and grow into it.... These are relatively cheap machines.... But, you will need 220 volt power....


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## Danny870 (Oct 7, 2015)

woodnthings said:


> Why did you get the 1 HP portable instead of the 2 HP on casters?
> 
> The 1 HP has a 660 CFM rating:
> http://www.harborfreight.com/13-gallon-industrial-portable-dust-collector-31810.html
> ...


I have other dust collectors. My local HF has the 2HP versions for $229, I believe. I will try and return it, but I doubt that they will allow me to because it has been like 6 weeks since I bought it.


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## Danny870 (Oct 7, 2015)

So if I take this one back and get the 2HP model, what would be a good way to do the hoses/piping? 

Here is what I want to do: 
I have a wall that is approx 28ft long. Along this wall I have my 3 shaper tables and two router tables. I want a pipe that runs along this wall that will have drops for each machine. The dust collector will be first at the beginning of the wall, then the 3 shapers then the 2 router tables.

The 3 shaper tables have dust ports that are 3" openings, and the router tables have what appears to be 2.25" openings on their dust ports.

For simplicity, I want to use a 4" Schedule 20 or Schedule 40 pipe above, with a tee above every machine. ButI am unsure what to use for the drops. I need something that will fit the 4" Tee in the plumbing pipe, but then drop down to 3" for the shapers, and 2.25"-2.5" for the router tables. Any suggestions?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Shorten the runs*

If you can center the DC on the wall that will shorter the runs by 1/2 or from 30ft to 15 ft more or less. If the horizontal runs can be wall mounted rather than from the ceiling that will help AND provide easy access to the 2 blast gates to control each separate run. Bt having a blast gate at each machine and opening only the one in use that will help also.











I have one 1100 ft Jet DC on one end of a 10 ft run under my table saws. Each saw has it's onw blast gate under the saw and is easily reached from the front to control the saw in use. Turn on DC, then open the gate under the saw in use. I also use the same DC for the jointer and I have a quick disconnect flex hose to each machine. It takes just seconds to switch from the table saws to the jointer.

I use shop vacs on the router tables since the velocity of the air stream is much higher and the chips are much smaller and the dust ports are shop vac compatible.... 2 1/2".

I use a second Jet 1100 DC for the thickness planer and drum sander with a quick disconnect flex hose. By having 2 DC's it keeps the run length to a minimum, especially with flex hose which is not efficient at moving air.


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## Danny870 (Oct 7, 2015)

woodnthings said:


> If you can center the DC on the wall that will shorter the runs by 1/2 or from 30ft to 15 ft more or less. If the horizontal runs can be wall mounted rather than from the ceiling that will help AND provide easy access to the 2 blast gates to control each separate run. Bt having a blast gate at each machine and opening only the one in use that will help also.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply man. I will take your advice and put the DC in the middle of the wall with two 15ft runs on each side. I wasn't planning to put the pipe in the ceiling, but rather about 7ft up the wall, just as you described. 

I am still trying to figure out how to get the 4" schedule 20 reduced down to 3" for the shapers and 2 1/2" for the router tables, at the T where each drop is coming off of the T. Then at each drop from the T, I will attach 3" flex hose for the shapers and 2.5" flex hose for the router tables. Each machine will of course have a blast gate. 

Does anyone make a specific reducer to go from 4" schedule 20 down to both 3" and 2.5"? If I could find two reducers that would allow me to use the 4" schedule 20, that would be perfect.


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## tewitt1949 (Nov 26, 2013)

Bigger is better.


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## Danny870 (Oct 7, 2015)

Trying to keep this thread alive. LoL

Anyway, does any one know of a place to buy reducers that will take 4" schedule 20 thin walled PVC drain and sewer pipe from 4" PVC down to both 3" and 2.5"?


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## mkgcustom (Feb 9, 2012)

Woodcraft has all the pieces you need. Also you can use the thin wall pvc that is sold in the garden section of home depot.


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