# Dust Collector Filters



## CleanAir707 (Aug 9, 2019)

Hello everyone!
I'm new to the woodworking industry and thought it would be interesting to start a conversation about dust collector filters that are used in wood shops.

What types of dust collector filters/brands do you use in your shop? I have heard of many from Grizzly to Donaldson/Torit to Environmental Filter.

What is the purpose of getting a pleated dust collector cartridge filter like the one shown below? :smile2:


----------



## Scrappile (Jun 11, 2019)

I use a Wynn Environmental pleated filter on my Harbor Freight DC. Did not do a lot of studying about it, just read several places where it was highly recommended. I know it works a whole lot better than the cloth bags that came with the DC.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*surface area ........*



CleanAir707 said:


> Hello everyone!
> I'm new to the woodworking industry and thought it would be interesting to start a conversation about dust collector filters that are used in wood shops.
> 
> What types of dust collector filters/brands do you use in your shop? I have heard of many from Grizzly to Donaldson/Torit to Environmental Filter.
> ...


 A pleated filter will have 100 times the surface area of a bag. The filtration of the bag is dependent on the tightness of the weave of the cloth OR the porosity of the filter material. Then the dust builds up inside the bag and restricts the air flow. When the air flow is restricted, the suction is diminished .... air in = air out, more or less.
This is why the commercial dust collectors use 5 or more very long bags and lots of HP.


A cyclone or top hat separator will keep the filters cleaner so fewer filter changes are required. Most pleated filters have an internal paddle which you rotate with a crank on the top which beats against the pleats to knock out the larger dust particles. It woks OK, but so say it reduces the life of the filter. I take mine outside on the driveway knocking it gently and using a high pressure air hose to blow the dust out. I wear a dust mask when doing this .... no point in keeping the shop air clean then breathing it when cleaning the filter.
:sad2:


----------



## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Welcome to the forum! Add your location to your profile so it shows in the side panel. Add your first name to your signature line so we'll know what to call you.

There have been plenty of discussions started on this topic. Are you selling these? What's your company, if so?

David


----------



## CleanAir707 (Aug 9, 2019)

You may call me Kaitlyn. 
The company is called Environmental Filter. They manufacture filters like the image shown above.
I was curious about why woodworkers and people in the woodworking industry would choose cartridge filters over other types of filters?
Or do any of you have a preference?


----------



## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Hmm. Sounds like market research to me. 

Not everyone has nice dust collectors. I would like to have a real dust collector someday, but for now, I use an old Craftsman shop vac. I use it for dust collection and cleanup. The shop vac is attached to a cyclone dust separator. They sit in a wheeled cart, and I move the hose from tool as I use the tools. I work outside, and wheel the tools and shop vac cart to a flat patio where I work. 

The shop vac uses common pleated filter cartridges. I don't replace them often, but when I do, I buy whatever cheap compatible filter is available. The last filters I bought on eBay were not fully compatible, and I had to cut out extra fittings to get it to seat properly in mine. 

Even though I work outside, I wear an RZ mesh mask. Sawdust is unhealthy.


----------



## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

woodnthings said:


> A pleated filter will have 100 times the surface area of a bag. The filtration of the bag is dependent on the tightness of the weave of the cloth OR the porosity of the filter material. Then the dust builds up inside the bag and restricts the air flow. When the air flow is restricted, the suction is diminished .... air in = air out, more or less.
> This is why the commercial dust collectors use 5 or more very long bags and lots of HP.
> 
> 
> ...


One knowledgeable friend told me to use the air compressor to blow from the outside of the canister in order to knock the remaining dust into the collection bag. He said that the paddle left behind a lot of sawdust that could be removed with compressed air so the filter would operate better. I used the air compressor to blow high pressure air directly on the outside of the canister as instructed, and saw a lot of sawdust fall into the transparent collection bag. Another knowledgeable friend saw me doing it, and told me to stop immediately, saying that the practice damages the filter, such that it won't catch the finest sawdust particles (1 micron) as well. The smaller the dust particles, the harder they are to trap, and the more harm they do to you. It made sense to me and I never did it again. It wasn't my dust collector, and I did not want to damage it.


----------



## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Wynn Environmental, makers of the Wynn filter, recommend blowing air from the outside in at 60 psi to clean the filter. Their recommendation is to stay away from the internal paddles that brush across the filter because it damages the filter fibers. So I guess the lesser of two evils is to blow air and I know mine sure works better when I do that and it's now cleaner inside.

David


----------



## CleanAir707 (Aug 9, 2019)

Does it matter to you on the type of filtering material?
-Nomex -Cellulose/Polyester -etc?

Sorry about all the questions. 
I'm new to dust collection, and there are so many different applications for it.

I'm trying to think like a woodworker/wood shop owner. lol


----------



## Mark Jones Ozark (Feb 26, 2019)

I put the Dust Deputy on and my filters never see dust. It doesn't sound real but it is and it's the best thing to hit my shop in 40 years. Dust simply doesn't make it to my shop vac or my dust collector filters. The cyclone gets over 99% of it. So if your mileage is as good as mine a filter becomes much less important as no dust gets to them. What's the best part besides never having to clean the filters? Having full suction to your machines all the time. It's been 6 months and I have emptied the Dust Deputy buckets many times but the filters are like the day I cleaned them last. It's amazing!


----------



## CleanAir707 (Aug 9, 2019)

Does dust cause a problem in the shops if not controlled?


----------



## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

Tool Agnostic said:


> Hmm. Sounds like market research to me.


yep!


----------



## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

CleanAir707 said:


> Does dust cause a problem in the shops if not controlled?


Are you kidding? 

Wood sawdust is hazardous for many reasons. It is a known carcinogen. The finest sub-micron particles get deep in your lungs, are the most dangerous to long term health, and are the most difficult to filter. Wood dust is also an allergen sensitizer. Some woodworkers must quit because of allergies, and others must avoid certain woods or cover up completely to avoid serious health problems. 

In the past, the dangers were not recognized, and many woodworkers continue working today without thinking about the issues. I always wear a dust mask today, but was pretty sloppy decades ago. Heck, back then, I liked the smell of sawdust! (To be honest, I still do, but I know better.)

Sawdust management is more than one thing:

* Collecting the sawdust and keeping the mess under control. Many woodworking tools can generate a lot of sawdust very quickly. The more sawdust you collect at the source, the less gets into the air. Of course, the act of cleaning up can throw a lot of sawdust in the air.

* Keeping the air safe and clean. Some woodworkers install special air cleaners (basically, fans with filters) that they run while they work.

With no disrespect intended, I recommend that you do more homework about woodworking and sawdust management. The internet is full of useful information.


----------



## CleanAir707 (Aug 9, 2019)

I came to this forum to better understand dust collection and woodworking. It's not market research. It's legitimate questions. I want to learn more and have researched, but would love to hear the opinions of the experts that are already in the industry. That's why I sought out this forum. To learn. To share. To bounce off ideas.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Really?*



CleanAir707 said:


> I came to this forum to better understand dust collection and woodworking. *It's not market research.* It's legitimate questions. I want to learn more and have researched, but would love to hear the opinions of the experts that are already in the industry. That's why I sought out this forum. To learn. To share. To bounce off ideas.



In that case, remove the link to your website where you are selling filters OR the Moderators will do it for you. If you have sincere questions and can become a contributing member, then that's great. 

If you have other motives, it will become readily apparent...... :vs_cool:


----------



## CleanAir707 (Aug 9, 2019)

The link has been removed. It was not my intention to spam.
Sorry if I offended anyone.


----------



## Mark Jones Ozark (Feb 26, 2019)

CleanAir707 said:


> The link has been removed. It was not my intention to spam.
> Sorry if I offended anyone.



I didn't take it that way. Filters make a big difference if your not using a cyclone that takes 99% of the dust and keeps it out of the filters. I hate cleaning the filters. Cotton bags, the big industrial filters shop vac filters they all are a dirty mess to clean. Even the Grizzly with the hand crank to clean the filters would get me dirty. 

Dust Deputy keeps me clean and 100% suction. Instead of cleaning filters ever few days it's not once every year or two. Folks that is a game changer in the dust collection business. The first time I saw this thing I scoffed at it and said sure it will. It does exactly what they say about it. I read and watched over 50 videos on this dust deputy before I bought them. Filters are almost not even a factor for me. Dust doesn't get to them...ok less than 1% but I don't think it's that much.

Best 300 bucks I have ever spent.


----------



## Scurvy (Apr 12, 2013)

Woodnthings alluded to them, but there is another industry standard filter product for filtration: “Shaker felt” bags. While these are not as compact as pleated filters, they are capable of capturing sub-micron particulates and do so without the blinding issue that the pleated filters experience. 

This is because the dust sits on the surface of the fabric until the bags are shaken, knocking the dust cake loose to fall into the capture container. They are considerably cheaper than pleated cartridges too. 

American Filter Fabric provides these (check the inter web), and can easily and inexpensively do so for custom sizes. My preferred application of these in a wood shop is a plywood manifold supporting several 6” dia. tubes that are capped by a plywood dust drawer. Very simple, very effective redux of an industrial “bag house" setup.


----------



## Larry42 (Jan 10, 2014)

Like Scurvy said. We have 2 dust collectors, a 20hp, 9,000cfm, with filter bags and a reverse air flow cleaning system and a 15hp reverse inclined fan pulling through an 84 bag shaker house, from a cyclone with a rotary valve, sitting on a truck stand. I prefer this type of system since the fan never sees any material. These fans are more efficient and move more air per HP but if a piece of wood would get through the system it would trash the fan. Using claimed HP to rate a system is rather shaky. The rating should say how many CFM when the filters are installed and at how many inches of vacuum. Cheap systems usually state how many CFM in free air, I. E. no filter, no ducts. Most cheap collectors have way too small of filters for their claimed out put. Cyclones can be quite efficient when matched to the air flow. If the air flow is less than their design their efficiency will fall. There are some good dust collection design programs on line. We buy replacement filter bags from American Filter in FL. They will assist you and make any size you want.


----------



## jgt1942 (Mar 15, 2012)

Save yourself a LOT of time and get the best advice from http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm. Bill has a LOT of VERY good information. If you cannot afford a ClearVue system as Bill suggest then investigate a Thien Baffle at http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?board=1.0 
A few years ago I built a Thien Baffle and was SUPER pleased with the performance. I sold it before making a move across the country and will most likely order a ClearVue system this year. 

As suggested above the Wynn filters are about the best you can get, get the Nano filter.
Also as suggested above you want to capture most of the dust (use either a Thien Baffle or Cyclone) BEFORE it gets to the filter and dust collector impeller.


----------



## red68mgb (Aug 21, 2019)

jgt1942 said:


> Save yourself a LOT of time and get the best advice from http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm. Bill has a LOT of VERY good information. If you cannot afford a ClearVue system as Bill suggest then investigate a Thien Baffle at http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?board=1.0
> 
> My thoughts exactly!
> Two other resources I'm using and considering...
> ...


----------

