# Dust collector in attic



## ny700 (May 23, 2015)

So i have a small shop basically 1/4 of a two car garage. Craftsman table saw, compound mitre saw,, small down draft table and a floor sweep and will be adding a drill press soon. 

Currently i have a rigid 6hp shop vac an dust deputy set up up plumbed to all items with blast gates. It works ok. 

Im looking at getting the harbor freight 2hp dust collector and placing it in the attic space above and dropping a 6in main line down through the ceiling to the dust deputy. 

I have easy access to the attic so emptyi g the dust collector wo t be an issue and with the dust deputy o the main leven the bulk of emptying will be there. 

My wood shop doesnt get a ton of use but the other side is my gunshop and reloading table so i really try to co trol dust and debris

Just wo deri g if there us any major issue with this proposed design that you guys can see or have experienced. 

Ill try to post pics of my current set up later maybe you guys will have ideas to just better my current set up

Thanks

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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*The Harbor Freight 2 HP dc ...*

This DC has had more modifications than Phyliss Diller.
Search for Modified or Hot Rodded Harbor freight DC:









http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/harbor-freight-dc-39796/

You have a few choices, but leaving the unit together as is is probably not one of them. It's too tall to fit into most attics AND cleaning the filter up there will result in a huge dust cloud, unsafe to breath and it will settle out in all the spaces between insulation... in other words, don't.

I have about 4 or 5 Rigid shop vacs all through out the shop and some are connected directly to the source, like the RAS or bandsaws, others get connected to the router table in use at the time. Another is for shop floor cleaning. They were on sale at Home Depot so I got a bunch. 

The table saw is your worst offender and it's not easy to seal off all the openings to maximize air flow. A sheet metal plate or plywood across the bottom and an over the blade cover with a dust port is what I've found to be most efficient on the old Craftsman table saws.

If your to get the HF, take the blower and filter off and wall mount it like many have done, then you exhaust the dust right outside, like many have done. You can always put a "top hat" or Thein Filter or cyclone in line to catch all the large chips and dust .... but all this takes up floor space in what is already a small shop space.

http://jayscustomcreations.com/2013/03/modified-harbor-freight-dust-collector/

According to Bil Pentz, the dust collector expert, you need about 500 CFM of air flow minimum for best efficiency. The 2 HP HF has about 1100 or so, if I recall, so that good. What most folks don't understand is ... air in = air out and with a clogged filter the "air out" is greatly reduced, so many have used a cannister filter with more surface area. Others eliminate the filter and exhaust the dust outside for even better performance.

Hot Rodding the HF DC:
http://workingwoods.com/hot_rodding_a_DC.htm


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

Woodnthings has covered most of the issues. One more issue I will add is that a dust collector (DC) is going to move a larger volume of air out of the shop and into your attic space than a ShopVac unit. The ShopVac type units move lower volumes of air at a faster velocity. If you are working in your shop with no potential for air flow in (closed doors, windows etc), then the DC is going to create a negative (vacuum) in the shop. The effectiveness of the DC will be reduced. In addition, your attic is going to have a positive pressure, because the air will be pushed into your attic. 



ny700 said:


> I have easy access to the attic so emptyi g the dust collector wo t be an issue and with the dust deputy o the main leven the bulk of emptying will be there.


You might want to leave an opening between your attic and workshop, so the pressure can be equalized.

Just because you see workshops with dust collectors, doesn't mean that your shop has to have one. The most important part of dust collection is collecting the dust at the source. 

If your Craftsman TS is a contractor style, then you need to 1. enclose the bottom 2. add a dust port to the bottom and 3. add a dust collection port above the blade for maximizing dust collection. 

Compound miter saws are hard to collect dust at the source, but there are some great posts on this forum from simple slitted flex hose behind the fence to large containers that surround the saw. 

Drill presses usually don't create a lot of airborne dust, but they can create quite a dust mess. A simple 2-1/4" hose from a shop vac unit that can be held right behind the drill bit will collect most drilling dust. If you are using a sanding drum, there are some interesting dust collection tables that sit on top of your drill press table that work pretty well.

Good luck with your decision and keep your lungs healthy.
Eric


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

I would avoid making any unsealed openings between the garage and the attic. The sheetrock is an important fire barrier. In the event of a fire in the garage, the sheet rock helps keep it out of the attic. When fire gets into the attic space, it's a lot more difficult to extinguish and what the fire doesn't get, the firefighters will. Trust me on that one. We LOVE to tear stuff up and cut holes in the roof!!  

I would also make sure any piping that penetrates the ceiling is metal. You may want to talk to your local fire marshal to get some advice on what code requirements exist to keep your insurance agent happy.

ORBlack makes a good point about airflow. The attic won't be too much of a problem, as there should be adequate venting to prevent over pressure, but if the dust collector is moving 600-1200 cfm from the garage, that air has to come from some place. Consider airflow as an issue that will have to be addressed.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I would not place the dust collector in your attic. The HF dust collector works well but no filter bag is going to catch the dust 100%. It would be blowing fine wood dust into your attic. They make small dust collectors which will fit in small places like under a table saw. The full size unit is on wheels so you could drag it outdoors to use it.


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## ny700 (May 23, 2015)

Thanks for the thoughts and info. The negative pressure is one thing I had not thought about. 

More research to come. I have an electrician coming out today to look into some dedicated lines for the shop. Will be a good opportunity to game plan where a dust collector on shop level can go


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