# My dust collector setup



## robert421960

so im not good at all with typing,or putting words on the computer for that matter so please bear with me
my shop is also a mess but cleaner than it has ever been
I decided a few months back to try and set up a dc system so i started with the HF DC and bought the accessory kit and got both for 200 bucks
well then i decided that wasnt enough so i started buying pipe,elbows and tees and went at it.i didnt like the blast gates from HF so i made my own
I would love to say more but since i dont type well ill stop
i hope to get opinions from you all


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## robert421960

i used an old bedrome next to my shop to put the DC in and piped it through the shop.
i have all the joints screwed together.
so far i have plenty of suction


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## firemedic

Looks well done! I have the same DC... I found a lil improvement in performance when I removed the Y inlet at the impeller and replaced it with a rubber sleeve to go from the 5" down to the 4" I ran around the shop.

~tom. ...GEAUX TIGERS!... ...GEAUX SAINTS!......


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## thegrgyle

Wow! First of all, you have a great headstart on your DC system. It looks great! :thumbsup: Your lungs will appreciate you for it. I love the home-made blast gates that you made. Those are sharp. If I were to make any suggestions, it would be these:

1) Install some sort of a separator prior to your DC. This will separate most of the dust and woodchips from the vaccum before it gets to your DC. This will improve your airflow and suction power. I know that alot of guys on here have built a version of the thien separator, and have had alot of success with it. I have one and love it. It is very easy to build, and cheap too. Search this site (or the internet for that matter) for plans and how to build it.

2) Consider getting the Wynn industries Filter....... It has alot more square footage of filter space, and filters a much finer dust particle. It is the very fine dust particles that are the most dangerous for your health.

3) You might wan to use sweeping "t" s like this instead of the normal "t" fittings that you used. The reason is that that you want your chips and dust to have as little friction until it gets to your separtor and DC.

Don't get me wrong, you are off to a GREAT start. At the very least, consider options 1 and 2... YOu won't regret it.

Hope this helps

Fabian


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## rrbrown

thegrgyle said:


> Wow! First of all, you have a great headstart on your DC system. It looks great! :thumbsup: Your lungs will appreciate you for it. I love the home-made blast gates that you made. Those are sharp. If I were to make any suggestions, it would be these:
> 
> 1) Install some sort of a separator prior to your DC. This will separate most of the dust and woodchips from the vaccum before it gets to your DC. This will improve your airflow and suction power. I know that alot of guys on here have built a version of the thien separator, and have had alot of success with it. I have one and love it. It is very easy to build, and cheap too. Search this site (or the internet for that matter) for plans and how to build it.
> 
> 2) Consider getting the Wynn industries Filter....... It has alot more square footage of filter space, and filters a much finer dust particle. It is the very fine dust particles that are the most dangerous for your health.
> 
> 3) You might wan to use sweeping "t" s like this instead of the normal "t" fittings that you used. The reason is that that you want your chips and dust to have as little friction until it gets to your separtor and DC.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, you are off to a GREAT start. At the very least, consider options 1 and 2... YOu won't regret it.
> 
> Hope this helps
> 
> Fabian


I agree with the Thien Separator and the Wynn filter Don't get the Nano Fiber because according to Wynn they are not as good for sawdust.

As for the Tee's he did use sanitary Tee's which are much better then the regular Tee. He should be find with those even though the long sweeping Tee's would be a little better.


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## rrbrown

Nice job on the homemade blast gates.:thumbsup:


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## dmh

Wow, looks great. I'm jealous.:yes:

What fittings did you use on your blast gates? Are they the bell ends from the pipe?


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## robert421960

dmh said:


> Wow, looks great. I'm jealous.:yes:
> 
> What fittings did you use on your blast gates? Are they the bell ends from the pipe?


when i was coming out of tees or ells i used pieces of pipe but when i was between pipe i used the the bails
as for the sweep tees and ells they had 2 choices and the others were regular


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## robert421960

thegrgyle said:


> Wow! First of all, you have a great headstart on your DC system. It looks great! :thumbsup: Your lungs will appreciate you for it. I love the home-made blast gates that you made. Those are sharp. If I were to make any suggestions, it would be these:
> 
> 1) Install some sort of a separator prior to your DC. This will separate most of the dust and woodchips from the vaccum before it gets to your DC. This will improve your airflow and suction power. I know that alot of guys on here have built a version of the thien separator, and have had alot of success with it. I have one and love it. It is very easy to build, and cheap too. Search this site (or the internet for that matter) for plans and how to build it.
> 
> 2) Consider getting the Wynn industries Filter....... It has alot more square footage of filter space, and filters a much finer dust particle. It is the very fine dust particles that are the most dangerous for your health.
> 
> 3) You might wan to use sweeping "t" s like this instead of the normal "t" fittings that you used. The reason is that that you want your chips and dust to have as little friction until it gets to your separtor and DC.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, you are off to a GREAT start. At the very least, consider options 1 and 2... YOu won't regret it.
> 
> Hope this helps
> 
> Fabian


im hoping to make a separator after christmas.
gonna be a while before i can buy the wynn filter but i hope to 
thanks for the suggestions


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## tcleve4911

How come there's dust on the dust collector????:laughing::laughing::laughing:

Just kidding...great job...
Thanks for posting....the homemade blast gates are perfect!!!!!


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## robert421960

tcleve4911 said:


> How come there's dust on the dust collector????:laughing::laughing::laughing:
> 
> Just kidding...great job...
> Thanks for posting....the homemade blast gates are perfect!!!!!


i thought about that after i took the pic
its hard to remember to turn on the DC everytime


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## tcleve4911

uh oh...next step is a switch that activates the DC when a power tool is switched on....
.....the miter saw is the one I always forget when I'm just making a quick cut.


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## robert421960

tcleve4911 said:


> uh oh...next step is a switch that activates the DC when a power tool is switched on....
> .....the miter saw is the one I always forget when I'm just making a quick cut.


 that wil be a looooooong time coming
i did buy a remote switch that really helps me alot


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## Bvh56

Im in the process of doing the same thing. We even have the same pipe and dust collector. :laughing: . I did get a wynn filter and put in a seperator. I can try and post pics if you like to give you an idea of how I did mine.


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## robert421960

Bvh56 said:


> Im in the process of doing the same thing. We even have the same pipe and dust collector. :laughing: . I did get a wynn filter and put in a seperator. I can try and post pics if you like to give you an idea of how I did mine.


 sure would love all the ideas i can get


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## BigBull

Did you run a ground line? Is it needed in a small shop like that. I'm getting ready to install a DC after the first of the year and I'm trying to learn all I can, thanks for the info. BTW you set up looks good.


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## robert421960

BigBull said:


> Did you run a ground line? Is it needed in a small shop like that. I'm getting ready to install a DC after the first of the year and I'm trying to learn all I can, thanks for the info. BTW you set up looks good.


 i have not run a ground yet.i wonder if i will have to
so far no shocking experiences


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## Bvh56

Here are some pics of my set up. Hope this helps.


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## JaceAlan

robert421960 said:


> i have not run a ground yet.i wonder if i will have to
> so far no shocking experiences


What type of pipe did you use? I am about to make a very similar set-up and am very grateful for your post! I'm also interested to know if a ground is necessary for this size/type of set-up so I hope to hear if anyone has any insight on that.


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## robert421960

JaceAlan said:


> What type of pipe did you use?


 i used schedule 35 4" pipe and fittings on mine


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## robert421960

BVH56 that really looks familiar lol
where is the bag for the DC?
and what did you use to connect your flex to your pipe?


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## Bvh56

What bag? There is suppose to be a bag? Haha just kidding. I got the fitting from Rockler connects 4" hose to 4" PVC pipe. I also used swd 35 from Menards.


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## woodnthings

*very clever install*

By rearrangeing the components more like an industrial application you seem to have improved the system quite a bit. 
The photo doesn't show enough of the back side of the collector ring, but I assume its just connected with a short coupler into the intake? Can you post some more detailed photos for all to see?
Thanks, bill


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## firemedic

Bvh56 said:


> <img src="http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=33793"/>
> 
> Here are some pics of my set up. Hope this helps.


Hey, that looks a lot like my set-up too! :thumbsup:

~tom. ...GEAUX TIGERS!... ...GEAUX SAINTS!......


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## Bvh56

I will post more photos later today. I have to admit I did steal the idea of mounting the dc this way from a pic I seen on this forum. From who I can't remember.


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## Bvh56

Backside of dc. I just used a small piece of the original hose. The second pic is the bottom of the lid and the third pic is the fitting I used from Rockler .


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## robert421960

Bvh56 said:


> View attachment 33821
> 
> 
> Backside of dc. I just used a small piece of the original hose. The second pic is the bottom of the lid and the third pic is the fitting I used from Rockler .


 ok why take it off the cart it was on?does that lid work well?
thanks for the pic of the adaptor.
is that from rockler too?


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## woodnthings

*pictures, lad, pictures*



firemedic said:


> Hey, that looks a lot like my set-up too! :thumbsup:
> 
> ~tom. ...GEAUX TIGERS!... ...GEAUX SAINTS!......


you know the rules.... :yes: bill


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## robert421960

firemedic said:


> Hey, that looks a lot like my set-up too! :thumbsup:
> 
> ~tom. ...GEAUX TIGERS!... ...GEAUX SAINTS!......


 yea i thought you were posting pics??????:smile:


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## Bvh56

robert421960 said:


> ok why take it off the cart it was on?does that lid work well?
> thanks for the pic of the adaptor.
> is that from rockler too?


I took it off because of space. To be honest I still don't have the system up and running so not sure how it works. The adapter is from Rockler.


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## rrbrown

Well here is my setup after modifications but before I had the TS hooked up.

6" main duct and a 55 gallon drum with a Thien baffle inside.


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## robert421960

rrbrown that looks really neat and clean:thumbsup:


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## tvman44

Robert I like your setup, how many feet of pipe do you think you have between the DC and the farthest tool. I am curious because I just bought the HF DC like yours and getting ready to set up. Do you feel the filter bag is adequate for filtering fine dust? Thanks for the answer. I am debating on whether or not to put a ground wire in my system.
Bob


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## robert421960

tvman44 said:


> Robert I like your setup, how many feet of pipe do you think you have between the DC and the farthest tool. I am curious because I just bought the HF DC like yours and getting ready to set up. Do you feel the filter bag is adequate for filtering fine dust? Thanks for the answer. I am debating on whether or not to put a ground wire in my system.
> Bob


 from my DC to my planer is probably 40 feet of pipe and i have plenty of suction
However i was planning some pine yesterday and the large shavings got caught on the guard outside the impeller.so a seperator is a must in the near future


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## joesbucketorust

deleted because i thought i'd deleted it before when I posted it again below but apparently I didn't really delete it so now I am. sorry, move along, nothing to see in this post.


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## joesbucketorust

Posted, deleted because I thought it was the wrong thread, now I see it is the right thread so I'll ask again. [email protected]$n I need some coffee. 
Any chance of getting some before/during/after pics of just the blast gates? I'd like to make some but can't figure out the secret. Thanks.


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## robert421960

joesbucketorust said:


> Any chance of seeing some before-during-after pics of the blast gates being built? I'm trying to figure out how to make them but I might as well be looking at one of those magician's cabinets - you know the ones with the big blade that should cut the pretty assistant but it doesn't. So what's the secret? Thanks.


 ill try to post some in the next couple days.
pics are definitely worth thousands of words lol
i still need to make another gate for my 2 1/2" hose


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## Taylormade

Thanks for sharing Robert (and others). I'm embarking on my journey this weekend. I've got the same set up and the same accessories and the same PVC laying around... just haven't used it yet. I've been dragging one 4" hose around to each stupid tool lol. It all changes this weekend.


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## EagleTa2

Hi Everyone

Thanks for this thread! I just picked up a used Grizzly 1HP DC (minus the bags) and am upgrading from my current system - which is a screaming 5.5hp shop vac that is HUGE and sounds like a jet taking off!

As far as my equipment goes I have a shopsmith (2.5" port) a shopsmith bandsaw (2.5" port) a delta miter saw (1.25" baggie) and a dewalt 12.5" planer without a dust hood. I also have picked up a 12" rolling floor sweep with a 4" port. 

I have a fairly flexible shop since its in my garage. Also it seems that my shop is a living breathing thing, equipment tends to move around alot.

I had planned on starting out with a flex hose and connecting it to whatever I am using at the time. Should I plan, layout, and endure the expense of a fixed system like those shown here...is my DC big enough for that? I am guessing its about 650 CFM.

Thanks in advance!

Geo


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## woodnthings

*keep looking on these types of threads for info*

So as not to hijack this thread, look at the above configurations of filters, intakes, separate blowers and, bags or drums. Some of the most clever arrangements in this forum are in the Dust Collection section...just have a look! :thumbsup: bill
BTW you can start your very own thread for specific info on your system if you feel it warrants it.


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## tvman44

Robert421960 I see screws at the joints, did you use any PVC cement or just the screws? Do you get any leakage at the joints using just screws and how many screws per joint? I am about to start my DC system probably tomorrow as I got the HF DC & accessory kit 4 days ago and bought all the pipe yesterday.


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## robert421960

tvman44 said:


> Robert421960 I see screws at the joints, did you use any PVC cement or just the screws? Do you get any leakage at the joints using just screws and how many screws per joint? I am about to start my DC system probably tomorrow as I got the HF DC & accessory kit 4 days ago and bought all the pipe yesterday.


 i put 2 screws at each connection and dont seem to have any leakeage to speak of.i have way more aie leaks from the hf blast gates than anything
one of the guys on here suggested using caulk to seal the joints then if you need too you can vut the caulk and change things
but you still need screws too


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## tvman44

That is what I was thinking about doing, putting 2 screws and if I had a leak then run a bead of caulk. That way I can disassemble if I want to for what ever reason.


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## yocalif

robert421960l, nice work and effort on your dust collection. Your pics are excellent motivation for me to make sure I get some kind of dust collection beyond my shop vac sooner rather than later.

For those wanting help on making blast gates, here is a decent youtube videon on making blast gate


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## tvman44

Robert421960,
What did you use for the blast gates. They look very interesting, I may try to make some.


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## robert421960

Sorry i have been putting off posting these
i used 1/2 " plywood on the outside and 1/4 "inside


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## robert421960

i cut the holes with a holesaw and used either pipe or sleeve whichever i need at the time
small piece of 1/4 dowel to keep the gate from coming out


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## nblasa

robert421960 that is an awsome set up! I've been rolling ideas around in my head to set up a DC system in my shop with a furnace fan like some of the other pictures in the thread, but your pics and all the tips presented have given me a bunch of great ideas. When I eventually get to it (hopefully before ten years go by and I forget everything on this thread) I'll post some picks for feedback


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