# My shop dust collection described. To answer questions.



## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Since I have been asked for more details on my dust collection system, and please understand that PRESENTLY it is in a thousand pieces due to a major reworking of my shop, but here it is. I will post pics later. Webshots is undergoing some major changes and I need to rethink my photo hosting situation...

I am going to describe my system from the collector OUT to the end, so my descriptions may seem backwards, just keep in mind we are going FROM the collector, back to the tools.

Collector. Central Machinery model #98769 2 HP 5 micron dust collector allegedly 1600 CFM but we all know that is just a bunch of hooey.

Filter. Wynn 35A Spun Bond Poly per Bill Pentz recommendation. sub micron filtration, excellent airflow.

Connection at collector, 5" flex hose. Grizzly cheap black plastic. NOT happy with the quality of this hose. I have a bunch of 2.5" and 4" hose from Penn State. Probably going to go back to them for the larger sizes. I can NOT state this clearly enough. The hose is VERY stiff, and very slick, I can clamp it to the fittings and it just tries to slide away. I honestly want it to go away... Penn State has 5" in the clear flex stuff, a 10' joint which is way more than I need for $30.00. I didn't select the Grizzly because I was being cheap. I selected it because I didn't know of any other 5" hose anywhere else...

From the hose, I am going into a shop made side inlet Thien Cyclone based on a 55 gallon drum. The 5" ports are simply 5" split loc HVAC ducting from Home Depot.

I then re-used the 5x4x4 wye that came with the HF dust collector to split my system into 2 lines, an upper, and a lower. I use ~ 1' of flex hose to come off of the wye to the ducting. I could have cobbled together transitions from various fittings, but I wanted the flex to allow me to move the dust bin when needed. I need a better design for that.

My upper run is undergoing a redesign at this point. Right now it takes off at about 45 degrees to the workbench, and then down the bench to jog over the Shark Guard on the TS. I need to make it make a 90 even though I hate to do it, then jog over to give me a drop at the miter saw, and then under the miter saw bench to suck from the hood... The line overhead will make another gentle 90 go over the other side of the workbench but at least it will be a dead straight run from there to over the Shark Guard this time.

My lower run is simply run along the wall, except for one branch that drops to the floor, runs along the floor for 8' and has blast gates for the router table shroud and the table saw blade shroud and belly pan.

My blast gates are Lee Valley Self Cleaning aluminum blast gates. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but certainly worth it. 

My ducting past the cyclone is all 4" thin wall PVC from Lowes, they were cheaper than Home Depot. I have siliconed my joints together, and any critical joints that have allowed the assembly to rotate, or separate are pinned with a 1/2" sheet metal screw.

I WAS supporting the ductwork via a series of plastic plumbing strap and drywall anchors / screws. This proved to be ineffective as the strap holes rapidly stretched, and screw heads easily passed through the strap. I have to get metal plumbing strap to replace it from either Amazon, or special order the stuff because for some reason none of my local home improvement / hardware type stores carry it. Not Lowes, not Home Depot, not Ace Hardware, not Do It Best Hardware... None of them... 

I am actually reasonably satisfied with the performance of the system, and have no real reason to upgrade to 6" duct with the particular DC I am running. HOWEVER, it is NOT perfect. I am in my shop remodel, moving my lathe closer to the DC itself in order to have less duct between the DC and the device in question. I know lathe collection is pitiful at best, but I need to do better.

My custom fittings in my shop are... 
#1. Shop made floor sweep. 4" thin wall for a port, 1/2" plywood glue and screws construction. Nothing super pretty. Wasn't meant to be.
#2. Shop made router table fence. Just boxed in the fence and added a 4" tool port from Peachtree to the thing.
#3. Shop made router table lower enclosure. Empty cat litter tub. The unused kind thank you very much... This was the big 40lb tub from Sams club. I cut a hole for a door, use cheapo hinges, and a simple catch. I drilled some air relief holes in the "far side" and cut a hole for the 4" thin wall. Not pretty but it works very well.
#4. Shop made BT3100 table saw belly pan. Simply put, a piece of hardboard closing off the bottom of the saw, with a collection port in the middle. It was on the saw when I bought it used. I have down sized the port to 2.5", and collect from it at 2.5", and the factory blade shroud port at 2.5" using a 4x4x2.5" wye, and a 4" x 2.5" reducer. I tried just going 4" wyed off to the 2.5" and going 4" to the belly pan. that left a LOT of dust in the blade shroud, which in turn got things jammed up. Collection works MUCH better this way.
#5. Shop made sliding compound miter saw hood build into the miter saw bench. This is a semi circular surround, enclosed top by a plywood top, and bottom by the bench bottom, ducted to a 4" thin wall port, ducted to the upper collection ports. This is a work in progress. The saws 1.25" port needs a hose as well. My plan is to just drop the 1.25" hose down the 4" duct, the vacuum from there on other hoods appears to work well.
#6. Lathe dust hood. Simply a 4" ducted 4x10 floor register, with rare earth magnets. The rare earth magents aren't sticking well with just epoxy. I am about to order a tube of 5/8" RE magnets with screw holes. Then it's just a matter or adding a hole in the register, then a #6 screw, washer and nut and we are done!

Lastly for that ambient stuff that collection misses, mostly due to hood designs, the ambient air filter. There are other models out there, but I had several requirements. High speed operation CFM greater than 1K, 1 micron or better filtration, cleanable / reusable filter media, remote control, and timer functions. For my needs the Grizzly G0572, outfitted with Penn State AC1000-PF2 primary filters (I bought 2, 1 to use while the second was being washed etc...) had the best reviews, and beat out the only other serious contender, the Penn State AC1000 based on both price and reviews / reputation. 

This doesn't even begin to describe the shop vac thien rig. But that pretty much sums up my DC system. It is farily extensive, and after plenty of tweaking I believe it is, or at least should be effective. I need to finish reconfiguring this whole thing, and grabbing a Dylos meter...


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

This is a great writeup DB, thanks. You made me rethink my lathe location and it's a better set up for my RAS too. If you were starting over would you go with 6"?


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I am not in a hurry to go to 6". I did have a 220V circuit run for a cyclone when I had my sub panel done. I may duct with 6" to prep for a true cyclone. But the 5" to 4" split system works well enough for now...


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

Are you going to post some pics or a video.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Thought I mentioned it, yeah, as soon as I figure out a new photo host.. webshots is changing up, really badly and isn't going to work much longer...


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