# Twins! You know you love it.



## Miller Woodworks (Dec 11, 2013)

I currently have a HF DC with the Wynn filter on top. I'm going to be building a Thein Baffle separator for it, but I've heard that they come with a significant CFM loss. To counteract that loss, and make an even better system because I'm a huge fan of overbuilding things, I'm thinking about adding a second HF blower to my system and using 6" piping for the main run. The separator will obviously be made oversized with 6" instead of the normal 4" fittings.

Would something like that be a viable option, or should I just set up the separator on the single DC I have now and stop being an overachiever?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*If I recall ...*

There have threads similar to your idea and the concern was over spinning one of the two blowers and burning out the motor. I would just make two separate and free standing systems... DAMHIKT ... 
I have 2 Jet 1100's in my shop and use the one closest to the machine I need to run. I use quick disconnects and it only takes a few seconds to roll the DC over and hook up the hose. :yes:


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## tvman44 (Dec 8, 2011)

I have a Thien seperator on ny HF 2Hp with 4" piping and it works, I have no way to measure performance or nothing else to compare to but it does what I want. :thumbsup:


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## BigJoe16 (Feb 20, 2012)

woodnthings said:


> There have threads similar to your idea and the concern was over spinning one of the two blowers and burning out the motor. I would just make two separate and free standing systems... DAMHIKT ... I have 2 Jet 1100's in my shop and use the one closest to the machine I need to run. I use quick disconnects and it only takes a few seconds to roll the DC over and hook up the hose. :yes:


I remember these threads. 

They said something along the lines of when you add the second motor blowing into the pipes, it would get the DC spinning with such a low amount of drag the motor would burn up. It would take the force off it, decreasing the resistance and then increasing the current. 


Instead of building a separator, why not just replace the bag on you DC with a can. I did this to mine. It's a lot easier to clean out. Kinda half-assing it but it's better than what I had.


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

Miller Woodworks said:


> I currently have a HF DC with the Wynn filter on top. I'm going to be building a Thein Baffle separator for it, but I've heard that they come with a significant CFM loss. To counteract that loss, and make an even better system because I'm a huge fan of overbuilding things, I'm thinking about adding a second HF blower to my system and using 6" piping for the main run. The separator will obviously be made oversized with 6" instead of the normal 4" fittings.
> 
> Would something like that be a viable option, or should I just set up the separator on the single DC I have now and stop being an overachiever?


I just finished a Thien Top Hat design with 6" ports about a week ago. (I had been using a Thien in-the-barrel design separator for the last couple of years with 4" ports.) 

I have been using the Top Hat design for about a week now with my Jet JJ-12" jointer and my Rikon 18" bandsaw. I have been resawing logs and timbers and then jointing them. I converted the jointer port from 4" to 6" and have been running a 5" hose from the top hat to the jointer with a huge improvement in chip/dust removal! I use to get clogs at the jointer port with the 4" port. I have not had a clog since I switched to the 5" hose and 6" port. I will switch to a 6" hose as soon as I get another one.

The bandsaw still is using 4" hose. It has also shown a small improvement with the Top Hat. I will be switching the bandsaw to 6" soon.

My suggestion is to forget about twins and start with upgrading to 6" diameter hose with a Thien Top Hat separator. I would estimate that the CFM loss that you get from adding in the Top Hat separator will be gained back by switching to 6" hose.

*The main benefit of the separator is cleaner shop air. With the separator removing the chips and dust before the dust collector, your dust collector filter will stay cleaner, longer and that translates to cleaner shop air.*


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

BigJoe16 said:


> I remember these threads.
> 
> They said something along the lines of when you add the second motor blowing into the pipes, it would get the DC spinning with such a low amount of drag the motor would burn up. It would take the force off it, decreasing the resistance and then increasing the current.
> 
> ...


I think it's a little different that that, it's overloading the motors that does the damage. The first one pushes so much more air into the second one (than it would normally have) it overloads the motor and burns it out. Stumpy Nubs hooked 2 of them togther and measured the amps on each as he ran them, in his setup, the second one didn't overload....he guessed it was because of the smaller impeller the HF models have. He also mentioned that doing it with say, a Jet 1100, would burn out the motor. With the 11" impeller, it moves more air.


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## Miller Woodworks (Dec 11, 2013)

I mean running them parallel, not in series. I wouldn't push one through the other. That's crazy.

Sorry for any confusion there.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*you mean with a "Y"?*

Rather than inline on the same main, have the 2 units come off at the bottom with a "Y", right?


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## Miller Woodworks (Dec 11, 2013)

Yes, essentially two DC units connected to the 6" pipe going to the separator, then throughout the shop. That way the loss I'd get from the separator would be negated by the second DC unit.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*you may be on uncharted waters here..*

I searched for "twin blower dust collector" and got some behemoths.
My next choice would be to contact Bill Pentz for some advice, if you don't get what you need here.
http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/dc_basics.cfm

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/dc_basics.cfm#BlowerSize

Blowers, and impellers, and CFMs and cyclones are his specialty. :yes:


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> I searched for "twin blower dust collector" and got some behemoths.
> My next choice would be to contact Bill Pentz for some advice, if you don't get what you need here.
> http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/dc_basics.cfm
> 
> ...


The problem with Bill Pentz is he don't like anything under a 5hp for cyclones and in my opinion is not in favor of working with a budget. Just my opinion. 

Now the dual units in parallel might work but your going to take up a lot of space. You may still starve the system trying to move air with (2) units using 6" pipe because your trying to feed it with through one 6" line. 

I'm interested in how it works if you try it. :thumbsup:


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