I’ve been to the archives. I’ve read the articles. I know more about microns than I did before. I have too much information. I still have questions…
With a small-ish (15×15) basement shop that I use for weekend projects, with a TS, router, thickness planer, chop saw and various sanders, what type of DC systems would you recommend to:
- keep the dust down in the rest of the house and
- do an effective job of collecting dust from active machines.
I get the sense that a shop vac is not optimal tool for either purpose.
Thanks!
Replies
This is a big subject and there are a lot of strong opinions. The reason they diverge so strongly is that you need a very different setup to keep your shop looking clean than you do to protect your lungs from the very fine dust that is said to cause the most severe health risks. People have different opinions of the level of risk that is appropriate, but if you tend to have allergies, you should certainly read about what would be needed to protect yourself from the small stuff. Here's a link to a very large collection of information on how and why to protect yourself from even the small dust: http://billpentz.com//woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm
Window fan to suck all the airborn dust outside.
Broom to sweep the floor.
DrewK,
What type of budget do you have? The problem of duct collection doesn't deminish with the size of the shop. It is somewhat bounded by the number and type of machines that will be run. A planer is a planer in any sized shop, as are any other tool. If you can afford a cyclone, it is definately the way to go. The next best thing is canisters, followed by bags.
TDF
Tom:
It's a hobby, so budget is more of an academic exercise than a practical limitation. I guess I need to know what it'll take to do the job right.
Drew
P.S. hmmmm... Broom... window fan... what are these things?
I think you're right that a shop vac is not the best solution.
Here's a way to look at finding the right DC for your small shop:
1) I agree that a cyclone style is probably the best (e.g. Oneida), but I think it would be serious overkill in your situation.
2) I have a Jet 1100 (1100 cfm, s), but even that size is more than you need. But it does run on a 110 circuit, and the bag is big enough that you don't have to change it after every operation. It cost around $300.
3) If it is possible that you could locate the DC in an adjacent area and run the pipe to it from your shop, then I think something like the1100 would be ideal for you.
4) If the DC must be in the shop, I would say that something in the 600-700 cfm range would be quite adequate, but you will have to empty it more often. The footprint of these smaller units is about the same as the large ones (e.g. Jet 1100), but the height is less. Maybe you can have some shelves or cabs above the DC. If that is not in your plan, then you might as well get the 1100 (which is about 6-7' tall).
Hope this helps.
BTW, do you know about the Long Ranger remote control device for DC's? They are very much worth having.
Assuming the "various sanders" are hand-held and not stationary they are good candidates for the shop vac - I've found they work better than my Delta 1½ hp 600 cfm DC. At the other end of the spectrum, I have been unable to find a collection approach that works on the SCM. I'm guessing more suction is a start. For everything else (jointer, planer, TS) the 600 cfm is adequate, though I continue to lust after the cyclone. Such is the curse of this hobby!
Don't want to steal the gentleman's thread, but as far as DC for the SCM... If the tool is stationary, you can build an open faced box behind it, and slope the bottom towards a dust port at the center. Use as large a hose/pipe to this box as you would for the TS or Planer. The tiny little chute built into the saw is useless, the blade throws dust out too wildly.
carry on. :-)
Tony
Don't know that it is exactly steaking the thread, as he will have to figure out how to get the chop saw dust into the DC :-).
I do have a box around the back & top of the saw, with a sheet metal furnace register thingamajig at the back/bottom to route the dust to the 6" hose. It does more or less keep the dust corralled in the area around the saw, which is certainly a good thing, but doesn't really suck up very much of it. So I still consider it a work in progress... (and my justification for more suction!).
I know you're tight for space, but my vote goes to a dc with a 1 1/2 to 2 hp motor. You'll find the actual cfm of these units is considerably lower than rated. With a dc rated for 1000 to 1200 cfm you will get sufficient air flow for your equipment plus a bag large enough not to require constant emptying. I think a 1 hp unit is just simply too small and you'll quickly become dissatisfied and want a larger unit anyway.
Please note that this is probably 95% opinion and 5% fact.
Drew,
I have a very similar setup. Small basement shop with TS, jointer, planer and router table, and last year purchased the Penn State Industries 1hp DC1B-xl with 1 micron collection bag. My father in law then gave me the .5 micron canister for Christmas.
I connect to 1 machine at a time and it works really well. It does not take up much space as the footprint is small. It collects everything from jointer and planer. I still have to vacuum the inside of the TS, but the airborne dust in the shop has been reduced dramatically.
Hope this helps,
Steve
"I get the sense that a shop vac is not optimal tool for either purpose." You're the front-runner for Understatement of the Year!
Several posts have mentioned the frequency of "emptying the bag." This is a major factor that pushes me toward having a cannister filter rather than a bag filter on top. The other is the increased filtration area of the pleated filter and its efficiency with smaller particles. I hate the idea of collecting all that dust and then having to drag it upstairs (in your case) and empty into something to get rid of it, probably breathing in a considerable amount in the process. Not to mention looking like the Pillsbury Doughboy's sister in the end.
It's very, very important to collect as much dust as possible from the source. A quality air scrubber (filter) will do the rest. A shop vac can do a good job with hand-held sanders, or you can use a small down-draft table or one of those bench-mounted filters with a hood. The air-filter can be positioned to circulate dirty air away from the access door to your house, clean air toward it and really cut down on the remaining particles.
One thing I've learned from the folks here is to look not only at horsepower but also at impeller size. That factor partially explains the divergent CFMs between like-HP systems.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
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