getting back into woodworking after a 15 year hiatus (retiring). Building a shop, 20×20 , and am shopping dust collection. Not really limited to a budget but I’m looking for something compact due to space limitations as i do have a cabinet saw,lathe,planer,jointer, router table,bandsaw and miter saw. Looking to protect my aging lungs is my priority. Recommendations? Don’t really want to run a bunch of stationary ductwork so thinking portable.
thanks in advance for any advice/ideas
Rick
Replies
I was thinking the same way about dust collection when I built my 20' by 24' shop and bought a Grisley "portable 2 stage dust collector. I was busy for a couple of years switching the intake hose around from machine to machine as I used each one and finally got sick of doing that, especially when going back and forth between machines several times. I still have the same 1.5 horse dust collector but it is now combined with permanent over-head duct work. There is a blast gate at each machine. My woodworking life is now a lot easier and I am not walking over and some times tripping on hoses. I highly recommend putting in duct work. The 1.5 horse dust collector is more than efficient and collects down to 1 micron with a blast gates at each machine. I added a small over head air filter near my workbench where most of the sanding is done. Good building to you in your new shop.
I am a big fan of the Laguna C flux or (P flux if you want to go HEPA) collectors. They are portable, fairly quiet, have large steel impellers, built in cyclone, remote control and, since you are not limited to a budget, the auto clean option is a nice thing to have.
You should also consider an overhead HEPA air cleaner that turns your shop air 6 or 7 times and hour. That will help keep any escaped dust out of your lungs.
First I cannot imagine how you have room for all that equipment, a workbench, outfeed table, wood, sheet goods and tool storage in a 20x20 space! Post a layout of your shop when you get it done - I know I could use your ideas.
I would try to connect as many of the machines to dust collection as you can manage since moving suction hoses around as you change machines is a pain.
One other idea is to have your dust collection located and venting outside of your shop. Then the big sawdust will get collected and the fine dust (the stuff that damages you lungs) does not vent inside the shop.
If you have the budget, I recommend the Oneida Supercell. It has a small footprint, lots of power, and a HEPA filter.
https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-collectors/supercell-high-pressure-wall-mounted-hepa-cyclone-dust-collector-230v
I'm in a small basement shop: Stationary 1.5hp DC mounted high in the corner with a cyclone below. Planer, joiner, and router table share the 4" hose with Rockler Dust Right fittings. Then a Fein that I can roll around, but usually hooked up to the Bandsaw with a remote. Wasn't able to get DC to the tablesaw and so I clean it out regularly. I spend a lot time moving hoses around but it's the best setup I could manage given the space. Hope your setup goes well !
jfska has the right of it, I think.
My experience of collecting dust in a small size space (the floor area would be similar) has been that you can get really good suction with a 1.5HP single-stage dust collector, 4 inch pipe and blast gates. For a while. After that while, the blast gates get jammed with dust so don't close, the joints in the pipe work loose (unless you seal them permanently, then you can't clear blockages) and the cheap bag on the DC just discharges fine dust into the air.
I'm going to keep the ductwork as moving the DC around was a pain, but I'm going to buy or make premium self-cleaning blast gates and either replace the bag with a cannister filter, or more likely just mount the motor on an outside wall under a simple roof.
Stumpy nubs has created a good series of videos on dust collection. http://www.stumpynubs.com/dust.html
My shop is smaller, and I landed on a hybrid approach. The gear is a 1.5hp blower mounted on an Oneids Super DD and exhausting (6") to a large oneida canister filter.
I ran a single 5" trunk along the ceiling with 2 drops and allowance for a future third drop. The drops are 4" and both service the area I roll machines into, one from above and one from beolw.
The lower drop has magvent fittings as do the ports that connect to it on each machine, the upper is friction fit for the overblade guard on the sawstop, the second port on the bandsaw, and the sanders, domino, etc. I have a multistage filter on the ceiling for ambient, but I don't use it as much as I should.
If you are going to be swapping hoses look into the magvent parts. If you call the company they'll sell you what you need, online you can only get sets, and you'll need an odd mix.
My feeling is if you have the budget, don’t scrimp on DC and try to cobble together a system like I have.
I am taking a serious look at a Clear Vue unit CV1800. But my shop is also 1500 sf. In a shop that size a portable will probably be best. I’ve looked at Oneida, seems overpriced to me.
Any thoughts of building a bigger shop? With that number of machines you won’t have much space left to work in!
You need to re think portable. Particularly in a small cramped shop. They take up more space, and are a pain in the butt to move around, the bag style units are loud and inefficient. A quality cyclone will take up less space as it can be hung on a wall. The ductwork is easy to run and again, more efficient than hose.
After a couple of portable units and then putting an Oneida in my shop, my only regret was , Why didn't I do it sooner...
I would also recommend Oneida verses the imported ones. They are high quality, and have excellent customer service.
If you send them a floor plan with machine layout they will design your system for you with a complete parts list for a turn key installation (They stock everything you will need). You will not have to out source anything.
Good Luck
Rob
I also wanted to avoid fixed ducting while lowering the hassle factor, and came up with a simple economical system that I've been quite pleased with.
I have a Grizzly 1hp portable collector stowed under my cabinet saw extension table (they also have a wall mounted version), fitted with Rockler's 4" expandable hose---the 4ft length expands to 28ft---and the quick change tool port handle. The hose tucks under the extension table along with the collector. My jointer, planer, bandsaw, cabinet saw and router table are all fitted with Rockler's 4" tool port adaptors. With this setup it is quick and simple to move the hose to each machine, even when using multiple machines in succession.
My Ridgid shop vac is fitted with a Dust Deputy, and lives next to and connected to my chopsaw via an expandable 2" hose, and is then also available to service smaller tools like RO sander, disc/belt sander, Kreg pocket jig, oscillating sander, and of course to do normal shop vac cleanup duty.
Not as elegant and sexy as a fixed duct system, but very functional, easier to maintain, and saved a ton 'o dollars.
The Jet DC-1100VX-CK is on sale for 480 bucks on Amazon. That's absolute robbery. I paid 750 for it, and was very happy to. I was tempted to buy another, but have zero room.
For anyone needed a dust collector, jump on this one.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T86NAK/?tag=toolguyd-20
Lagune CFlex. Duct work with self clearing, shop made blast gates. Wen filter overhead.
I've been where you are for 10 years and am still changing things to find the perfect solution other than going from 400 Sq ft to an addition. I have a Jet vortex 1.5 hp and all the stuff you have plus more. It's cramped but I can't fall and hit the floor. :) I started with a hose that I moved around with DC then parked DC under stair landing and drug hose around. Next I assembled 4 inch sewer pipe duct along the base of 3 walls with gates for the big machines and a port for smaller stuff. I lived with this a long time and tried to ignore the shortcomings. I had about 40 ft of duct plus a run of pvc across floor to center of garage where I clustered the cabinet saw, planer and jointer. It was ok. I opened and closed gates for each tool. Spent a lot of money on plastic gates and fittings and have parts to spare. Then I upgraded to an 8 inch jointer, 15 inch planer and added a second bandsaw (18 inch Laguna) and a dust deputy with small fiber drum at the planer and jointer. The cone reduced air speed and some chips and dust remained. Even sucking straight from the 18 inch bandsaw to the DC through 20 + ft of pipe and hose suffered and left dust. I then eliminated the duct from 1 wall. No difference. Finally I started building an overhead, straight to only the table saw, jointer and planer duct system and decided it was time to upgrade the dc. I looked at a 3 hp Laguna C series which is nice. I emailed Oneida Air Systems, too. They called me 2 days later and spent a lot of time educating me and understanding my needs and recommended a Supercell. I can buy the Laguna on sale for a lot less money, but I'm leaning toward the Supercell. I don't want a mobile collector because I don't have the room to move it. If I did, I'd just stick with what I have. I'm 73, had back surgery in March and am still rehabilitating a leg which lost almost all muscle. I don't have time to fiddle with hoses. I've tripped on them enough. I want overhead ductwork because that is the only space left and I can not afford another fall. I want my time in the shop to be spent on my hobby, not fiddling with pipes and hoses anymore. My father used to tell me that "it never costs to go first class, it pays". That from a descendant of Scottish ancestors who made the Indian ride the buffalo on nickels. Once again, Dad was right. If you have the money, consider the Supercell. They claim it will pull through 100 ft of duct and as many elbows as you throw at it. It will handle 4 inch ports as well as 1.5 inch ports. My jet didn't do so well with tools with small ports so I bought 4 dust collector vacuums and located them next to tools that needed them. If I had not been so frugal in the beginning, I think all the stuff I've bought previously would have paid for the best. Now I'm going to pay for it and try to sell off what I can at a big discount. Try to learn from my mistakes. Good luck.
Jim
Agree with others. Laguna is a great option but forget about the portability. You won't have enough room in your shop to move the unit around. You will need to move the hose from machine to machine. Just get a flexible hose or two and some quick connect 4" attachments to use at each machine.
Recently upgraded to the Jet Vortex 1.5 hp DC. I cannot recall the model number exactly.
Basement shop. My longest run is about 20 feet as the hose lays.
The Jet has two 4” outlets (or one 6” if you take the 4” outlets off).
Connection to a 3 HP tablesaw is mostly permanent.
The other goes to the jointer but I’ll roll my planer over and move the hose to it or over to the bandsaw. The hoses are all either against a wall or between the machines and the DC in a way I don’t really ever trip over them. Plus a 4” diameter blue hose is hard to miss.
When I bought the Jet I switched to the Dust Right flex hose and quick change couplers from Rockler. It’s pretty quick and no tools needed to switch connections.
I looked at Cyclones but for the length of the hose it seemed excessive. If it was all overhead ductwork with dedicated connections that might be different.
Previously had a Jet DC650 I bought in 2000. It still works, but the new Vortex is just a huge improvement.
Mike
I just wanted to thank everyone for their replies,comments and ideas. I'm still undecided but all the responses have given me much to research and consider. Hoping to apply for building permit next week so I have a little time to decide. Thanks again to all.
I have a similar size shop. I have a bag steel city unit I got on sale and a dust deputy on a 55 gal drum. I have it tucked against a wall behind /around my jointer. Moving the dust collector would be a pain but I have a 20 ft hose that I just run along the floor to my tools.
What I'd like to do is build a lean to outside the shop to house the dust collector or at least the dust deputy. (Would make it easier to empty). Only reason Id not put the whole collector outside is I heat the shop and it would cost a fortune to dump all that hot air outside.
Hello out there. I inherited a Dust collector, PSI Tempest TEMP14xx I think. Built in the year 2000. I don’t currently have a 220V circuit in the shop. The motor on the Tempest has specs and a diagram to go from 220 to 110V. I’m not sure this is a great idea but I’m wondering if it is an option. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks
You can make the change. It will work fine.
The motor label says it will draw 26 amps if you convert it to 110 volts. Most homes in the U.S. have some 15 amp 110 volt circuits and some 20 amp 110 volt circuits but no 30 amp 110 volt circuits.
Therefore you will likely need to do some electrical work whichever voltage you choose so, in my opinion, you might as well install a 220 volt 20 amp circuit in your shop.
Mike
OK, thanks guys. I realized I have an unused 220V circuit leftover from an oven we took out. House used to have two ovens. It’s not far from the shop. Wish me luck.
Following up on my earlier post on this topic. I bought an Oneida supercell and wall mounted it under the stairs to the second floor in my garage. I started building sewer pipe overhead run then decided to abandon the idea and use a sewer pipe run behind a bench on one wall and run a 4 inch flex hose across a 42 inch path to my table saw. My jointer is at a right angle to the saw. Everything in my shop is on casters so I can move it into position as needed. I have short sections of 4 inch hose on each tool and use a slip on connector to attach each to the dust pipe. It works well for me. I've learned to avoid the hose across my path and can disconnect and move it when needed. I find changing connections is not so bad because I plan my work so I don't have to change machines back and forth. The overhead pipe might have been nice, but a had to go around a triple laminated beam which would have added four 45 degree els to the pipe and been a pain to plumb on a 9 ft ceiling. I suppose I could have used a section of hose for that, but I questioned the effectiveness of pulling dust and chips through that. My current system was the simplest and got me back to work on wood instead of plumbing from a ladder
I worked for years with a small jet dust collector that had 2 cloth bags and was run through a Lee Valley cyclone top over a garbage can. One hose and always had to move it and reconnect to different machines. It almost drove me crazy and out of the shop for good. I finally got smart and got an Oneida 3 HP V-system 3000 with the HEPA filter. It's all hooked up with overhead ductwork and blast gates. It's really the best shop machine investment I every made. My lungs are so much better off and no more moving hoses around and connecting different machines before I use them. I wish I would have done it sooner. That machine makes working in the shop easy and much safer. My 2 cents anyway.
Photos did not come through first time.
Nice duct work! I probably will do the same, eventually, maybe, I guess. I rearrange my shop about every 18 months so fixed duct work isn't in my near future. It's tricky when you have more stuff than space. I need a shop with accordion walls. Maybe a couple of travel trailers with slide outs cobbled together. 😀
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled