Couple of dust collection questions. I have a grizzly 3hp dust collector connected to 5” 6” metal tubing that necks down to 4” at the tool.
1. Am I likely to notice a big difference going to sweeping 90 degree elbows? I’ll be replacing tight 90 degree elbows.
2. Is it worthwhile (financially and with respect to air quality) replacing the felt bags (30 micron) with the pleated filters (1 micron)?
Thanks!
Replies
5" ducting is too restrictive for that size blower, so anything you can do to reduce static pressure and turbulence will help. Yes, a longer 90 is going to be less turbulent.
No question canister filters are superior. Not a question of finances, but a question of air quality.
Hard to give specific rec's without knowing the layout, but if I think generally, you should replace the ducting if at all possible. Metal ducts are available in 6,7,8" sizes. 6" minimum, 7 might be better. Again, depends on layout.
Thank you for the response. I was mistaken when I wrote 5”. It is 6” ducting that necks down to 4” close to the tool. I think I can rework things a bit. I guess I will throw down for the pleated filters. That appears to be a no brainer.
The pleated filter is far superior to bags. Your lungs will thank you.
Thank you for the advice. Looks like it’s time for an upgrade.
While you're throwing down, add a cyclone separator if you don't already have one... It will improve the performance of the system and prolong the life of your filters immensely.
Yeah, I started looking at the dust deputy xl as well and started trying to figure out if I could just flop the impeller and motor on its side and set it on top of the dust deputy. Good call, and thanks for the suggestion.
I did the same on the steel version of the dust deputy but it took some work.
The fan assembly is meant to hang from the motor so the motor is too heavy for the impeller housing to support. The sagging sheet metal had the impeller grinding into the other side of the housing. I reinforced the housing with a sheet of aluminum plate over a sheet of masonite as a spacer (based on the bolt config for my 1.5HP Rikon unit). While I was at it I installed a larger fan to up the CFM.
The key is to have the weight carried by the edges of the fan housing. Be careful removing the impeller, the threads on the shaft are reversed.
Thank you for the photo. I called Grizzly this morning and asked if the motor could be mounted in that orientation (I was wondering about the way the bearings were being loaded). They said it wasn’t designed for that, but should hold up fine. I am also considering leaving the dust collector where it is and mounting the cyclone to the shop wall low down, and cutting a hole in the floor of my shop so the cyclone empties into a 55gallon drum under the shop. That would save some space, smooth the duct work out, and make emptying the shavings easier.
The filter upgrade is a no brainer. You'll notice less dust in the air and have to clean up less. The dust deputy also is highly recommended. It will save you time cleaning the filter. I had one and liked it, but emptying it and refitting the lid to the barrel was tricky, in particular because the upper part is attached to the hose that goes to the dust collector and another that goes to the tool. Unwieldy, in short. And on the tubing question, I agree with the consensus there too. There are some smart woodworkers on this forum!
I have often fantasized about routing my dust through a hole in the wall and let it fall in a wheelbarrow outside my house. All that would be inside would be the motor, mounted on the wall. I would construct a channel to route the dust down the outer wall and install sound baffling. But it would still annoy my neighbors.
The fix for the barrel issue is to hard mount the DD about 6" above the barrel and connect them with a bit of flex hose. Getting the barrel in and out is a breeze.
The clear hose also gives you a visual that the barrel is full before chips start flowing to the filter. Oneida sells it by the foot, I bought 1 foot.
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