whole Shop Dust Collection

[brian fithian]

Just finished installing a whole shop system. I didnt do any calculations before i started. Just started running 6” pipe, a LOT of it... bought a grizzly 2HP blower from an estate sale and put it on top of a 55gal drum and made a thien baffle for it... i was worried that i had run to much pipe and used “to many” fittings. I think i have about 140’ of 6” pipe and a bunch of wyes, 45’s and 90’s. So far i just have planer, jointer, router and laser hooked up... fired it up a lil while ago for the first time... Dang,,,, this thing will suck the paint off of the walls... ran the planer first. Didn’t think it was working because i couldnt see any dust in the clear hose... had to shine a light on it.... the dust and planer chips moved so fast ya cant hardly see them...
Cant wait to get the rest of the machines hooked up.. this is GREAT... look forward to more shop time and less broom time.
This is WELL WORTH every penny i spent on this set up. I highly recommend it.
Dont know the numbers or cfm but ordered an anemometer and will try to figure it out, jus so i will know

[Julie Moriarty]

Nice set up, Brian. In my last shop I installed 4" DWV pipe without gluing or sealing the joints and dust pickup was still pretty impressive. One thing I did see over time was the static created from dust passing through the pipe attracted a lot of dust on the outside of the pipe, even though I had run a bare #12 copper ground over the pipe.

[Mike Heidrick]

Glad it works for you! Awesome. I keep getting closer on my runs.

[Carl Kona]

Brian,

Are you venting outside? If so, that definitely helps performance! Regardless, on the output of the blower they add a reducer (down to 5") to connect the flex hose. The next model up has a hard duct connecting from the blower to the separator ring. That small change increases CFM by lowering the output restriction of the blower (there is also a canister vs bag). I am guessing you are venting outside and connect to a dryer vent type fitting which is only 4" versus the 5" blower reducer fitting. The inlet to the blower is 6" so the output should be at least 6"+

Bottom line, you do have a lot of ducting and a separator. In your situation opening the blower output as much as possible will help

[brian fithian]

Yes, i am venting outside. I built a 4x10 room behind my shop to house the DC and compressor. I used 5” metal to vent itoutside. I guess that does make a big difference as far as removing the restriction of a filter. Its a pretty big difference

[Marty Schlosser]

Julie,

Your experience with attempts at grounding to limit static buildup is pretty well the same as what everyone I've talked to lives with - whether they run the copper ground on the outside or inside the PVC piping.

I have used primiarily metal ducting on mine (spiral for the main runs and standard gauge hvac elbows and hoods) and plastic flex hoses for the final feet joining the machines to the system. I have nearly zero static buildup, and from the pricing info I'm getting in my local area, the difference between spiral and hvac ducting and PVC is very little.

[Marty Schlosser]

Brian,

there is indeed a significance amount of static pressure loss with filters in place. Here where I live in Canada it's not very economical to vent outside due to the significant amount of warmed air being discharged.

Yes, i am venting outside. I built a 4x10 room behind my shop to house the DC and compressor. I used 5” metal to vent itoutside. I guess that does make a big difference as far as removing the restriction of a filter. Its a pretty big difference

[Julie Moriarty]

Julie,

Your experience with attempts at grounding to limit static buildup is pretty well the same as what everyone I've talked to lives with - whether they run the copper ground on the outside or inside the PVC piping.

I have used primiarily metal ducting on mine (spiral for the main runs and standard gauge hvac elbows and hoods) and plastic flex hoses for the final feet joining the machines to the system. I have nearly zero static buildup, and from the pricing info I'm getting in my local area, the difference between spiral and hvac ducting and PVC is very little.

It's a little hard to dissipate the static with plastic pipe, as I learned. I did windings, metal tape and all sorts of other methods but eventually gave up. When I set up the new shop I used metal duct and have noticed no static build-up.