Cartridge Filter Upgrade for DCs

[Bill Pentz]

I just got an email scolding me for burying this tidbit in another thread, so am putting it up here.

Rather than buy the Jet cartridge retro-fit kit, an alternative is to simply make your own. To do so you need one of the special wide pleated filters designed to handle lots of dust and airflow. Most fine cartridge filters are setup where they need a cyclone or prefilter, so you need the right kind. The right ones have about half the total filter area and are coated with a release agent that lets the dust fall right off as soon as the airflow stops. A couple of taps and it is ready to go again.

They make these in paper poly combinations, but the result can not be washed so is only good for a few years. You also can buy them in all spun poly that are good for four plus years as they can be fully washed to bring them back like new.

The one I have is from Wynn Environmental Filters (http://www.wynnenv.com/torit_filters.htm) Part number 2A100SBOL for $126. This one has a good bottom seal, so you don't need to modify a thing or make any special adapter for it to work on most dust collector bag trees.

Ideally you should have a filter with an outer expanded metal screen but no inner metal (unlike mine), the wide pleats, a top with a hole, the release coating, and 100 to 125 square feet in a 12.75" diameter 26" tall unit or there abouts.

And yes, I know it would be better with my filter that has the inner metal if I made a canister to sit on top of my DC. Doing so has some advantages, but is more work. The canister would push the air through the filter the way it was designed to work and put all the dust on the outside making for easier cleaning. The trade off is more work building and sealing a canister, versus more work cleaning your filter without the canister. With the canister around the filter, cleaning becomes a simple matter of blowing air (not too much pressure or will ruin the filter) through the open top hole with all in place. The dust will fall right into the bag below.

In any case,

http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworking/cyclone/DCConversion/FilterTop.jpg

http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworking/cyclone/DCConversion/FilterBottom.jpg

To upgrade my Jet DC-1100 took about five minutes. I only needed: [list=1]
That filter;
A 28" long 1/4"-20 threaded Rod;
A nice looking threaded knob for the top of the filter;
A couple of nuts with lock washers to secure on each side of the cross bar; and,
Some poly bags to replace the lower collection bag.
[/list=1]

http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworking/cyclone/DCConversion/hardware.jpg
http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworking/cyclone/DCConversion/Mount.jpg

The result works like a champ and only cost $5 plus the filter.

http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworking/cyclone/DCConversion/DC.jpg

For those on a tigher budget, you might want to consider the Farr Model STXL-110 121884003 34" Tenkay Spun Bonded Polyester 106. Go to http://www.camfilfar.info/rep_locator to find a distributor near you. Alternatively, call Farr in Ottawa to get a local phone number: Camfill Farr, Old Innes Rd., Ottawa, Ont., Tel: 613-521-5555 or just order from them direct plus add shipping and taxes With this one, you might have to do some modification to the filter top to make it fit.

Is this what I do? Maybe for a roll around, but I really use Terry Hatfield's DustEliminator Cyclone (http://www.dusteliminator.com) with a couple of fine 226 square foot filters powered by a nice Leeson 5 hp compressor motor.

Hope this helps.. and not part of any of these firms..

bill pentz

[Herb Blair]

I tried to order a filter from EFilterman. I got a call from Farr filters, apprently they got my info from the efilterman site. They said the site was bogus. Especially the prices.
A spun bond filter through Farr was $156.

Herb

[Mark Kauder]

Bill,
Would this setup increase air flow (suction), compaired to basic cloth filter or the shaker felt filters like I have?
Grizzly G1028z


Thanks for all you work

Mark

[Bill Pentz]

Herb,

You are absolutely correct. Efilterman turns out to be bogus. Apparently Farr started to put up a web site just before the dot-com collapse and never got around to populating the site with actual costs or even finishing the site.

As I said on my web page, the prices looked too good to be true and had not bought from them. I've had good success with Wynn Environmental and lots of good help from them too. Their prices are very reasonable as well.

Mark,

The cartridge filters will reduce your resistance from about 2"+ down to 0.25". That makes a huge difference in airflow and is well worth doing. You do need to pick cartridges that are compatible with what it is you want to do. Very fine filters are great for cyclones but worthless for dust collector modifications, and vice versa..

bill

[Bill Pentz]

A little new news on the DC to cartridge filter conversion front. I would start with one filter and see how well it works. Although it will have higher resistance than the fine cartridges or the all spun poly filter, it still should be far less than a set of bags, so should work just fine.

Bill
~~~~~~

Bill,

A few days ago I asked you if Wynn Environmental (http://www.wynnenv.com) has a Blend equivalent to the spun polyester filter you recommended for a single stage collector (2A100SBOL). Below is Rick Wynn's response. They can also provide the closed-end bolt hole version by changing the B to and A in the part #.

Just in case you receive any more inquiries like mine.

Scott A. Amman

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Wynn [mailto:sales@WynnEnv.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 12:00 PM
To: Amman, Scott (A.)
Subject: Re: Filter for Single Stage Dust Collector for Woodshop


Scott,

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you.

We don't list it, but we can build a 2B110BLFROL. This will be 110 sq. ft., open-open, fire retardant 80/20 blend, no inner liner.... $48.00 each. Note that this filter will flow a bit less than the 2B100SBOL, since paper is tighter that spunbond. You may want to stack these to achieve the desired flow/pressure drop.

Hope this helps, and let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Rick

[Bart Leetch]

DC filter system

Sorry I don't have pictures

I beat both options.
1. The new custom made bag from AFF.
2.The filter system from jet.

I made housing that is 48" tall out of sheet metal & got 2 used big diesel truck filters & blew them out & put them in the housing.

The base of the housing is plywood with cut outs shaped like partial pie cuts leaving a solid circle of plywood in the middle for the filter to set on. This allows the air to come up on the outside of the filter & flow through to the inside of the filters & out the top.

The sheet metal goes 1/2" beyond the plywood creating a flange at the bottom & has peel & stick foam tape on it. This sets on the bag rim of the DC.

I had to cut the metal top on the filter down with my saber saw because it is made in an off set non-centered design. I set one filter with the metal top down & the other filter with the metal top up & cut the 5" center out of the metal top on the top filter.

I made a wood ring for the top & using a board I screwed the center cut out of the ring to it & using foam seal tape again I made a lid with a 5" hole for the exhaust in the middle & screwed it onto the wood ring that is screwed to the metal at the top of the housing.

With this set up which cost $50 & the back of my contractor saw closed up I can feel the suction though the slot & finger hole in the throat plate & I only have 4" PVC duct work on a G10219 Grizzly 2 hp DC. Just think what will happen when I convert to 6" PVC ductwork.

A note there is foam seal tape where the wood is screwed to the metal & double stick tape on the side of the housing where tube is riveted together as well as duct tape over the top of the rivet heads.

This is an inexpensive way to beat the system. I got the used filters from a trucking outfit for free. I do get a few chips setting on top of the pie shape segmented plywood at the bottom of the filter housing but when I checked they don't seem to be going up & sticking to the sides of the filters which are wrapped with an fine expanded metal screen.

[Bill Pentz]

Bill,

I read the article on your web site describing the conversion of a Jet DC to a cartridge filter. I have a Delta 50-850 DC. It is a 1.5 hp unit with an 11.5 inch impeller. I discussed the conversion with Wynn Environmental using a 2A100SBOL cartridge, and they recommended using 2 cartridges for better air flow. On your site you use one. What size JET DC did you do this conversion on? Were you satisfied with the one cartirdge solution? I would like to do this conversion, but the cost of 2 cartridges would be prohibitive for me, especially when priced against an AFF filter bag. Your comments on this would be greatly appreciated.

-Bryan Danner


Bryan,

I both agree and disagree with Wynn on this one. My SB which means spun bond polyester filtering material is the same as the better filter bags. Even a big set of poly bags for a 1, 2, or even 3 hp dust collector will only give you 50 square feet of filter area, most only about 25. The back pressure with these fine bags is so low that it leaves the bags limp until they begin to build up a cake of dust. With that Wynn unit offering 100 square feet, it provides far more area and better filtering. Using two of these would be better yet, as you would have to clean it far less frequently.

I tested this conversion on my Jet 1.5 hp stock dust collector. It works fine. I suppose if you really need the information I can measure the CFM with the cartridge then put back on the stock bags and measure the CFM again.

Their much less expensive poly-paper blended filter has more resistance, but it still should be ample to use just one as that resistance is far less.

In either case, I strongly recommend these cartridge filters over most fine filter bags because they provide much more airflow and far better filtering. Unlike many of the cheap import bags that are self rated, apparently by the advertising departments, these use materials that have been tested by an independent certified lab.

bill

[Bryan Danner]

Bill,

Thanks! That is exactly the kind of feed back I was looking for. I plan on ordering the cartridge and making the modification.

Keep up the great work...it's very much appreciated.


-Bryan

[Curt Harms]

Interesting idea. How frequently do the filters need to be cleaned? I believe Steve Knight tried something like this and found the filters plugged too easily. It's possible that Steve had a lot of fine sanding dust that I wouldn't have. I've thought about the Jet Canister but it's 2 micron vs. sub-micron for the filters you recommend.

Bill you've done the community a real service. Thanks you.

Curt

[Mark Kauder]

Bill,
First off, I want to second the thanks to you for all that you have done in the DC relm for the woodworker!!

(Now after that blatant sucking up)

First off - I was lucky enough to win one of Terry's Cyclone and Blower kits at Ray's Badger Pond gathering, so I guess one is in the future - though I will have to wait until I get 220v in the shop to turn a 3 HP motor.

Second - Talking to Terry and Dennis, I had a question that they were not able to answer. What is the effect of "dead pipe" laterals on a "Live" drop? I have a primative DC system, 1 1/2hp Grizzly hooked to 4" piping (I know, I know). I have a straight run going from the DC to the other end of the shop, and suction is pretty good, at that end. This run as three 6' laterals going off of it to the other side of the shop. After working at the end of the run, if I open one of the laterals, I can hear chips going to the DC, so obviously, some of the air and chip are eddying into the dead pipe. If that is true, would it be better to put a blast gate at the beginning of the lateral to cut down on the amount of dead pipe?

When I go to the cyclone, I will be going to 6" pipe.


Thanks

Mark

[Bill Pentz]

Curt & Mark,

You are both welcome.

Curt - Steve did try making his own cartridge filters, but used two of the fine filters from www.buy-filters.com. Those 226 square foot filters had pleats that were too close together. The result is they quickly plugged. Steve now is using one of the cyclones I built.

The 100 square foot cartridges I recommended from www.wynnenv.com overcome that problem with both a release agent and wider pleats. They also give 4 times the area of the largest bags. Two would be better with less cleaning but one should do.

Mark - Congrats on winning one of the cyclones!

When you start seeing a lot of dust coming through upon opening gates, you should be suspicious that your system does not have th 3700 feet per minute (FPM) vertical and 3000 FPM horizontal airspeed to keep the dust from falling out of the airstream.

"Dead pipe" laterals cause turbulence that can add to this problem, and if those drops are rarely used the pipes can fill with dust just as you have found out. They also can make your system "pluse". If you use 45 or 30 degree take-offs from your main you will have far less of this problem. Likewise, having your blast gates right at each takeoff, is better but more inconvenient.

bill