Running DC ducts high or low

[Prashun Patel]

I'm redoing my basement workshop and I'm planning the dc ducts now.

Here's a dumb question: why do most people prefer to run ducts overhead? I understand not wanting them underfoot, but with a most tools it seems that you'd need to drop it from the ceiling far enough away such that it doesn't interfere with the use of the tool. This is the worst with a tablesaw, where you need good clearance on all 4 sides. Can I see your pix of your tool drops?

[David G Baker]

I do not have a dust collection set up yet but if and when I do I am going the lower route. I don't do enough woodworking to justify an elaborate set-up but enough to appreciate not having to sweep up a lot of sawdust. I also do not have the overhead room in the building where my woodworking tools are now used. If I build another building to park my tractor in I then will re-think the DC because my pole barn will be available and it has lots of room and 10 foot ceilings.
Overhead seems to be the majority of set-ups especially shops that do serious woodworking.

[Rod Sheridan]

Shawn;

- jointer planer drop (Hammer A3-31) planer drop at ceiling, jointer 12" above floor.

- TS, cabinet at 12" above floor, overarm guard at ceiling

- shaper uses the same drop as TS overarm

- tools along the wall like scroll saw, drill press, band saw, lathe and two floor sweeps come off a main horizontal pipe thats about 40" above the floor along two walls of the shop.

Regards, Rod.

[glenn bradley]

I went through this same dilemma myself. The driving factor (if any) seemed to be the desire to have about 4 times (?) the diameter of your pipe, in length, running straight out of the cyclone inlet. You don't mention what type of DC and I can tell you I do not do this on my bagger but did the best I could on the cyclone.

Here's a pic from a while back:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=107655&d=1232573981

Where the duct drops out of site there are floor feeds to the TS lower, RT lower and BS upper and lower.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, Guys.
I have a Delta 50-760. It's a 1-stage unit.
I'm gonna go along the floor.

[Rob Cunningham]

When my shop was in my basement, I ran the pipe low because of the low ceiling. In my current shop,(10' ceiling) I ran the pipe overhead with drops to all the machines.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have a Delta 1 1/2 horse unit-forgot the model number. I recently upgraded from the bags to a canister and disposal plastic bag below. These machines are not strong enough to pull from a high mounted pipe system like a cyclone system is. My solution was to locate the DC unit in an outside storage room and run duct through the wall and around the perimeter of half the shop. It is mounted approx. 16 inches from the floor, with Y-branches and blast gates in several locations. Has worked well so far as long as you open the blast gate only to the running machine.

[Ed Labadie]

I ran all mine in the polebarn attic. The only things you see are the drop pipes coming down the walls.

Ed

[Nick Abbott]

I ran mine down one wall, 4" SD PVC. The far end is about 4' off the floor the end connected to the outside DC unit is about 3' off of the floor where it goes thru the wall. The run itself is about 24' with 4 blast gates. Outside the wall the unit goes to a 55 gallon drum with a Thein baffle and an open exhaust that dumps fines about 2' above the ground.

[Jim Becker]

Up high or down low matters not relative to the actual dust collection, although many "low" runners end up with perimeter designs which are generally longer and less efficient. A well designed overhead duct system may tend to be easier to maintain and change over time as a shop evolves. That's absolutely been the case in my own shop. The drops really don't interfere with anything, either, if they are done thoughtfully.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks everyone. I've actually concluded that for now, my shop's gonna be laid out with a single 15ft flex pipe and quick connects to my tsaw, planer, and jointer, respectively. I'll take some pix when the shop's completed. Advance warning: my place ain't no great shakes, and calling it a 'shop' is kind of a stretch....

But, we're all evolving, right?!