How I Modified My Delta 50-850 DC

[Tom LaRussa]

The way I saw it, my DC had two main problems.

1. Delta had choked off the air supply by closing down the main opening from 6" to 4". They hide this by putting a double 4" intake over the opening, but the two four inchers just immediately feed into a single 4" opening in front of the impeller.

2. The 30 micron filter bag that comes with the unit does not do beans so far as removing small particulates from the air.

The obvious solution would be a big ol' cyclone, but the budget just doesn't have that much stretch these days. So, I had to come up with a set of solutions that would do as much as possible at minimal new expense.

Here's what I came up with:

Step 1: Opening up the main intake thingie from 4" to 6"

Tools used:

metal snips
Dremel Moto-tool with cutting disks
cold chisel & 2 lb hammer (I aggravate fairly easily) :o
http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/dm01.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/dm02.jpg


Step 2: Adding a whirliegig to the separator ring.

This is sort of a cross between a pseudo-cyclone and a trash can seperator. Note that these pictures are looking at the separator from the bottom. I know, it's not a very good fit, but I was limited by the size of the flashing I found in our builder's dumpster. (When we moved in several houses on the block were still under construction, so I was able to snag a lot of lumber and stuff for free, but the selection was somewhat limited.)

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/dm03.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/dm04.jpg

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[br]
That's polyeurothane construction adhesive smeared all over the place in the next pic.

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/dm06.jpg

[b]Step 3: Cut a donut out of 3/4" plywood to mount a real filter from Wynne Environmental.

I cut both the inside and outside on my 14" Grizzy G0555 Ultimate Bandsaw, (with riser block), (which has just been named "Best Value" by American Woodworker -- gloat, gloat, gloat). To cut the inside of the ring I just sliced my way in and then when I was done I glued up the cut I'd made.

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/dm07.jpg

Somehow I managed not to take any closeup pictures of the whole thing in action, so use your imagination a bit. The separator goes back into the DC assembly, (right side up), with the donut screwed and caulked on top of it. On top of that sits a Wynne Environmental super-duper filter.

***********************************************

Okay, that took care of a couple things. But when I called Wynne to order the filter, Mr. Wynne emphasized that the filter would work much better (and last longer) with a cyclone, or at least a trash can separator.

My mains are all 6", so the trash can idea just wouldn't seem to cut it. Since I opened up the main intake from 4" to 6" I was now running the risk of burning out my motor, and I guessed that I probably had a bit of extra suckage to play with. So, I decided to build a big pre-filter box, which is an idea that somebody mentioned reading about somewhere -- FWW?

In any event, I had some plywood, some 1/4" metal screening, some 2x4s, and some more of that flashing lying around, so I cobbled my creation together out of that and several tubes of caulking.

The box measures 4' long by 2' wide by 3' high. The 1/4 metal screening is stretched across the inside of the contraption on the side nearest the DC -- only about 4" from that side, so the remainder of the box is empty.

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/pf01.jpg

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Since most of the box is empty, I use it as a gigantic manifold -- with blast gates cut into it in various places to provide suckage to various tools. I also attached the 2 x 4" Wye that came with the DC, so that I can plug in 4" flex lines to service table-top dust pickups for the TS & Router Table, as well as making a really neat vaccuum station. I have the only 1.5 HP vaccuum cleaner on the block -- take that, Mr. Oreck! :D

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/pf05.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~tomlarussa/pf06.jpg

Notes:

Another project down the line will be to build a bandsaw outfeed table on top of the separator box.

If you look below the Delta Wye, you'll see the big cleanout door.

[Michael Ballent]

That looks pretty cool, I am just not understanding why would need to build such a large box that you connect the tools to. Did you get an Amp reading from the motor before building the box that lead you to believe the the motor would burn up? Besides that how is it working out. Are you getting more flow with the mods? Looks like a great idea without going the route of buying/building a cyclone.

[Chris Padilla]

Interesting, Tom. How is it working out?

[Jim Taylor]

Hi Tom,

I'd be intererested in the impact your 4-to-6" opening change had. Does the motor get warm after running for a while? I modified my DC a while back, and have been really happy with the results:

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=8935

One of the further mods I was considering is the input opening size like you have made.

I am running with two filters now, and there is a noticable increase in air volume, I know that you can come up with a means to stack a couple of those Wynn filters, you might want to consider it...

I have not checked the amperage into my motor, but even after i run it for long periods (say an hour or so), the temp on it is only very slightly above ambient. I believe that the biggest deal is to make sure the motor does not overheat and break down the insulation in its internal wiring, so far with my set up I think I am a long way from that point.

Further mods I am considering:

- Solid ducting - this more because I am getting sick of moving my one 6" hose around, but I would expect some performance increase
- 4-6" input increase (like you have done)
- 3rd filter - my setup can handle a third filter, and if I move it around a bit, a forth.

With a little work, I think that you can salvage these less-than-optimal DC's. Mine would be able to suck up a small animal.... hmmm.... here kitty kitty kitty... nice kitty.

[Dave Right]

Nice job and very ingenious. http://sawmillcreek.org/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Tom LaRussa]

That looks pretty cool, I am just not understanding why would need to build such a large box that you connect the tools to. Did you get an Amp reading from the motor before building the box that lead you to believe the the motor would burn up? Besides that how is it working out. Are you getting more flow with the mods? Looks like a great idea without going the route of buying/building a cyclone.
Hi Michael,

I built the box large in height and length so that I would be able to use a large piece of the 1/4" screen. I was concerned that, during planing operations for example, the suction from the DC unit might hold the chips against the screen, effectively clogging it. Once it had already grown to 3' high by 4' long, I decided to make it 2' deep for a few reasons. In no particular order:

since it was already big, I figured I might as well make it big enough to put something on top of. I toyed with mounting my planer up there, with shop-made infeed/outfeed tables, but decided to go with a band saw outfeed instead.
by making it 2' thick, I can put additional blast gates in the ends as well as in the large side; this helps keep the runs to other machines straighter, e.g., check out how short & straight the run to the bandsaw is.
I didn't want to have to empty it very often. :o
the free flashing I acquired via dumpster diving is very heavy gauge and 20" wide, and I figured I'd probably lose a finger or two if I tried to split it lengthwise with a pair of tinsnips.
It seems to work quite well. I don't have the facilities to measure the air flow, but it certainly seems to be drawing a great deal more air than the original configuration, and a quick glance around the shop -- which is now minus the coating of fine dust it had prior to these mods -- tells me that it's cleaning the air better.

[Tom LaRussa]

Interesting, Tom. How is it working out?
It really sucks! :D

[Tom LaRussa]

Hi Jim,



I'd be intererested in the impact your 4-to-6" opening change had. Does the motor get warm after running for a while? I modified my DC a while back, and have been really happy with the results:

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=8935
I have not seen a noticible increase in the temperature of the motor, but then I haven't had it running for any really long sessions since I made the mods.

I considered doing something along the lines of what you did, but this solution just seemed so much easier to engineer that my laziness won out.



I am running with two filters now, and there is a noticable increase in air volume, I know that you can come up with a means to stack a couple of those Wynn filters, you might want to consider it...
That's the next item on the agenda. I figure I'll go for a 2nd filter next, then a larger blower, then build a cyclone. But at current funding levels it's going to be a while.



Further mods I am considering:

- Solid ducting - this more because I am getting sick of moving my one 6" hose around, but I would expect some performance increase
- 4-6" input increase (like you have done)
- 3rd filter - my setup can handle a third filter, and if I move it around a bit, a forth.

That all makes sense to me, but I only know what I've read on Bill P's web site. ;)

By the way, what model DC did you start with?