Onieda Dust Deputy....WOW

[Rick Potter]

I started routing flutes in some door casings I am making, and hooked up my new Onieda Dust Deputy (the plastic one) for the first time. I already have a Clearvue Mini collector attached to my chop saw, and it does a fantastic job.

I am happy to report that the DD does the job just as well. My router switch went out part way through the job, so I had to stop (separate post). When I took the lid off the DD the bucket was 1/3 to 1/2 full of MDF powder. Opening the shop vac, I found.....drum roll.........NOTHING, or as close to it as I can see. Obviously the DD did a fantastic job on the ultra fine MDF dust.

Only problem I had was hooking up a small hose from the router to the DD. I have three hoses that came with various tools, and none fit the fitting. I finally used duct tape to attach one.

Which one do I prefer?? Like a good politician, I won't give a straight answer. The ClearVue has 2 1/2 shop vac fittings at both ends, and a larger cyclone, so I assume it will handle more air flow. That is why I have attached to the chop saw. The DD has 2 1/4 from the vac and 1 1/2(?) at the business end, and I assume would be efficient even with a small shop vac.

In practice, they both work just fine. I have used the ClearVue for router work with a small hose and it worked well there too.

I am going to attach the DD to a shop vac as they suggest, and make it more portable.

Very impressed with both.

Rick Potter

[Greg Peterson]

Yeah, the DD is pretty impressive. I don't even bother firing up the shop vac without it.

[Harold Shay]

I have been running my DD with my shop vac for 7 months using my ROS and I still have not had to clean the filter in m vac. I am impressed also.
Harold

[Tri Hoang]

I used to have the metal DD and it works great...lose some suction, though. I hated the extra pre-separation can/DD assembly so I sold the DD and go with cheap bags ($10 for 3 15-18G medium filtration bags at WM). It takes a long time to fill up one of those, especially when used only for saw/sanding dusts. My Clearstream HEPA washable filter still looks clean and it does not seem to lose any suction.

Either way, it is a much better alternative than paying an arm & leg for those Festool vac+bags.

[Rick Potter]

I worked till 11 last night trying to finish my door casings. When I was almost done I noticed the dust collection was not quite as good as it had been. "Just a couple more boards, and I'll quit". Well it turns out that I had filled up the entire DD bucket with MDF dust, and it started backing up into the shop vac, clogging the filter and slowing down the air flow. The router then sprayed it all over.

This morning I had to take it all apart and clean it up again. I heard a good adage the other day..."Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered". "Just a couple more boards" moved me from pig to hog.

The sad thing is, I checked it by pulling off the top hose and looking down the hole. It had room, or so I thought. I forgot the metal collar that hangs down. It just looked like it wasn't quite full.

Rick Potter

PS: Tri...I guess I am dustier than thou. 5 gal of dust in one day.