For optimum efficiency, what volume of air is required for a G0440?

[Mike Monroe]

Does more air volume mean less air velocity? If I want more dust to drop into the bin should I have an extra gate open to increase the air volume?


I got around to installing the filter cleaner brush upgrade kit yesterday on my G0440 cyclone. Since I had the filter unit removed from the machine I took some time to thoroughly clean the filter. I hand brushed and knocked about two gallons of super fine flour like wood dust out of the filter. The cyclone works great for capturing chips in the bin, but I’m wondering if some of this super fine flour like dust shouldn’t end up in the bin also rather than in the filter media. I typically have one gate open at a time; 10” table saw, 8” joiner, 12” planer, 14” band saw, 6” floor sweep. The main is 7”, the smallest hookup is 5” and the longest run calculates to 20’.

[Curtis Horswill]

How long since you have cleaned the filter? I have the G0440 and have filled the dust drum about 10 times now, only have about 1/2 cup of fine dust in the filter bag. It might be possible that you have an air leak at the dust drum seal.

[David Hostetler]

I would think that if you neck the air flow down too far, it would cause higher static pressure in the system, causing fines in particular to bypass the cyclone and end up in the filter. I would not neck down smaller than 6" port size with that DC...

[Mike Monroe]

I've lost count of how many times I've emptied the dust drum bin. I'll dry a smoke test around the dust drum bin. I suspect the G0440 is not get enough air which results in the air moving too fast which results in the fines getting blown into the filter media.

Which would be more better to increase the air volume; opening a gate before or behind the machine in use (or does it even matter)?

[Chris True]

Not sure about the specific answer to your question but I'll make an observation. I have the same collector for close to three years, very happy with it. In say the first year my comment would have been the same as Curtis's, hardly any gets to the filter. Now that's not true, everytime I use the brushes a small pile drops into the bag. I really think the difference isn't so much a change in what is getting to the filter but rather in the first year the fines were being trapped in the filter and seasoning it. Now the filter holds all it is going to hold and the brush is able to scraped the new fines off the surface.

Also, there is plenty if flour in the collection drum, a cloud rises everytime I dump it into the 35 gallon bagged trash can to empty the sucker.

[Larry Edgerton]

Try to open another gate and let us know how it works. Not having the correct air flow/speed can affect the ability of the cyclone to do its job, so try it......... Spend some time on Bill Pentz's site and after a while it becomes more clear, but be warned, he doesn't skip any details.......

[Jim Neeley]

+1 on Larry's (at least partly) opening another gate... its the velocity of the air entering the DC that makes it move to the outside of the cyclone as it swirls. +1 on Bill Pentz's site too...

Chris's observation has merit also, from my experiences..

[Mike Monroe]

I'm gunna leave the 5" gate to the table saw always open. It's the machine closest to the cyclone. And I'll make it a habit of running the new and improved cleaning brush up down the filter at the end of shop session. See what that does for the dust loading of the filter media.