Dewalt 735 and suction?

[Bruce Darrow]

Is there, or can there be, turbulence problems when attaching strong suction to the fan assisted discharge on a DW 735 planer?

I've got 4" hose running to a 6" drop (long reducer), coming from a 3hp cyclone. Great suction on the end of the hose. I do collect most of the chips, but a fair amount spits back at me, and small piles accumulate on the bed.

I read a post a while back where someone was asking about removing the fan.......was this in response to a similar problem?

What are others doing in similar situations?

Thanks in advance.

Bruce

[Victor Robinson]

This doesn't answer your question, but folks usually remove the fan to cut down on noise. Since you have a strong DC, you could afford to do that without decreasing your collection efficiency. If anything, it might alleviate the potential turbulence issue but I have no direct knowledge of that.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Try running the DW without the DC. Just the 4" hose. See if it spits chips back at you then. I see a couple chips now and again, but not a lot. I think the fan is plenty powerful, and see no reason the DC would make things worse, but you never know.

[Jim Mackell]

My setup is similar to yours and I do not have a problem. Have you checked to see is there's some minor obstruction in your exhaust chute?

[Larry Frank]

I am only using a 4" dust collector duct and hose with a 2 HP dust collector. I have a few chips coming out but the majority are sucked away.

I would check to make certain that you do not have something stuck inside the fan and duct in side the planer.

[Bruce Darrow]

Thanks, guys, for your feedback.

I've been inside the machine, and the hood is fine. I'll go back in tomorrow and open up the fan housing (PITA), just to be sure, but I suspect it will also be clean.....

It has also occurred to me to play with the blast gate opening - maybe throttling it down a bit will help. Maybe not.

I'm also getting more "spew" at the jointer than I expect, again with good velocity through a 4" hose. I'll probably try making myself a 6" hood, and running 6" hose here - don't know what else to try. I've already gone around sealing up all practical air infiltration, without much improvement.

Further insights are always welcome.

[Myk Rian]

Jointers throw chips toward the in-feed side. Make sure you have good collection there.
My DW735 also ejects a few chips. Using a 2hp DC with a 4" hose. Keep the blast gate open. Closing it will create turbulence.

[Jeff Monson]

My DW735 spit back a few chips with the fan in, or the fan out. Ran it both ways, just enjoyed the lack of noise with it out.

[Michael W. Clark]

If everything is clear of chips and you get more chips spit back when connected to the DC than when not connected, then I would propose that you are not pulling enough CFM with the DC. The blower is trying to move more air than the DC is pulling away, thus the chips and extra air have to go somewhere. A booster fan generally helps you, but this may be an odd case and you could be better without it. If you take the fan out, run 6" to the planer (preferrably with a 6" port), your problems will likely go away. Since you are having problems at other tools, you may have a problem with the DC. I only have a 1.5 HP DC (single stage) connected to a 6" jointer with some 4" S&D and 10' of 4" flex, and my jointer is clean. My planer is connected to the same system but it does spit some chips back.

Mike

[Matt O'Connell]

What is the method for disabling the fan? Just remove the wire to it?

[Myk Rian]

The wires? Nope. The motor needs them. The fan is connected to the shaft.
Open the unit and take the fan shroud off. Remove the fan and put the shroud back on.

[Rick Fisher]

A 3hp cyclone .. if its getting the type of suction I picture on that size planer would probably be sucking the chips fast enough that the blades of the fan could be just getting in the way ..

[Bruce Darrow]

Yeah, Rick. I was wondering along the same lines. Turbulence, created by differing "wind" speeds was one possibility, your thought may be more accurate.

I think I'll try removing the fan, when time and current projects allow.

I'll post results when and if.

Thanks.

[Chris Parks]

I've already gone around sealing up all practical air infiltration, without much improvement.

Further insights are always welcome.

Can you elaborate on this a bit more please as that doesn't sound like the right thing to do.

[Bruce Darrow]

Just for anyone interested:

Removed the fan the other day. It didn't appreciably decrease noise - if anything the noise was more obnoxious - higher pitched, with or without DC hose connected, nor did it increase chip collection. Put it back on.

I guess it just is what it is......

[Bruce Darrow]

Chris,

I eliminated double washers between jointer and stand, and sealed w/ silicon caulk. Stuffed some small pieces of closed cell foam into a couple of larger gaps between the bottom of the jointer and the stand. Seems like I did something under the belt guard, but I don't remember exactly. Checked the seal around the DC hood. Couldn't come up with any way to seal up the opening at the infeed end of the jointer, where I get an annoying deposition of chips.

All this didn't make much of a difference. If you don't feel this is the "right thing to do", what do you suggest? I'm all ears.

Thanks.

[jim gossage]

I have the same set up w a 3hp griz cyclone, 6" metal pipe to a 6*4 reducer, and then 4 ft of 4" hose - no problems at all.

[Bruce Darrow]

Huh!

Exactly my configuration. Plenty of suction at the end of the 4" hose.......and, as originally posted, some annoying chip spew back at me and deposition piles on the planer bed. It seems to me that this should be clean as a whistle, and I don't understand why it's not. Not a major issue, just a PITA.