Dust Collection Advice Needed

[Tom Albrecht]

I spent 35 years in a dedicated separate building for my woodshop. Now we have moved and downsized, so my shop is in the basement. That's fine in many ways-- it has plenty of light and sq. ft, it's dry, I don't have to turn up the heat prior to use-- except for the dust generation part. Prior to this basement I had a ceiling hung filtration unit (still do) and just above my lathe I had a super high CFM exhaust fan directed through the exterior wall. That exhaust fan idea not going to be an option here.

So, while I have all the typical turning shop tools including a large band saw, a table saw, and a lathe, I would really like to concentrate on lathe generated dust from power sanding. I guess it would be nice to get the chips and shavings too, but I'm pretty accustomed to the broom and shovel.

I cannot say that price is no object, but I want to get this right the first time.



What kind of dust collection system is best for this?
What kind of collection device at the lathe is best?



Thanks, I plan to post this on every forum I know of, so excuse me if you see this around.

TA

[Tom Giacomo]

Go to you-tube and look up Robo Hippy's sanding hood.

[Reed Gray]

For which system, I figure you have 2 choices (I have a clip up about dust collection systems). The brand choices are Oneida, or Clear View. They seem to have the best quality systems. Clear View was not in existence when I got my centralized system. You want a 2 stage system, which means a cyclone (tapered can where every thing except the finest dust goes before the air goes through the impeller blades) and then a pleated paper filter.

robo hippy

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Tom - I was in a similar situation, yet wanted the best system I could put together for a moderate budget. Here's what I wound up with. I found a 2hp HF dust collector (I think it's possibly the best machine they offer) at a yard sale for $200. I bought the Winn Environmental cannister that meets Merv 15 standards (the nano filter that captures 99.99% of particles to .5 microns) it comes in at around $150. I added a 33 gal trash can and a cyclone lid to capture anything big. I sealed the thing up, and used it with 4" flex hose so I can get to all the machines.

I'm building a new shop, so I've got the opportunity to plumb in permanent runs to the various machines, but I used it successfully for many years without. With a decent fitting - kind of like a smaller big gulp, it gets virtually all the sanding dust as it's being generated.

The filter cannister is dead simple to clean - blow it out with and airgun set to about 30 psi - everything falls into the lower bag. With the cyclone separator in-line, the lower bag of the collector has not had to be emptied since I switched over about 4 years ago and then it was just to go into storage until the shop is completed.

I'm not one to sing the praises of HF tools - most are lucky to make it through the first serious job they're asked to do. Their 2hp dust collector seems to be a different animal. It actually works as advertised, and seems to have a decent service life - mine was used in a home/business cabinet shop for three years or so before I got it, it's still going strong after four years of my use. The previous owner got rid of it because he wanted better filtration than the fabric bags delivered. He bought a new jet with a cannister. I don't think he researched after-market filters.
Check out Winn Environmental - their site has lots of information about air quality, converting collectors, etc. I'm not connected in any way - just a happy customer - and they're made in the USA, too.http://wynnenv.com/products-page/woodworking-filter-pricing/

Even with the above, I still wear the Trend Airshield pro when sanding...

[Ed Wood]

I have a psi 2hp dc with the canister on top seems to work ok, I use it with 1 machine at a time. As to collection I have a jet 14" mini lathe and tried a few ways to collect dust. I tried different dust adapters but found a smaller narrower one about 8 x4 " or something like that pulled the dust better at the fine dust. The photo is a old one when I was seeing which adapter to use. That is the adapter I used and have tried holding it to the bed on some wood with a few magnets , a idea i saw on utube that seems to work ok so far. no photo of that yet
333188

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi Tom,
Your situation is the same as mine. I have had a basement shop in all the houses we have lived in, this one for the past 26 years. I retired 10 yrs ago and set up dust collection to get it all.
I am not a fan of Dust Collection units that are in the basement, they just circulate the dust all through the house. I moved our Central Vac system to the garage and piped the exhaust outside. I know there is a balance between dust collection and sending all your house warm air outside!!! But I did not want noise or fine dust recirculating in the basement.
All my machines attach to a 1.5" vac hose through a cyclone, 99.9% of everything that gets picked up goes into the 5 gal bucket under the cyclone. I built the Cyclone from a UTube video by Ron Walters and it is fantastic. (Note so far $0.00 have been spent). You can buy the Oneida Dust Deputy, some vac hose and do the same thing. If loosing heat is a real problem you can send filtered air back to the shop from the garage through filters. My small hose does everything from lathe to planer and only occasionally gets a stoppage. 4" collection is overkill for a small basement shop. Use 2.5" if that is more comfortable. Actually my pipe to the Central vac and through the Cyclone is 2.5" central vac tubing but my collection hose is a standard 1.5" shop vac hose. It goes to each machine and a floor sweep, it works great. Zero Wood dust in the central vac collection bucket in the garage.
I hope you find a way that is good for you and keeps your wife happy.
Peter F.

[Tom Albrecht]

Thanks Reed Robo, and that's an excellent dust hood idea.

As far as the dust collectors, the The Clear view will not clear my basement ceiling at all, but the standard Oneida 3HP Dust Gorilla Portable will http://www.oneida-air.com/inventoryD.asp?item_no=XXP990301H&CatId={AC1122DA-3A28-4606-9B70-189ACD0BC2E4}. I believe the CFM on that unit is about 1000 with a 6"intake. The next up Oneida is the 3HP V-3000 http://www.oneida-air.com/inventoryD.asp?item_no=XXVM030139H35VP&CatId={883C6AA7-4C85-49FD-9EEA-C51D09DC8B19} with about 1350 CFM and a 7" intake port.

Your opinion please here: Is the additional CFM of the V-3000 worth cutting a hole in my ceiling to clear the motor, or not. I intend to use this primarily with the lathe, but certainly only with one machine at a time.

Thanks for your advice.

Tom A