CV1800LH Question

[Jacob Mac]

I lost my tools a few years back, and now in a position to get a shop back up and running. The shop will be a one man hobby shop with your normal compliment of tools for building furniture. I'm looking at getting a cabinet saw, 8 in jointer, 15 inch planer, 17 bandsaw. And somewhere down the line a drum sander.

One thing I want to get right from the jump this time around is dust collection. Is the CV1800LH a good unit? And is this sale a good deal?

http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/cyclone-bundles/96-cv1800-lh-1p-cyclone-bundle-with-filters.html

I'm willing to drop the cash if this unit will work well for the next ten plus years. I know I have to get my ducting right, and I've read extensively on the subject, and I will probably need to enlarge some dust ports, but is the unit itself solid? Or could I get a 3hp unit from Grizzly and save some cash?

For purposes of the thread, assume 6 inch ducts, straight drops down to tools, no 90 degree turns, and runs of ducts no greater than 30 feet. That's how I have it planned out right now. Thanks for the help.

[Ben Rivel]

My advice, if you dont go with ClearVue, go with Oneida. I've got a V-3000 and love it.

[Andy Giddings]

I lost my tools a few years back, and now in a position to get a shop back up and running. The shop will be a one man hobby shop with your normal compliment of tools for building furniture. I'm looking at getting a cabinet saw, 8 in jointer, 15 inch planer, 17 bandsaw. And somewhere down the line a drum sander.

One thing I want to get right from the jump this time around is dust collection. Is the CV1800LH a good unit? And is this sale a good deal?

http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/cyclone-bundles/96-cv1800-lh-1p-cyclone-bundle-with-filters.html

I'm willing to drop the cash if this unit will work well for the next ten plus years. I know I have to get my ducting right, and I've read extensively on the subject, and I will probably need to enlarge some dust ports, but is the unit itself solid? Or could I get a 3hp unit from Grizzly and save some cash?

For purposes of the thread, assume 6 inch ducts, straight drops down to tools, no 90 degree turns, and runs of ducts no greater than 30 feet. That's how I have it planned out right now. Thanks for the help.

Same deal as I got earlier this year, Jacob. You're effectively getting a CV MAX but with a 6 inch inlet. Yes, a good deal and a highly effective dc. I would recommend PVC duct and I also like the ClearVue blast gates. If you're running one machine at a time 6 inch is fine, 8 inch for more machines at the same time (ClearVue can switch the inlet to 8 inch if that is what you need). You might see some users mention the noise level - while it is loud, it seems to be about the same as every other DC I've had. I wear hearing protection when I'm working anyway, so not a problem.

[Jacob Mac]

I always wear hearing protection, so that won't be an issue for me. But since I'm putting my shop in the basement, I'm sure my family will want the noise reduced as much as possible.

Just getting my shop up and running is a huge commitment of resources.

Thanks for the advice on the DC unit

[John K Jordan]

My advice, if you don't go with the Oneida, get the ClearVue. :) When I built my new shop a few years ago I put in a ClearVue 1800 with 5hp motor and it is amazing.

It will pull your hand right off your arm if you get too close. Well, not really, but the suction and air movement is incredible. I run one machine at a time but I'm sure this would handle more. I found it easy to assemble and install. I ran 6" S&D PVC above the ceiling with 6" drops at each machine split into 4" hoses where appropriate. The separator is so good there is almost nothing in the cleanout box below the filter stack. I bought their electrical box with remote and the bin-full sensor and rewired them to fit the wireless receiver, bin sensor, and power supply in one package.

It is loud. I built a 4x8 insulated closet to fit both the cyclone and the big air compressor. I can now carry on normal conversation and even hear a whisper on the other side of the closet wall.

I bought a Dylos laser particulate counter to check how clean it keeps the air and the numbers are low, even when using a drum sander.

JKJ

[Don Parker]

I'm a very happy ClearVue owner. Yes, it is loud, but all of the ones that actually work are loud.

[Roger Green]

I'm also very pleased with the ClearVue. If you were closer, I'd invite you over to see for yourself. My buddy helped install mine a couple of years ago & this year he built his own shop and put a ClearVue in it.

[Jacob Mac]

Well, I missed the sale. I got busy over the weekend and when I went to buy it this morning, it was over.

I called Oneida and talked about what they would recommend. So now I guess I will wait until another sale pops up. Hopefully one will in the next couple of months.

[Peter Christensen]

Did you call ClearVue and ask if they would give it to you for the sale price? They still might.

[Jacob Mac]

Did you call ClearVue and ask if they would give it to you for the sale price? They still might.
Ya, I sent an email asking. We will see.

One interesting thing Oneida told me today was that air filters you hang on the ceiling are not good for shop hygeine and that I should not use one. Oneida told me they kick up dust and hurt the air quality. Not sure what I think about that.

[John K Jordan]

Ya, I sent an email asking. We will see.

One interesting thing Oneida told me today was that air filters you hang on the ceiling are not good for shop hygeine and that I should not use one. Oneida told me they kick up dust and hurt the air quality. Not sure what I think about that.

If you are talking about the boxy air circulating cleaners like the Jet I think that depends on several things, one is how dusty the shop is. It could blow dust around. However, the one I have was very effective at cleaning up fine dust floating in the air when I used a shop vac in a garage shop (before I got my cyclone and built a new shop.) I would turn it on and make dust (with a mask) then leave the garage for a while. The air quality monitor said it worked. I think it has to be installed correctly to be effective.

Pentz recommended getting a laser particulate counter to check up on what ever system you use. I bought the Dylos pro from Amazon. I don't remember what Pentz says about the air cleaners.

JKJ

[Larry Frank]

I have an Oneida 5 hp Super Dust Gorilla. It works great and has great suction. Some people think the filters are too small but I have had no issues. On the other hand, ClearVue makes a good unit with very similar performance. I think either unit will do you very well.

I would look very carefully at both and make certain that you are getting all the same components. Do a detailed comparison side by side in a table to make certain that everything is the same and you can compare everything.

[Jacob Mac]

So Clearvue extended the sale for me, which was very nice of them. I really appreciate that gesture.

Now I need to figure out ducting, tool setup etc. Since I'm basically starting from scratch, I will be putting this together with an eye towards optimizing dust collection.

So two questions, what is a decent type of cheap pvc? And has anyone had a floor drop to sweep dust into that they kept open all the time? Seems like that would keep air circulating and getting pulled through a filter.

[John K Jordan]

So two questions, what is a decent type of cheap pvc? And has anyone had a floor drop to sweep dust into that they kept open all the time? Seems like that would keep air circulating and getting pulled through a filter.

I used 6" S&D (Sewer and Drain) PVC, quite thin, inexpensive, available here from large plumbing supply companies. I think it's also designated 3034. I bought standard PVC fittings - found the cheapest price at the local ACE hardware. They didn't have everything I needed in 6" but they could always get it in a day or two.

There was a recent thread about floor sweeps, can't remember if it was here or on another forum. It seemed to me that most people didn't use them, broom and dustpan was fine. As for keeping something open for air movement I haven't found that necessary. The ClearVue is so powerful it moves the air for me to above the ceiling and down the length of the shop just fine, even when "choked" on the intake with a 4" duct to my drum sander and lathe. The 6" drop to the bandsaw split into three 4" lines keeps everything cleaned out of the cabinet. I did install inspection and cleanout caps on the ends of the long runs but there is no evidence of anything collecting inside so the air must be moving OK.

I do sometimes keep the blast gate to the bandsaw open about a 1/4 of the way or less not to promote air flow but to reduce the airflow a little at the lathe to lower the roar to a tolerable level.

I found the cyclone collected far more fines in the bin that I imagined, like sifted flour. Very little seems to get to the filters and almost nothing is in the cleanout box. When I tap the sides of the filters I see nothing falling to the cleanout box.

JKJ

[Alan Schaffter]

I used 6" S&D (Sewer and Drain) PVC, quite thin, inexpensive, available here from large plumbing supply companies. I think it's also designated 3034. I bought standard PVC fittings - found the cheapest price at the local ACE hardware. They didn't have everything I needed in 6" but they could always get it in a day or two.


There are two types of S&D, one is blue/green in color. It is SDR-35 and also called ASTM 3034 (which is also a rating) but it is the same stuff. It has a different OD and ID than plumbing Sched 40 DWV (drain, waste, vent) so uses different size fittings. 4" SDR-35 is often sold at Lowes (and HD?) but rarely 6". SDR-35 often comes with a gasket bell end.

The other S&D, and the preferred one, is ASTM 2729. It has a thinner wall and is lighter than SDR-35/ASTM 3034 (and much lighter than Sched 40 DWV pipe). It has the same OD so uses the same fittings as SDR-35. It has a plain bell end. ASTM 2729 is sold under a variety of common names- "thin wall S&D," "Solid Perf", "Gravity drain" etc. It is often found in white and sometimes light gray. Lowes often carries it in 4" but you'll need to go to plumbing or irrigation suppliers to find it in 6." Lowes sells 6" fittings but not 6" S&D pipe- go figure. Also, the fittings will normally be in a separate area away from the Sched 40 fittings. PVC S&D fittings may be marked ASTM 2729, 3034, 3035- sometimes with all three. You will also see Styrene plastic S&D fittings- any of them will work.

[David Kumm]

I'd be careful with a floor sweep. Shavings are fine but sand and gravel are hard on both the cyclone and filters. No wood shop cyclone is 100% efficient so abrasives should not be run through the system. As to noise, take some comfort that the higher the cfm under pressure, the louder the impeller will likely be. The more curved the blades the more quiet running but cfm drops off faster at higher pressure. that is an issue when running 6" pipe on the mains rather than 7 or 8". Dave

[John K Jordan]

...
The other S&D, and the preferred one, is ASTM 2729. It has a thinner wall and is lighter than SDR-35/ASTM 3034 (and much lighter than Sched 40 DWV pipe). It has the same OD so uses the same fittings as SDR-35. It has a plain bell end. ...

Ah. Yes, that's the one I used.

JKJ

[Larry Frank]

Since the poster is from Kansas City, he should have a Menards near him and a source for the pipe. I bought my 6" pipe from them.