6" pipe with 4" collector

[Korbin Purchase]

Hi all.

I have searched but haven't come across my particular situation.

I am setting up a new woodshop, I have a dust collector that has 4" connections. I am being gifted this DC which allows me to spend some money in other places. Eventually though I will get a newer DC with a 6" connection. My question is this. Any issues running 6" pipe throughout the shop and reducing at the collector?

I know a lot of people do it in reverse with 6" collector and 4" pipe or 4" drops at individual tools.

I'd rather do it this way so it'll be a lot faster/easier/cheaper to change out the DC eventually with a 6" port.

Thanks!

[Thomas Crawford]

I think you'll have major clogging in vertical drops, and won't be able to get the air velocity up at the tool to collect the fine dust.

If you are stuck with it for now I think I'd just make sure my tools were mobile and wheel them over to it to minimize the amount of 4" pipe, since if you ran 4" everywhere you'd want to tear most of it out when you get a 6-7" DC.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Thomas. Just use the gifted DC by moving it machine to machine with a short hose and install duct work once you have a larger DC that's better suited to your shop's size and requirements.

[Korbin Purchase]

Interesting. Well I'm glad I asked.

The plan for the gifted DC after getting the bigger one was to make a mobile DC cart anyways to help with additional clean ups. So maybe I'll just start there with the mobile cart and wait to run pipe until I get the more permanent DC.

Thanks

[ChrisA Edwards]

Nothing scientific here, but I agree with the others, if you do a large planing or something that creates a lot of shavings, u=you'll most likely get a clog at the 4" intersection, but...

It you go 6" pipe into a cyclone, making it a two stage, you'll drop the large material to drop into the first stage bin, hopefully keeping the 4" port clear for pure suction.

The only question here is if the impeller will pull enough air with a cyclone in the middle.

[Jim Becker]

Interesting. Well I'm glad I asked.

The plan for the gifted DC after getting the bigger one was to make a mobile DC cart anyways to help with additional clean ups. So maybe I'll just start there with the mobile cart and wait to run pipe until I get the more permanent DC.

Thanks
You don't want to be picking up from the floor with a single stage DC as any metal can spark when it hits the impeller. No issue using the "gifted" machine for the purpose, but you'll need to add pre-separation (a small cyclone or equivalent) for floor pickup purposes. Shop vacs don't have this issue because the material doesn't pass through a metal impeller.

[Korbin Purchase]

Right now the gifted one has a separator on it. And truth be told that is where the 4" ports are. I have the model of the actual DC but can't seem to find anything online for it. Maybe I'm incorrect and the DC itself is 6".

It's a craftex B404N

I should have mentioned this in the first place.

If anyone has any info on it that would be great cause Google isn't helping me much.

About the mobile cart...I intend to keep it as 2 stage.

[Art Tripp]

If cost is an issue, 4" PVC pipe is relatively inexpensive and the fittings are priced a lot less in comparison to 6" pipe and fittings. Depending on the size of your shop, number and types of equipment you want to service and your overall work pattern (ie. frequency you will be going back and forth between different machines) and your overall time-frame for upgrading, it might be more convenient and affordable install a simple 4" PVC pipe with wye's and blast gates at your individual machines. It can be easier to open and close the blast gates, than to move the collector back and forth to different machines with frequent connecting and disconnecting. You can also incorporate the blast gates into your future system when ready.

My dust collection system has been an evolving process that continues to grow as the budget allows. I obtained a (new) Grizzly G0548Z DC for less than $250 from Facebook Marketplace, ran two separate lines of 4" PVC and fittings (all left over from a previous project), then installed a blast gate to each machine that is connected via 4" flexible hose. I have two machines on each line and typically only run one machine at a time, but there are times in which I go back and forth between two machines and during those periods I will sometimes leave two blast gates open (one on each separate line) for convenience, all providing really good dust collection. I also picked up a Super Dust Deputy Cyclone for $25 ($169.99 new) at Woodcraft's scratch and dent sale (box was damaged but the collector and parts bag were in perfect condition), but it has yet to be incorporated into my system.

Ideally I would like a single 6" collection pipe with blast gate & hose at each machine and to add the SDD Cyclone, but the price of the plumbing and a collection drum for the cyclone has taken a back seat to other shop needs - and my somewhat 'temporary' system is preforming remarkably well so I haven't had the need to address the improvements.

While doing it right the first time can be preferable (and is what I typically try to do too), sometimes compromises along the way can work out quite well and provide great service.


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[Julie Moriarty]

I converted a Delta drum DC to a cyclone and installed 6" intakes on the cyclone section. That is effectively what you're talking about. The DC motor is only 3/4 HP. Right now I have (4) 4" pipes and (1) 5" pipe hooked up to it. All the 4" go up to the ceiling before entering the cyclone. The 5" is a short hop to a Y so it only has to pull up about 5'. It may not suck in Roger Rabbit, but it works well enough.

[Josh Kocher]

I used to have a similar one. I think it's a 6" inlet with a splitter to 2 x 4"... You could take that splitter off and duct straight into the 6" inlet...

I don't know what your separator is. Garbage can lid? Anyway... depending how much sawdust you're making, and what your layout is... maybe connect it only on your planer and/or jointer... or don't use it at all...