Dust Collection, Again...

[Michael Ignatowicz]

Ladies and Gentleman,

New member here from Northeast NC. I'm a professional firefighter and amateur woodworker. My woodworking experience has run from rough framing to rough furniture builds, nothing more intricate then some shelving units, beds, chest of drawers. Everything I've done has always been painted, thankfully that antique type style is in so I can get away with some sloppy joinery and fill it with caulk, paint, putty, etc. Structurally I'm confident/competent, but some of my joints leave room for improvement.

However as I complete each project around the house I do get a little better, and acquire more tools to assist in that progression, most recently a track saw and 13" planer. I'm trying to progress past the caulk and paint level to what I would call "amateur fine woodworking" something I can create and stain vs paint.

To that end I've recently cleaned out a garage that was used for storage and I'm looking for help on how to outfit it, starting with dust collection. The dimensions of my garage are 17x34 and the lone 220v outlet is in one of the corners, meaning my main "trunk" line will be about 34 linear feet to reach the opposite corner. From this main line I only had planned to make two branches which would split off to the various tools.

As far as equipment that I would be utilizing I have the following: Table saw, 12" miter saw, track saw, palm/belt sanders, and the planer noted above. My next purchase, after the dust collector was going to be a 6" jointer, and a drill press. I'm a single man shop so I would only be using one of these tools at a time, however the long run has me concerned and looking toward 3-5hp 220v models. From reading here and other places I understand I would need a 6-7" main line, before it breaks down into 4-5" branches for the specific tools and flex hoses.

I've looked at offerings from Laguna: C-flux and P-flux models, I've looked at Oneida's V-3000, and I've looked at Clearvue's CV1800.

I obviously want to get as good a model as I can reasonably afford, as a firefighter I understand that anything we are taking into our lungs is bad. I understand there are some DIY ways to build a cheap and effective system and I'm open to some suggestions but I also like the idea of buying a complete package, at this point in my life I don't mind spending a little more to get something that is all inclusive. Maybe these systems are overkill even with my 34ft run, however I don't want to have to upgrade this setup later if I continue to purchase more machinery.

Thank you all very much for your help.

[Larry Frank]

I think a 6" main line will be fine with a 3 hp DC. I went with a 5 hp and 6" main line and have plenty of air flow. I also use a sho vac or extractor for small tools.

[Jim Becker]

I agree that you will likely be well served with a 6" main trunk for your dust collection system. Choose a long-cone cyclone design for best separation...the Oneida or the ClearVue.

The concern that pops in my head after reading your post is your electrical supply. A single 240v circuit isn't going to work for you for more than short term...I suggest you start planning for that.

[Michael Ignatowicz]

I agree totally Jim, one 240v outlet is not enough. I can already see where I'm limited severely in my choices for a jointer, I was looking at 8" models but see they all require 240v power. The Clearvue seems to get pretty good reviews, does anyone here who is reading this have any input on the Clearvue or the Oneida?

[Jim Becker]

I have worked with Oneida since 2000; originally with a smaller cyclone system and once I got my J/P combo, a larger unit. I'm extremely happy with the unit and the company. ClearVue didn't exist back then, but they have good comments from folks who have purchased from them, too.

[Greg Parrish]

I've had an Oneida V3000 3hp model in a 20x22 space with 9' ceiling for the last 4 or 5 years and it's been fine with a 6" main line that runs along the ceiling and then splits into 5", 4" or 3" lines. 5" to planer/jointer and saw. 4" to band saw and sander. 3" to saw over blade guard. I ran 6" for the bulk of the run with only the last little bit necking down to the smaller size. Used a Fernco adapter to get from the V3000 7" opening down to the 6" PVC green pipe. I would imagine it would work fine in your shop but it may be worth talking to Oneida about 3hp vs 5hp based on the total length and possible ceiling height (if you are going higher than normal). On a separate note, the aluminum gates from Lee Valley are a perfect fit inside the 6" green PVC pipe that is used for landsacape/sewer lines.

[Ben Rivel]

I've had an Oneida V3000 3hp model in a 20x22 space with 9' ceiling for the last 4 or 5 years and it's been fine with a 6" main line that runs along the ceiling and then splits into 5", 4" or 3" lines. 5" to planer/jointer and saw. 4" to band saw and sander. 3" to saw over blade guard. I ran 6" for the bulk of the run with only the last little bit necking down to the smaller size. Used a Fernco adapter to get from the V3000 7" opening down to the 6" PVC green pipe. I would imagine it would work fine in your shop but it may be worth talking to Oneida about 3hp vs 5hp based on the total length and possible ceiling height (if you are going higher than normal). On a separate note, the aluminum gates from Lee Valley are a perfect fit inside the 6" green PVC pipe that is used for landsacape/sewer lines.
I can pretty much echo this comment as its almost exactly the same for me.

[Ole Anderson]

I have a 7 year old Oneida 2 hp SDG, doing it again today I would opt for their 3 hp V3000. 7" main duct is the sweet spot between velocity and pressure losses for the main duct for a DC that size, so that means steel, although a lot of folks are good with 6" PVC.

[Scott Bernstein]

I've had a ClearVue CV1800 cyclone for about one year. I have a 2-car garage hobby workshop. The CV1800 has a 5hp motor and I opted for the slightly larger blower (16" rather than the stock 15"). They recommended this since I have a couple of smaller stationary tools, like 8" disc sander, that have 2 or 2.5" ports. The larger blower just provides a little more static pressure with the smaller ports. I have the wireless RF switch and bin sensor (tells you when the bin is full), and the unit is on it's own dedicated 240V 30A circuit. My other machines include 16" jointer/planer combo with 5" port (I reduce this to 4") , 3hp bandsaw with two 4" ports, tablesaw with a 4" cabinet port and another 4" port for the overarm floating dust collector guard. I also have some tools on which I have two 2.5" ports like a router boss, router table, and pantorouter. Lastly, I have a long section of 4" flex that I have permanently on a floor vacuum attachment from Rockler - works great for cleanup (I also put different heads on it like a brush, car vac, etc...it's quite handy). The main port coming off the cyclone is 6" and I have that going into a 6 foot straight section of 6" PVC pipe. I have the main trunk across the back of the garage and along the top of one adjacent wall. All the smaller ports come off the main line and I have manual blast gates on all of them. I made all the bends as gradual as possible. The system works great; the clearvue is way more than I need - it pulls really, really hard even on the 6" main line. I found out the hard way when it sucked up a tape measure, my iPhone, and the airflow meter. They all ended up in the dust bin. Eventually I learned to be more careful. I just wanted to buy a dust collector once and never have to upgrade.... I am not able to measure the air flow velocity in the main line, I just know it is greater than my meter which tops out at 8500FPM. Lastly, I put magport fittings on all the flex lines and machine ports which makes connecting everything a breeze.

With regards to 240V circuits... I started with zero. I now have three 30A 240V circuits in the garage. One dedicated for the table saw, one for the dust collector, and one that is close to the bandsaw and jointer/planer machine - these can share a single outlet since I don't use both at the same time, unlike the table saw and dust collector! An electrician installed one; I did the other two. The main panel is in the garage, which makes it easy. I also added six 20A 120V outlets, each one on its own circuit, for the tools that don't require 240V. I use three of these in the winter for my three infrared heaters. I also have I think four 15A 120V outlets that were already in the garage for smaller things like LED lights, phone chargers, smaller handheld tools, etc...

Good luck!

[Mike Kees]

Grizzly makes cyclone collectors with longer cones as well. I own a 5 h.p. unit. I was happy with the way mine worked, but just lately I figured out that I have been living with a leak in my system.I missed sealing a joint right at my intake that caused fine dust to be deposited in my filters. Now that I have corrected this problem and cleaned my filters my system is working much,much better. No matter what you choose brand wise it will only perform well if your ductwork is designed properly and completely sealed.

[Michael Ignatowicz]

Thank you all for the replys. I'm going to look into running those additional 240v circuits before I buy a DC. I'm confident enough to run the conduit for the wire, I'll probably add two additional circuits, which would also cut my run for the DC from 34ft in half to about 17ft. I also understand what everyone is saying about running the lines for the DC in as smooth a manner as possible. As a firefighter a lot of what we deal with relates to pressure/friction loss in the trucks and hoses themselves, we've done a lot of research on hose size, distance, and angles and how it relates to the amount of pressure needed/lost to get the required amount of water to the nozzle.

[Jim Becker]

Michael, many folks find it productive to put a sub-panel in their shop rather than running additional discrete circuits from somewhere else. One run of wire to the space and then the flexibility to change things around over time is a nice thing. Of course, if the main panel is close by and has room...that might be the easier choice.

[glenn bradley]

I added a panel. The main was outside the garage and I put the sub inside in the very next stud bay. This made for a very short run between panels. Additional 240vlot circuits should never slow you down. Adapt your power plant to your needs as opposed to altering your needs based on the present power plant.

I ran 6" mains and drops for years with good success. So much so that I will use 6" in my new shop. I think most home shops can do fine with a 6" main. Many do well with less although I would ever want to go back to 4" mains. I do step down to 4" at some tools. Using ASTM-2729 pipe can bring your costs down. I have run the same mains for 18 years without issue and plan to expand on this as I rebuild.