Ducting Layout

[Aaron Mills]

Looking for any suggestions or tips on how to run the ducting for the dust collection in a modest-sized shop. I've read up on various threads & sites (including Bill Pentz's), but I'm interested in any real-world experience or thoughts. I'm thinking about using snap-lock or PVC ducting.

The major concern in the shop set-up would have to be the drum sander. In the user's manual it specifies 1400 CFM as the requirement, which I'm hoping is a high estimate. Any real world experience on what the necessary CFM at the sander should be and how to obtain it? As it is, I'm hoping I can run off of the 8" trunk and use a wye to branch to two 6" ports at the machine (although the stock ports are only 4"). I don't think my cyclone would be able to perform at a level necessary to achieve the appropriate results though.

All the info that I'm working off of is in the attached picture. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Regards,

Aaron <STYLE type=text/css><!--td.attachrow { font: normal 11px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color : #000000; border-color : #000000; }td.attachheader { font: normal 11px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color : #000000; border-color : #000000; background-color: #D1D7DC; }table.attachtable { font: normal 12px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color : #000000; border-color : #000000; border-collapse : collapse; }--></STYLE>

[Charlie Plesums]

Your plan looks good.

My "big" sander is only a Performax 16/32, but it requires far less air flow that anything else in the shop... I normally only open the gate 1/4 or less and get as good collection as if I am using the full 4 inch hose. I would wait to see if you have a problem before worrying more about it. Be sure all the dust is sucked off, since it is part of drawing the heat away.

[Ted Jay]

From looking at the chart you would need a 6" line to get 1400cfm, (unless I read it wrong, it's a little fuzzy when zooming in). Why not put a dedicated 6" line to the drum sander, and knife gate the rest of the system off, while you use the drum sander.

[Norman Hitt]

According to my calcs, a 6" duct will carry slightly more airflow that two 4" ducts, and since the mfr has fitted TWO 4" outlets on the machine, I would initially try coming off your 8" duct with a 6" solid duct to just above the machine, and then use a 6" to 4" reducing Y connected to the two dust ports on the machine with just enough flex hose to connect the Y to the machines two dust ports. I'll just bet you will have plenty of suction to do the job, especially since, according to your drawing, the run will be fairly short. You MUST MINIMIZE the use of any flex hose in the system no matter what design you end up with, as it is a real detriment to good airflow.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

My "big" sander is only a Performax 16/32, but it requires far less air flow that anything else in the shop... I normally only open the gate 1/4 or less

OK, I'll bite - why?

Curious,
Kent

[Charlie Plesums]

OK, I'll bite - why?

Curious,
Kent
I have a lousy ducting layout. I could only get 4 inch pipe locally when I was ready to put it in, so my "main" is only 4 inches (but it works with two gates open (saw and a trash can separator that goes to either jointer or planer.). I got a 20 foot piece of 4 inch flex that I hooked to the wye coming directly out of the dust collector (the other part of that wye goes to the "main"), planning to cut it to length after I found the best routing on the floor to the RAS and drum sander. Despite all the horror stories about flex pipe (especially 4 inch flex pipe), that flex run has the best suction. If I leave the blast gate cracked, it is ample for the sander or saw, and doesn't interfere with the "main trunk" run to jointer/planer/shaper/bandsaw/tablesaw. I never bothered to cut off the 20 foot length (see below).

To make matters even more crazy, occasionally I need more suction at the jointer/planer (ya think - 16 inch cutters with 5 hp driving them, trash can separator, 4 inch main), so I recently put a wye I had lying around at the separator so I can suck with both the main and the 20 foot flex. Stupid setup, but it works, and I would rather make sawdust than spend any more time looking for plumbing for sawdust.

Aren't you sorry you asked:rolleyes:

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Looks logical and workable.
I am interested in how you plan to bring the ducting to the saw without it being in your way.

Will you use a flex length long enough to drape it out of the way or have you some other approach?

[Mike Monroe]

Aaron,

I've got the roughly the same size shop, 25 x 14. I've got a 2 hp Grizzly G0440 cyclone installed. It does a tremendous job collecting chips and dust. IMHO, a 3hp unit is overkill. The G0440 has a 7" intake, so I have a 7" main with 6" drops. So far I have a 6" floor sweep, a 10" Unisaw, a Delta 14" bandsaw, and G0586 8" jointer hooked up; all with metal duct from a local HVAC business and the local borg. The Unisaw has a 5" bottom duct with a 3" homemade over-arm dust collecting blade guard. I sprung for the Delta 5" bandsaw hook-up and it does fairly decent job collecting saw dust at the source. The G0586 is connected with a homemade 6" connection.

The main duct runs straight down a long wall with drops for the floor sweep, the G0586, and one going up and over to the other wall. The bottom table saw duct is Y'd off of the floor sweep drop and the over-arm guard duct Y's off of the duct going across the ceiling to the opposite long wall. Homemade blast gates control everything. Future plans include hooking up a miter saw station, a router table, and an edge sander. Hope this helps figure out with your plans.

-Mike