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joe Katzenberger
02-20-2008, 7:40 PM
Hello to fellow dust makers,

I am looking for tests, reviews and your opinions on 1-1 1/2hp dust collectors, with and without the canister feature. I am a home hobbyist thus my needs are not as heavy as most of you. Having said that I made a cloud and a mess cutting and routing some MDF this past weekend and I am now a convert!

All of the units seem to be pretty much the same though some claim a 1 micron output and they will have different footprints. My main dust producer, thus far, is a Grizzly TS #G1023, which I just recently bought from a local gentleman in Columbia, SC. The equipment is in a semi-detached 2/3 garage thus air contamination into the home is not a concern as would be ceiling height as the garage ceiling is between 11 and 12 feet.
Thanks for your input
joe Katzenberger

Matt Schroeder
02-20-2008, 7:59 PM
I recently purchased a 1 HP Steel City DC. I use it in the stock configuration (1 micron upper bag, plastic lower bag). Although it works well for collecting chips from the planer and jointer with the dust hoods directing chips right into the hose, it is not up to the task of collecting dust from my Jet contractor table saw. If I had it to do over, I would spend more money for the 1.5 HP to get more airflow, and plan on having an overarm guard/dust collector to get the stuff coming off the top. Even with only 6' of hose going directly from the DC to the bottom of the saw I am left with large piles of dust in the corners of the cabinet. I have tried blocking various openings in the base with cardboard to try and direct the airflow without much improvement. Were I to try and run a second hose off of the DC to an overarm guard the situation would be even worse.

Dennis Kelly
02-20-2008, 8:01 PM
Joe,
Check the most recent issue of WOOD Magazine. There is a test done of most, if not all, 1.5-2hp dust collectors for hobby shops.

Deke

Alan Schaffter
02-20-2008, 8:08 PM
If you are from SC, and even if you are not, drive over to Pickens, SC and pickup a ClearVue cyclone! They can't be beat for performance and value.

Wayne Cannon
02-21-2008, 10:52 PM
Be careful. [Manufacturer's CFM] Figures lie and liars figure. Read Sandor Nagyszalanczy's "Woodshop Dust Collection" and/or Air Handling's (they don't sell the actual dust collectors) notes on system design (http://www.airhand.com/designing.asp).

Nagyszalanczy's book covers more, but Air Handling's site has a number of downloadable (pdf) application notes (also orderable). Both resources will have you focus on the dust collector's CFM working against the anticipated resistance (static pressure), without which, the CFM spec's are meaningless.

Bart Leetch
02-22-2008, 12:01 AM
The research done by Bill Pentz is I believe further along than Nagyszalanczy's "Woodshop Dust Collection. You'll need to read past problems Bill has had & get to the meat of the subject.

Bill isn't into inflated figures & only wants to help those that like wood working.

http://billpentz.com//woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm/

Also go here to see the Clear Vue system

http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/


Be careful. [Manufacturer's CFM] Figures lie and liars figure. Read Sandor Nagyszalanczy's "Woodshop Dust Collection" and/or Air Handling's (they don't sell the actual dust collectors) notes on system design (http://www.airhand.com/designing.asp).

Nagyszalanczy's book covers more, but Air Handling's site has a number of downloadable (pdf) application notes (also orderable). Both resources will have you focus on the dust collector's CFM working against the anticipated resistance (static pressure), without which, the CFM spec's are meaningless.

Wayne Cannon
02-22-2008, 9:13 PM
I think Nagyszalanczy's information probably came from Air Handling (which has no horse in the race). My superficial browsing of the ClearView site a few weeks ago looks like they are making the same point -- beware of inflated CFM numbers.

Bob Genovesi
02-22-2008, 9:23 PM
I've got a the Delta 50-850 Dust Collector - 5 micron upper bag, 1-1/2 HP, 1200 CFM. This baby really sucks.....:D

Bart Leetch
02-22-2008, 10:22 PM
I have always heard the you should buy a little bigger DC than you think you'll need.

In fact the LOML was with me when I was looking to buy a 1 1/2 HP DC she pointed out a 2 HP DC & said wouldn't that do a better job than the one your looking at & while you at it get a remote control:eek:....well....I just couldn't argue with her reasoning.:D:D:D I purchased the G1029 2 HP unit & remote. A few years later I updated it with the pleated filter kit from Grizzly.:D

Dave Dye
02-23-2008, 8:59 PM
I have a Grizzly 1028Z, I use it on my table saw and my 8" jointer. No problems at all, I updated the upper bag to 1 micron. I have to use mine on 110 for now, eventially I will hook it up for 220.

Dave

Bart Leetch
02-23-2008, 10:05 PM
The G1029 is only $10 more than the G1028 not worth splitting hairs over when considering 2 hp motor & a 12" impeller & a 2.5 micron bag over a 1 1/2 hp motor & a 11" impeller & a 30 micron bag.

Jason Philip
02-23-2008, 10:30 PM
I'm almost sold on the Steel City drum sander, what size dust collector would I need to adequately run the machine? The dust collector will be in a separate room and I'll probably hook my jointer up too it since it will set close to where the hose will come through the wall. I'm leaning towards the Grizzly 1029Z, any suggestions?

Bart Leetch
02-24-2008, 1:28 AM
My G1029 has been up dated.

David Freed
02-24-2008, 1:17 PM
I have been using a ClearVue CV1400 in a commercial setting for 2 years. We go through so much volume of dust and chips that I hooked a 2 hp blower to the bottom of the cyclone blowing into a rear dump silage wagon outside. It does a very good job, although we are pushing it to its limits. When we are using our planer at full capacity we can fill a 5 gallon bucket in a couple minutes or less. If their mini cyclone is anywhere close to being as good as its bigger brothers I would recommend that for your situation.

Tim Johnson
02-24-2008, 11:30 PM
I have the G1029 and after reading the recent Wood review, added a plastic construction grade bag to the inside of the lower to avoid the fine dust from the 30 micron lower. As a result, my trash can collector, that used to catch the majority of my jointer and planer chips, is empty. It would seem that by closing off the lower bag, suction increased because nothing will stay in the trash can anymore:confused:. I am also interested in upgrading the upper 2.5 micron bag. Any suggestions? How well do the canister filters fit and improve air quality?

glenn bradley
02-25-2008, 12:02 AM
Hello to fellow dust makers,

I am looking for tests, reviews and your opinions on 1-1 1/2hp dust collectors, with and without the canister feature. I am a home hobbyist thus my needs are not as heavy as most of you. Having said that I made a cloud and a mess cutting and routing some MDF this past weekend and I am now a convert!

All of the units seem to be pretty much the same though some claim a 1 micron output and they will have different footprints. My main dust producer, thus far, is a Grizzly TS #G1023, which I just recently bought from a local gentleman in Columbia, SC. The equipment is in a semi-detached 2/3 garage thus air contamination into the home is not a concern as would be ceiling height as the garage ceiling is between 11 and 12 feet.
Thanks for your input
joe Katzenberger

Ahhh, nothing like a little free handing on MDF to make dust collection hop up a few notches on the old to-do list. If I knew then what I know now . . . I would not have bothered with the 1HP unit I now have even though I did get it at a clearance price. Decent collection seems to start around 2HP although the Dleta 1.5 HP beats out a few 2HP units in the bake-offs.

Your ducting costs are what they are. Assuming your electrical is in or will cost what it costs . . . the real difference in price is the DC unit itself. With your headroom I would skip the time and money for the intermediate step and get a 2HP or larger cyclone and be done with it forever after.

I plan to milk my little unit and all it's inconveniences for awhile yet. When I upgrade, it will not be the mistake of another interim solution. Just my .02.

Bart Leetch
02-25-2008, 9:27 PM
I'm almost sold on the Steel City drum sander, what size dust collector would I need to adequately run the machine? The dust collector will be in a separate room and I'll probably hook my jointer up too it since it will set close to where the hose will come through the wall. I'm leaning towards the Grizzly 1029Z, any suggestions?


Yes put in proper duct work to all your tools or don't bother at all.

Daniel McCurdy
02-26-2008, 4:17 PM
Anyone want to comment on duct size? OK to go with running 4" duct to a 15" planer, or should the 6" be used as is recommended? What's the real reason a 15" planer calls for at least 700 cfm - because the chips are heavier? Is the risk of running 4" cloggng?

Jim Jones
04-04-2008, 1:01 PM
After reading the March 2008 Wood Magazine article on DCs, I am 95% convinced I will buy the Grizzly G1029Z.

Something I haven't seen any discussion of is cleaning and maintenance of the filter bags. It seems that if you let it go to long with out cleaning you could have efficiency problems and difficulty getting it clean. I hate to have to put out $25 for a new one very often. Any wisdom on the subject?

Dave Dye
04-04-2008, 2:55 PM
I clean my clear plastic bottom bag and 1 micron upper bag about once a week. That's about how long I can go before my bottom bag is 2/3's full. I have a G1028Z and I love it.

Chris Friesen
04-04-2008, 4:50 PM
Anyone want to comment on duct size? OK to go with running 4" duct to a 15" planer, or should the 6" be used as is recommended? What's the real reason a 15" planer calls for at least 700 cfm - because the chips are heavier? Is the risk of running 4" cloggng?

The high cfm numbers are usually necessary for fine dust collection rather than chip collection. Planers and jointers generally produce more chips than actual dust, and so could probably make do with less cfm. Drum sanders, tablesaws, routers, etc. all produce a lot more actual dust.

I've certainly managed to clog my dc with planer shavings, but it was due to a cross-brace in the input. I assume it was there to keep large items from hitting the impeller, but the long stringy shavings just piled up on it and eventually blocked off the intake. After removing that safety feature I haven't managed to block a 4" hose with a 12" planer.

Paul Johnstone
04-04-2008, 6:46 PM
Hello to fellow dust makers,

I am looking for tests, reviews and your opinions on 1-1 1/2hp dust collectors, with and without the canister feature. I am a home hobbyist thus my needs are not as heavy as most of you. Having said that I made a cloud and a mess cutting and routing some MDF this past weekend and I am now a convert!

All of the units seem to be pretty much the same though some claim a 1 micron output and they will have different footprints. My main dust producer, thus far, is a Grizzly TS #G1023, which I just recently bought from a local gentleman in Columbia, SC. The equipment is in a semi-detached 2/3 garage thus air contamination into the home is not a concern as would be ceiling height as the garage ceiling is between 11 and 12 feet.
Thanks for your input
joe Katzenberger

Probably the best suggestion for you is to keep the garage doors open when making sawdust. That will significantly reduce the concentration of the bad dust particticles. particularly when cutting MDF. And obviously wear a dust mask. You might want to look into one of those canister retrofit things as well. Your lungs will thank you in 10 years, even if you are just recreationally doing this and not hardcore.

Paul Johnstone
04-04-2008, 6:50 PM
Anyone want to comment on duct size? OK to go with running 4" duct to a 15" planer, or should the 6" be used as is recommended? What's the real reason a 15" planer calls for at least 700 cfm - because the chips are heavier? Is the risk of running 4" cloggng?

If it all possible, do 6"..
If you can only do 4", it's better than nothing.
It's a pain to retrofit a planer to a 6" opening. I used a HVAC "retangle funnel" that had a 6" opening on it, but I still had to play around and rivet some sheet metal to make it fit. PITA, but worth it.

Hank Knight
04-04-2008, 10:02 PM
Joe,

JDS, a local SC company, maked a canister dust collection unit that got really good reviews in one of the magazines in the last year or so. They aren't easy to find, but Mann Tool here in Columbia handles JDS stuff and will either have one in stock or they'll order one for you. If you haven't been to Mann, go. They have a really nice selecton of power tools and accessories and they are really helpful. They carry several brands of dust collectors in addition to the JDS.
If all the posts have gotten you interested in ClearVue, I second the suggestion that you take a trip to Pickens and visit Ed Morgano, the president/owner of ClearVue Cyclones. He'll show you around his place and give you the royal treatment. He's a really nice guy.

Hank

Jim Andrew
04-05-2008, 6:49 AM
I have Woodmaster 18" planer, and a 2hp cyclone. When the filter is clean it is a pretty good match, have increased the dust hood to 6", but when the filter has some dust in it, could be better. Think the dust collection system is like the bigger shop, always wish it was bigger.

Don Eddard
04-05-2008, 7:19 AM
Hello to fellow dust makers,

I am looking for tests, reviews and your opinions on 1-1 1/2hp dust collectors, with and without the canister feature...
The Harbor Freight "2" HP with a Wynn 0.5 micron cannister filter has a lot of fans. Here's one (http://workingwoods.com/hot_rodding_a_DC.htm) I found surfing a while back.