Idea for space saving dust collection

[Michael Merrill]

Currently I use a 16g shop vac as my collector with 2 1/2" hose, it works OK but not stellar. I recently built one of the cyclone type lids posted on SMC that attaches to a 5g bucket, that design certainly helps but still I'd like to do better.

My shop is 22X13 with the loss of about a 7X3 area to a garden closet. With a 10"TS, 14"BS, DP, 12"CMS, Belt/Disk, and bench Planer/Jointer/Osc Sander there is little extra room. The nice thing today is the shop vac fits directly under my CMS station out of the way. A full cyclone or dust collector just can't fit. I do have a JET air filter unit that is ceiling mounted but I think I need to trap more at the source.

One thought I had was to build another cyclone top but for something in the 15-25g size drum or can, then use a portable dust collector to "power" the system. Some thing like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94029 This design may still fit under my 36" high counter in a corner.

I could then use either 4", 2 1/2" hose or both based on the tool? I just wonder if this might offer better collection than I'm getting now at the source. Then maybe I would run a few permanent pipes along my walls with gates in appropriate spots and not have to drag the unit around.

Interested in your thoughts.

[Wade Lippman]

The HF won't be much better than your vacuum and when you put a cyclone (I presume you mean a trash can separator?) you might not get much air movement at all.
My shop is about the same size as yours with about the same tools (I have a drum sander rather than a belt sander) but fortunately don't have the garden closet. I have a Oneida Portable cyclone because it is small. Sadly, it is also expensive.

Due to lack of room, I have my lathe in the garage. My wife let me put it there if I built her a garden shed in the backyard. Can you do something like that to reclaim the garden closet?

[Michael Merrill]

No-Can-Do to the outside shed, fancy subdivision covenents!!!!!

[Prashun Patel]

You get a lot of CFM loss with a separator. My instinct is that the portable would be underpowered with a separator.

Yr best bet is to get a 1 1/2-2hp real dc. One that can be rolled around. There are some that are tall but have a small footprint (see Delta 50-760). Might be more than you want to spend, but it's probably the right way to go.

- shawn

[glenn bradley]

I have a 4" separator for my 1HP upright Delta DC. I really like not having to change the bag very often. I made the mistake of hooking things up with the separator out of the path after a recent shop re-org. It worked so much better at the collection point without it that I have yet to put it back.

I will probably get tired of emptying the bag again and put it back in the circuit. The point of this is that the small unit you are considering would probably become almost useless with a separator and a sub-optimal physical path for the ducting.

Since you can't do the outside structure, I wonder if you could at least exhaust outside (behind a bush or low picket) to gain the discharge container's footprint(?). This would require a system that doesn't look like mine:

http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/069554/069554508400sm.jpg (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=60056-32764-AP400&lpage=none)
but one that has the blower separate from the collar like
http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/662755/662755512681sm.jpg (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=93017-28920-DC-1100RC&lpage=none).

(No brand preference is intended in these example images). Unless you are somewhere that can tolerate pumping 1000 CFM of "bought air" outside this will not be a good solution.

[Michael Merrill]

I figured this might be the feedback, I really can't fit the "true DC" models into the shop now, even the 18"X32" footprint with the height would be tough to manage. And if it is a battle for space a true 6" jointer to replace a 6" benchtop will get the vote over dust collection at this point.

[Douglas Robinson]

It is short, has a 1 1/2 hp motor, a small foot print and uses a 4" hose. I have used one for years. It is no bigger than a shop vac (except when the bag inflates.):D

I am selling mine down here in NC as I just installed a cyclone.

[Phil Thien]

That little DC is nifty. It uses a fast-spinning universal motor (spinning at 6000-RPM's) with a small, airfoil-type impeller (just like the big cyclones, but smaller). Basically, you get twice of the CFM of even the largest shop vacs, and boatloads of static lift compared to most DC's. It is a killer combination. It will be the the heartbeat of my PMC (Poor Man's Cyclone) using my Thien separator design (http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm).

I have a pleated filter on the way to replace the bag (it is a 30-micron bag so an upgrade is in order).

And I have to plumb the shop a little to use it. So far I've connected it directly to machines (with a 10' hose) and the results are better than expected.

[David Parker]

That little DC is nifty. It uses a fast-spinning universal motor (spinning at 6000-RPM's) with a small, airfoil-type impeller (just like the big cyclones, but smaller). Basically, you get twice of the CFM of even the largest shop vacs, and boatloads of static lift compared to most DC's. It is a killer combination.

Hi Phil,

Where did you get the blower assembly? That setup looks very interesting. I was planning on the Delta 50-760, but now you've got me thinking. Thanks.

Dave

[Phil Thien]

Hi Phil,

Where did you get the blower assembly? That setup looks very interesting. I was planning on the Delta 50-760, but now you've got me thinking. Thanks.

Dave

It is the HF unit the OP (Original Posted) linked.

I have compared it to a Penn State 3XL which is a 1-1/2" blower with a backwards inclined inpeller (typical of single stage DC's). While the PS unit does offer more CFM initially, it doesn't handle flexible hose or a cyclone as gracefully.

HF pitches the little DC as a compromise between a typical DC and a shop vac. I think they're right. Twice the CFM, and plenty of static lift.

I got some vibration isolators from McMaster to mount it. That helped a lot but I'd still like to isolate it from the framing a little better.