My DC Ducting Gloat

[Victor Stearns]

Greetings Creekers,
I am posting the pictures of my almost completed ducting for my DC.
I had relocated my cyclone, Wood Mag fame, outside into a 3'x5'x12' tall enclosure that we built onto the end of my workshop. I installed the cyclone such that the inlet pipe is 4" below the ceiling height. I wanted to keep the main duct as straight as possible.
Some Details of the System:
6" main duct, one 5' branch (most likely to the TS), and two 4" branch lines constructed from 4" S&D pvc. I used the S&D pipe as the internal size will accept a 4"-metal coupler. Also a blast gate will fit very nicely into the 4" pvc.
There are four 6" drops, four 5" drops and six 4" drops. I hope to fabraicate some sort of quick connector that will allow me move machines as needed as I keep my machines on mobil bases as to allow relocation.
Thanks for looking and keep making sawdust, or sorry PROJECTS!
Victor

[Dewey Torres]

Looks like it is going to be a nice setup. Would you mind sending my the plans for the blast gate you made? I have seen home-mades before but not one that slick:)

Good job.
Dewey

[Victor Stearns]

Cyclone House

[Keith Pitman]

That's a nice shop. I'm envious. Maybe you could adopt me?

[Stan Tilley]

Victor:

I am interested in moving my dust collector outside like you did for noise reduction and to gain a little extra floor space inside my shop. I have a couple of questions. I assume you have some sort of remote control to turn the thing on? Did you address or are you concerned about drawing the air out of your shop to the outside, or do you return it somehow? If you don't return it, is your enclosure vented to allow the air to escape?

Thanks for any information you can share.

Stan Tilley

[David Giles]

You might be a woodworker if....

...you have more dust collector gates than tools.

,,,you have more dust collector gates than electrical outlets.

I bet you could clean the shop just be opening one blast gate at a time until all the dust was gone.

Cool design!

[Victor Stearns]

Stan,
Yes, I do have a remote for the cyclone. I am planning of exhausting the cyclone outside. this will be a 6-inch exhaust. I have not found one that I like thus time to make something. I do not plan on venting back into the shop. I do not want to add/replace the filter I have now. I moved the cyclone outside for basically the same reasons you state, noise and to gain floor space. I also wanted to push the fine dust outside. I am not concerned with pulling too much heat out of the shop when I use the cyclone. My shop has radiant floor heat and with everything in the shop I have alot of heat sinks. I also only run the cyclone when it is needed. I may use it more now as I will have all the machines hooked up.
Thanks
Victor

[Stan Tilley]

Thanks, Victor. I look forward to hearing a further report when you've been up and running a while. I am encouraged by your effort.

[Victor Stearns]

Greetings Creekers,
Just thought I would add an update after actually getting some shop time. First off, having the cyclone outside of the shop is great. The only downfall is I forget to shut it off as I cannot hear it running. Second, the system works great. The table saw, bandsaw, router table, and jointer chips are all well collected. I only have to test the 18" planer. I want to covert the dust collection port from a single 5" to two-4" ports. I think this will work better. Only time will tell. I still need to find a larger metal drum for the chips. I want a 35-gallon as moving a 55g drum that is full of chips does not appeal to me.
Thanks for Looking
Victor

[J. Greg Jones]

Victor, it looks like a nice setup! One question for you-I see that you have no plans for venting back to the shop, yet it appears from the pictures that you have a gas water heater in the shop. How have you addressed the potential issue of negative pressure in your shop?

[Jim Becker]

Victor, consider a 55 gallon fiber drum for your bin...holds the goods and is not as heavy as a metal drum would be. That's what I use for mine.

[Roger Jensen]

Hi Victor,

I am planning an outside DC as well. Did you run rigid pipe through the wall, or did you have a connector in the will that you attached pipe on either side? I am going to be running flexible tubing and I'm not sure what to run between the studs.

Thanks