Justifying A Major Tool Purchase

[Greg Parrish]

I got an email yesterday from the Texas warehouse saying, "We made sure to keep the pallet at the height as you requested." I asked Tim to "keep it as low as possible" and he obviously sent that on to TX, but what that will be I won't know until it arrives.

That email also said the accessories (dial indicator and handwheel) are coming out of DE because TX didn't have it in stock.

My guess is that you will get what I got minus the 5x5 beams under the bottom. The rest of that is the factory pallet and would make it much easier to unload. Prob also allow lifting with pallet jack from the ends.

Ps the portamate 3500 mobile base is really nice. Just finished putting mine together for the nova drill press. With I had one of these on my other machines instead of the shop fox mobile base.

[Rick Potter]

Disappointed I am. Know if the new DeWalt planer would work better than the old one on that large wood I wanted.

Too late now, it is.

[Julie Moriarty]

Disappointed I am. Know if the new DeWalt planer would work better than the old one on that large wood I wanted.

Too late now, it is.

Wood of large planer Dewalt not like. Cry planer does. Stop motor does. Drop head does. Avoid we must.

[Julie Moriarty]

I was making a DC duct run across the ceiling to the miter saw. I had two 90s, or four 45s, and about 20' of straight pipe to finish the run. Then I thought maybe I should have long sweep 90s instead of standard HVAC 90s. Ordered them from Kencraft to do it right. This new machine is causing me to raise the standards.

Also noticed, when I was at the TS today, the sound of chips running through the duct seemed quieter. Maybe getting rid of that T helped improve the flow.

[Martin Wasner]

Maybe getting rid of that T helped improve the flow.

T's have no place in a dust collector except for under an air lock.

I buy the gasketed mandrel bent turns whenever I need them now.

[Julie Moriarty]

I was going through the Felder catalog. In the back of the catalog they have things you can buy from their e-Shop. On page 477 is a metal hose connector.
Felder_hose_connector.jpg
It made me wonder how 5" flex hose would fit over the 120mm version. Even if it wasn't perfect, it would seem to be modifiable. It would then allow for easy connecting and disconnecting - for those who want a straight connector. Felder's price is $9.70.

And there's their 90 elbow.
felder_02.0.020[1].jpg
For my application, there is no need for an elbow but maybe for some this would work. That part no. is 02.0.020. Price is $57.80.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, I use the elbow as my hose comes from overhead.

With the elbow the hose isn't in the way of the planer outfeed.

The elbow or straight connector are a perfect friction fit, easy to move the hose from one function, or machine to another.........Rod.

[Jim Becker]

That is a pretty tight turn on that elbow adapter, however...

[Julie Moriarty]

That is a pretty tight turn on that elbow adapter, however...

Let me try to fill that in...

... however, if you have a powerful enough dust collector, that tight turn shouldn't be a problem. But Julie has a measly little 3/4" HP DC and there has to be as little restrictions as possible...

At least that's what I thought when I've seen that elbow in use.

[Nick Decker]

Maybe just me, but I'd put a more powerful motor/fan very high on the upgrade list. Like, next.

I'm kind of amazed that a 3/4 hp motor would power that large cyclone at all.

[Julie Moriarty]

Maybe just me, but I'd put a more powerful motor/fan very high on the upgrade list. Like, next.

I'm kind of amazed that a 3/4 hp motor would power that large cyclone at all.

Nick, with all the comments agreeing with you, I had to check the motor. It's 3/4HP. And while every such comment may be spot on, I can't ignore the fact that, since I made the cyclone chamber for it and vented it outside, that 3/4 HP motor has always done good job. And it seems to be even more efficient since installing it in the new shop. The major differences between the old and new are metal over PVC. Taped joints rather than press fit. And shorter runs to the DC. And now that I've eliminated the 6" T, it seems to work better.
DC4JP_04.jpg

I will see how it works with the new JP soon enough. With the Delta 22-540 there was a few chips left behind in the old shop, much less in the new. With the DW735 and it's built in fan, collection was much better. But both went through that T. However I am curious how it will work with the new JP. I've kept the run as short as possible. I hope that will be good enough. There's no money for a DC upgrade for quite some time.

[Nick Decker]

Julie, I'm only basing my comments on my own experience with dust collection. I started with a little 1 hp Rikon, which was challenged from day one. I've moved to a heavily modified 2 hp Harbor Freight unit (yes, hp ratings are pretty useless), which is much better.

That said, I'm hoping that yours continues to do what you need. No idea what your new machine will require.

[Jim Becker]

Let me try to fill that in...

... however, if you have a powerful enough dust collector, that tight turn shouldn't be a problem. But Julie has a measly little 3/4" HP DC and there has to be as little restrictions as possible...

At least that's what I thought when I've seen that elbow in use.

'zactly. My recommendation for you is to try and go straight into the port, even if you need an extra foot of flex to do it with a gentle bend. And I'd do that even with your future upgraded it-slices, it-dices, it-juliennes dust collector when you win the lottery or something.

[Julie Moriarty]

My recommendation for you is to try and go straight into the port, even if you need an extra foot of flex to do it with a gentle bend. And I'd do that even with your future upgraded it-slices, it-dices, it-juliennes dust collector when you win the lottery or something.

Oh yeah, I'm giving that little DC motor all the help I can. And hopefully the spiral cutterblock will help it out a bit more. There's only 30" of 6" duct (reduced to 5" at the end) to the blast gate. But there's 10' of 5" flex before it connects straight into the machine. Fingers crossed.

[Rod Sheridan]

The good thing is that with your Silent Power head the chips are much smaller than on a standard head, you'll have better flow with less risk of clogging......Rod.