Dust Collection issues

[George Yetka]

I started with a HF 2hp collector then I pulled it apart placing fan and filter in attic above garage and adding a Dust deputy and trash can setup in the workshop all connected with 6" spiral. This worked fine until I added a hammer a3-31, the dust was too much for the system. So I started using my 6.5 hp shop vac with a 5 gallon bucket/separator top for just the hammer. The problem with this is the bags still fill up too fast. So I tried running it without the bag and now the bucket wont stop anything.

Before I pulled hammer off the dust collection system I must have clogged the ductwork somewhat because my suction is lousy. So I know I have to pull that all apart and/or blow it out.

My question is should I upgrade HF fan to something bigger or Should I keep the hammer separate?

If I do Upgrade it what should I be looking for?
If I dont how should I improve my setup on the jointer/planer by itself?

[Bill Dufour]

Whats the hammer do? what kind of dust does it make fine or coarse? what does the maker recommend as far as CFM.
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

Trying to collect from a J/P like that with just a shop vac is, well...not going to be all that effective. Trying to collect from a J/P with an undersized DC is also, well...not going to be very effective. And a J/P requires dust collection to operate properly. It's not optional. My advise would be to see what you can do to upgrade to a more capable dust collection system that's sized appropriately for the tools you have now as well as anything more demanding you might decide to buy later. Your current HF blower clearly isn't up to the task of servicing your duct work system and yes, with the kind of shavings that come off a J/P, you can get a plug/clog quite easily. This was the thing that forced me to upgrade my cyclone back in about 2004 or so...my new J/P at the time clogged things up the very first time I used it.

If you can budget it, a long-cone cyclone of 3+hp from Clearview or Oneida would be my recommendation.

[George Yetka]

It creates a lot of course dust. I cant find a recommendation from manufacturer. but its a 4 HP jointer/planer

[George Yetka]

Will the 6" Oneida SDD be undersized if I upgrade the blower housing, motor and filter setup?

[Peter Christensen]

George how much would all that upgrading and futzing around cost when a CV 1800 would cost about $2,000 and perform much better?

[George Yetka]

Im starting to think your right and I'd be blowing it outside I think so its even less at $1660

I was thinking of keeping my current cyclone only because I like how its setup with the fan in the attic. It keeps the shop nice and quiet and takes up very little room. But if I blow it outside I wont be taking up any more space.

Now how do I tell my wife I need to spend this money?

[Peter Christensen]

I have no advice on approaching the Ministress of Finance.

How big is your attic? Maybe you could put the cyclone up there with just the barrel in the shop below.

[Jim Andrew]

Just tell her your expensive new planer won't work without a new dust collector. Slippery slope.

[George Yetka]

I have no advice on approaching the Ministress of Finance.

How big is your attic? Maybe you could put the cyclone up there with just the barrel in the shop below.

Thats a possibility. In the center I probably have at least 8' and I only need 6' if I keep the barrel below.

[Jim Becker]

You can still mount a full cyclone upstairs if you have the headroom for the system minus the bin...a duct extending from the bottom of the cone through the attic floor to your shop and the bin down there is perfectly acceptable as long as it's totally sealed. You can still vent outside if your climate permits that and you still get the benefit of the noise reduction like you have now without having to build a sound-reduced closet in the shop proper. I helped a local friend install her Oneida cyclone upstairs like that a few years ago. (Her's does vent back to the shop because losing heat and A/C bites)

[George Yetka]

You can still mount a full cyclone upstairs if you have the headroom for the system minus the bin...a duct extending from the bottom of the cone through the attic floor to your shop and the bin down there is perfectly acceptable as long as it's totally sealed. You can still vent outside if your climate permits that and you still get the benefit of the noise reduction like you have now without having to build a sound-reduced closet in the shop proper. I helped a local friend install her Oneida cyclone upstairs like that a few years ago. (Her's does vent back to the shop because losing heat and A/C bites)

I dont have either heat or cooling so that isn't much of an issue for me(I'm a mechanical contractor so I probably should but never really though I needed it)

[Jim Dwight]

A six inch duct is big for the HF using the stock impeller. Many people switch to a 12 inch Rikon impeller. Gray House Studios is a you-tube where they did this. I plan to put in the HF and super dust deputy but will use 5 inch ducting. If it doesn't do the job with my 8 5/8 jointer or 10 inch planner I will add the rikon impeller. It is often on back order and costs about $100.

The other thing that might help is to review the length of flexible hose and turns in rigid hose. More gradual turns, less turns, and less flex also help airflow. A dirty filter kills airflow. Big time. That is the benefit of the cyclone - but I sometimes do not empty the can soon enough and the filter gets dirty. Taking a shallower cut on the planner will also reduce the rate of chip production.

Up to you if you want to upgrade the HF or replace it. I think there are things you can try. But they will not turn it into a quality 3-5hp DC.

[Mark Carlson]

Hi George, I have a similar setup, delta 50-760 1 1/2 hp dust collector with a SDD. I use 5 in hose and have no problem collecting dust from my A3-31 jointer planer. I dont run duct work but keep my machines centrally located and just move a 10 ft hose from machine to machine.

[George Yetka]

I will be getting a clearvue, putting it back in the attic and dumping down to a bucket in shop. This all came about when i ran the jointer for a project a few months ago the dust collector wasn't the same after it. Well over the weekend I figured out why the separator wasn't doing its job or I wasn't watching it closely enough It filled the bag in the attic plugged the filter solid then blew a hole in the bag and dumped 3 full shop vacs full of dust in the attic. Whoops