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Thread: DC Dilemma

  1. #1

    DC Dilemma

    20' x 20' garage. I need dust collection for:

    DeWalt DW735 Planer (4" port)
    DeWalt DWE7480 Table Saw (2-1/2" port)
    Jet 10-20 Drum Sander (4" port)
    Wood River Spindle Sander (1-1/2" port)
    HF 12" Disc Sander (2-1/2" port)
    Jet 18" Band Saw (4" port)

    I've read posts about alternatives until my head spins. All my tools are on mobile bases/flip carts. Do I need a shop vac/cyclone setup? A DC/blower system with ducting? Do the HF DC build? I have a flexible budget, but I don't want to invest on a rig that is more than what my tools require based on dust port size. I don't run my tools everyday, but when I do, I usually make a day out of it. I have seen every YouTube video, read Bill Pentz website and every post out there. It just goes round and round in circles. Obviously, each tool mentioned has it's requirements. I'm not trying to build a sterile room. I just need to get some dust control going. I'm at a point to where I need the comfort of sage advice.

    Thanks

    P.S. - I'm already figuring that the band saw dust collection will be a joke.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Willard,Utah
    Posts
    163
    2 or 3hp grizzly cyclone. Affordable and work great

  3. #3
    My dust collection system has evolved with my budget and needs. I began with a shop vac and quickly added a Dust Deputy to limit the constant filter clogging. The combo performed remarkable well with most debris collected from the DD and very little ending up in the shop vac. I also used this set-up with my band saw by an adapter on the bottom port, and it worked well enough to keep the saw relatively clean and functioning. As my woodworking equipment collection grew, I started doing DC research (with my budget limitations in mind), and considered the HF option as well as other new units and the options available through Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

    My main concern with the Harbor Freight unit was that it had a 5 micron bag and I preferred something with more filtering capability, particularly from the health aspect. I also wasn't too keen on the need to upgrade the unit in an attempt to gain better performance.

    I found a new 2hp Grizzly G0548Z Dust Collector w/ 1 micron canister filter on FB Marketplace and was able to buy it for $200 ($634 new delivered). The seller had purchased the Grizzly new, but before assembly bought a larger unit at an auction and The Grizzly sat unused in the corner of his garage for a couple years until he needed the space for something else. He was originally asking $250 but when we arrived, he wasn't able to find the parts that hadn't been assembled and lowered the price (I got the missing parts from Grizzly for $40).

    My primary shop equipment consists of the following:
    Laguna 18BX Bandsaw
    Craftsman Radial Arm Saw
    Dewalt DW735X Planer
    Grizzly G0490 Jointer
    Rockwell Table Saw

    The Grizzly is connected to two 4" floor-level PVC pipes, with blast gates for each tool on the pipe / wye and connected to the tool via flexible DC hose. One pipe is plumbed to the RAS and the jointer, and the second is to the BS with another hose that connects either to the TS or the planer (stored beneath the RAS when not in use). I will typically open a single blast gate for the machine I am using, or depending on the processes, leave two blast gates open to the machines I am actively using to eliminate the need to constantly switch modes - which is why I plumbed the BS & RAS on separate lines (I often go back and forth between the two), and likewise placed the jointer & planer on separate lines, as well as the TS & RAS on separate lines. I had the 4" pipe left over from another project and considered eventually upgrading from the dual lines to a single 6" line, but this set-up has been performing very well and at this point don't really plan on changing.

    The DC power switch was in an inconvenient spot so I removed the switch from the DC and mounted it to the wall in an easy to reach location which makes on/off easy to do.

    I also purchased a Super Dust Deputy cyclone at Woodcraft's Scratch and Dent Sale for $25 ($169 new) - the box was damaged but the cyclone & parts were brand new. I haven't installed the cyclone into my system yet and need to obtain a collection bin, fittings and pipe/hose.

    At the present I still use the Shop vac / DD combo at the drop-down area of my outfeed / assembly table / workbench for the oscillating spindle / belt sander, portable router table and scroll saw, as well as for handheld power tools, though at some point I may plumb a line from the main DC system to this area too.

    In regard to a shop vac / Dust Deputy combo: the planer might be questionable and the DW735 has a pretty strong blower incorporated into the unit (I haven't tried the two together); it might work good enough to get by for the band saw and possibly the table saw; I don't have any experience with a drum sander and didn't see any actual cfm requirements when I looked up the manual; the other equipment should be fine. The shop vac / DD combo could be an option to get started and would have a relatively smaller footprint. You can always use the shop vac / DD as an accessory should you add a larger system too.

    Moving up, my preference would be toward a dust collector with a 1-micron canister filter, located in an out-of-the-way spot and plumbed into 4" PVC pipe with blast gates / hoses in convenient spots for your equipment (not having to constantly switch between machines can be a great advantage). In my opinion, the health aspects of a good DC system are as important (actually, more important) than simply maintaining cleanliness in a shop. A new DC can be an option and if you are diligent in searching used and quick to snag a bargain when they pop up, there are some good things to be found. I have been quite satisfied with my Grizzly and they seem to offer a good value for a quality product, they also have several options available, both in flow rates & capabilities as well as filtration ability, though there are many other manufacturers to choose from too.

    - Workshop b.jpg

  4. #4
    Thanks for the replies! Here is what I am gravitating towards. HF 2-HP with a SDD in front with a mid-sized bin (I really don't generate a lot of "debris" at one time). Also, a shop-vac and some form of dust deputy for the 2-1/2" port tools as well as my hand-held tools. I have enough space to keep the DC/SDD out of the way. I'll start with just a short hose to connect to my drum sander/planer/band saw, since I can easily move them around. Same approach with the shop-vac. After I see how it works, I will consider mounting the DC/SDD in a discreet wall mount location and maybe refining some sort of mobile "cart" for the shop-vac/dust deputy rig. This way I reduce the amount of initial labor just to get a feel for the performance in regards to how I work.

    Should be interesting. Thanks again!

  5. #5
    Just a side note..........any advantage to installing an internal Thien baffle to the HF stock separator ring? I can see a Wynn filter around the corner. But if I already plan to use a freestanding SDD would I gain anything? It's all simple/cheap construction.

    I think I am WAY overthinking...........but I am an engineer by trade (welding)...............soooo, that explains a lot.

  6. #6
    Why not build a mobile DC cart, with a sufficient flexible 4-inch hose (and appropriate reducers), that you can move to your equipment? This is what I was going to do when I was planning on working out of my much smaller garage.

    Edit: Here's another example just posted by Michael Ray:
    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....53#post2906053
    Last edited by Mike Kreinhop; 03-06-2019 at 7:05 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Davis, CA
    Posts
    278
    If you if you don’t have a dust monitor, you have no idea how well your dust collection is working.

  8. #8
    When you listed a drum and disc sander, my thinking started saying 3hp. For the planer, any dc will work, but sanders are murder to collect from. If you are going to bother with dc at all, you need enough to make a difference when running your sanders.

  9. #9
    Here is another thing to keep in mind relative to the comments, I am in Houston, TX. Fair climate 365 days a year. I never work in the garage with the door down.....always open. I can't set up a fixture to vent through a wall. With open door, why do I need a filter? I think my situation may be more about less sweeping.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by curtis woodall View Post
    ...
    P.S. - I'm already figuring that the band saw dust collection will be a joke.
    I don't know anything about the Jet 18" bandsaw. I do know that the dust collection on the Rikon 18" can be very good with a small mod. I split a 6" drop into three 4" ducts at the bandsaw. My cabinet stays clean and the only dust I have to deal with is what sprays off the blade onto the table when making "skimming" cuts.

    I went with a 5hp ClearVue cyclone and I'm quite happy with it. Dust collection is the one place I'd rather have way too much than too little.


    JKJ

  11. #11
    When I changed from a 2hp cyclone to a 3hp cyclone, advertised the 2hp, and did not get a single call. Appears used DC units are not worth a lot. Gave the 2hp to my nephew, and he is using it. So don't think you will save money buying a new cheap unit, and then upgrading. Just more and more money down the drain. Maybe you could find a good used DC?

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Wenatchee. Wa
    Posts
    767
    I would suggest that you modify your spindle sander so a 4" hose can be attached. I did that to my Jet spindle sander and it made a real difference. Moving a large dust collector around to your various machines is a pain and increases the potential for tripping on the hose etc. Buy the largest D.C. You can afford and manage in the shop. But if you can set it in one place and run lines overhead the convenience will make your time more enjoyable.

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