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Thread: Steel Ducting for Shop DC

  1. #16
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    May 2004
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    columbia, sc
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    Originally I was going to use pvc but the price for 26 gauge metal was much more affordable. I was concerned as I’d never done any work with the stuff. Once I got into it I found it much easier to work with than pvc. The fact that the 90’s are so adjustable and I was able to by wyes without them being crimped was nice. Just had to wait for them to be made. Metal tape, screws and mastic sealed and secured everything solid. Also my tool of choice for cutting was an angle grinder.

  2. #17
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    Oct 2006
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    I have a porch full of spiral pipe. The reason why?I bought some used nordfab, and now I'll never use the spiral pipe again. Nordfrab is stupid expensive but it is amazing, and the ability to reconfigure it is worth its price in gold. Awesome! I'm installing a lot of large pieces of it at about 17 ft in the air and I wouldn't want to be screwing around with spiral ductwork.
    Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    NE Connecticut
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    695
    I used 26ga, 5" spiral pipe that was classified as "hobby shop" grade. I got it from Air Handling Systems, which is local to me. The pipe itself is cheap but fittings can add up quickly. The hobby shop grade stuff goes up to 7".

    Spiral pipe is easy to work with. There's no crimping - you buy couplers, or some fittings have smaller ends to fit inside of pipes. It's easy to cut with a jig saw and I connected everything with rivets and sealed with foil tape. I recommend a pneumatic rivet gun, which you can get on Amazon for $60 or so.

    If I could have found a supplier, I would have investigated S&D PVC, which might have been cheaper. I've done a lot of PVC work for plumbing and I don't think that the metal pipe was any more difficult or time consuming to work with than PVC.

    Good luck.


  4. #19
    I've used snap lock and spiral pipe for dust collection, and have done a lot of work with 6" to 12" Sched 40 PVC for water. Spiral pipe is definitely the easiest to work with of the three for dust collection.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    central tx
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    589
    I used 26ga spiral pipe. I found it easy to work with using sheet metal screws and/or pop rivets. 7" to the V3000 and dropping down to 6".

    I ordered some stuff from blastgateco.com and some from Oneida directly. Most of it I got at a local metal shop. 10' lengths of spiral are nice to get locally rather than pay 100's for shipping.

    IMG_5724.jpg

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    NW Indiana
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    3,078
    I have a 5 hp Oneida Gorilla and run using PVC. It is cheap and easy to work with. I bought my DWV PVC at Menards and was able to get 6" pipe and fittings.

    Why do I use 6" and not 8" ? One reason is that with some tools, the cfm is low with a 4" port and going into 8" , the velocity drops to low.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Frank View Post

    Why do I use 6" and not 8" ? One reason is that with some tools, the cfm is low with a 4" port and going into 8" , the velocity drops to low.
    Larry makes an important point here...our generally "one person" shops sometimes require a "compromise" to insure adequate performance with our dust collection systems with only one gate open. While I do have 7" coming off my Oneida cyclone, the "main" transitions to 6" from there which works well with a combination of 6", 5" and 4" drops/ports along the way. I do have more than one gate open more often these days while my CNC is running and I'm using other tools, but the design is very supportive of single open ports.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Frank View Post

    Why do I use 6" and not 8" ? One reason is that with some tools, the cfm is low with a 4" port and going into 8" , the velocity drops to low.
    One advantage with steel is that is available in 5" and 7" diameters, when 4", 6" or 8" PVC just isn't the size you need to fit the flow.
    NOW you tell me...

  9. #24
    I gave up on the fittings supplied by a local HVAC supplier and purchased replacements from The Blast Gate Co. Their customer service was great and the fittings worked well with the locally purchased spiral duct, which was in 10 ft. lengths. All of the joints were riveted in place and sealed with Blast Gate's vinyl tape. I've had to make a few modifications to the system since its original install and I don't know how the Nordfab system would've be any easier. I'm happy with the spiral duct and Blast Gate combination and would do it again given the choice. The 3 times the cost of the Nordfab system was the deal breaker for me.

  10. #25
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    Apr 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    I've had to make a few modifications to the system since its original install and I don't know how the Nordfab system would've be any easier. I'm happy with the spiral duct and Blast Gate combination and would do it again given the choice. The 3 times the cost of the Nordfab system was the deal breaker for me.
    Steve, I just don't get what all the fuss is over Nordfab. I've not used it, but have watch a few videos of installation & really don't see how it's that much better than conventional steel fittings. It's a cost thing. I could spend all that money on Nordfab, or I could use steel spiral duct & then use the savings to get a really nice 8" jointer, or enough walnut for several pieces of furniture.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    The general benefit to Nordfab and equivalent is "faster" installation and reconfiguration because everything clamps together. The stuff is also very heavy which is suitable for larger DC systems, too. And no taping/caulking to seal. For some folks/firms, that's important and for others, it's not.

    For my own purposes, I really love the clamp connections for machine connections that need to be released and changed with some level of frequency or for when one wants to reuse one hose for overhead drops that are positioned for convenience. So if I ever have the opportunity to build a new shop, I suspect that I'd use spiral for the general duct work, but pony up the money for the Nordfab (or similar from Grizzly) connections where they make sense. I have them on my CNC, router table and drum sander drops for this reason and it's been essential at the CNC when something long and skinny gets picked up and gets lodged in the hose near the gate. I can clean it fast and be back to work, yet the connection has zero leaks. For the router table, the hose sometimes gets in the way of something large being processed on my slider, so a quick, positive disconnect gets it out the way. For my drum sander, the machine and hose partially block my lathe...I don't do a lot of turning these days, but being able to move the sander quickly and then put it back quickly is a nice benefit. So again, I favor a hybrid approach by using what works best and most cost effectively while providing what I want and need.

    I have seen a large Nordfab ductwork installation in a shop down in VA and it was impressive. The owner does evolve his shop frequently enough that
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #27
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    Honestly, I don't think doing up a clamp is a lot faster than zipping 3 screws in. The real strengths of the system, as I see it, is the self sealing feature, and a situation where things get changed out on a frequent and regular basis. As far as strength is concerned, I can put all my weight on the 8" 26 ga spiral & it barely flexes

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Mesa, Arizona
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    Norfab may not make sense for most hobbyist’s shops. In a commercial setting, Norfab tends to make a lot of sense. Norfab’s ability to be quickly reconfigured is an advantage that has already been discussed. This advantage potentially applies to both commercial and hobby shops. Suppose you know you’ll be moving your shop across town in a couple of years. Spiral pipe CAN be reused, but not as easily as Norfab. Maybe Norfab would make sense in such a case. Or, suppose you’re in your first phase of building your dream shop. In another few years, you hope to add on phase 2 (which will not be just larger, but will result in rearranging much of your equipment). And, a few more years will bring phase 3, etc. Again, Norfab might makes sense as part of your phase 1 build-out.

    In addition to the ease of reconfiguration, Norfab is easier to clean than other ductwork. For most of us, that’s not much of an issue. In a commercial setting, it can be a huge issue. Ducts aren’t just used to remove waste, they’re also used to deliver stuff. In the food industry, such ducts may need to be cleaned very frequently. In the chemical industry, the ducts may need to be cleaned between jobs.

    My point is just because a product doesn’t have any appeal to you, doesn’t mean the product has no reason for being. I drive a half-ton pickup truck because I have no need for a 3/4 ton or heavier truck. I don’t tow very often and when I do, the trailer is not too heavy. That doesn’t mean my neighbors are idiots for buying a 3/4 ton truck! The same reasoning applies to duct work. For some of us, Norfab makes sense. I just installed a bunch of spiral pipe because Norfab didn’t make sense for me.
    David Walser
    Mesa, Arizona

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Walser View Post
    Norfab may not make sense for most hobbyist’s shops. In a commercial setting, Norfab tends to make a lot of sense. Norfab’s ability to be quickly reconfigured is an advantage that has already been discussed. This advantage potentially applies to both commercial and hobby shops. Suppose you know you’ll be moving your shop across town in a couple of years. Spiral pipe CAN be reused, but not as easily as Norfab. Maybe Norfab would make sense in such a case. Or, suppose you’re in your first phase of building your dream shop. In another few years, you hope to add on phase 2 (which will not be just larger, but will result in rearranging much of your equipment). And, a few more years will bring phase 3, etc. Again, Norfab might makes sense as part of your phase 1 build-out.

    In addition to the ease of reconfiguration, Norfab is easier to clean than other ductwork. For most of us, that’s not much of an issue. In a commercial setting, it can be a huge issue. Ducts aren’t just used to remove waste, they’re also used to deliver stuff. In the food industry, such ducts may need to be cleaned very frequently. In the chemical industry, the ducts may need to be cleaned between jobs.

    My point is just because a product doesn’t have any appeal to you, doesn’t mean the product has no reason for being. I drive a half-ton pickup truck because I have no need for a 3/4 ton or heavier truck. I don’t tow very often and when I do, the trailer is not too heavy. That doesn’t mean my neighbors are idiots for buying a 3/4 ton truck! The same reasoning applies to duct work. For some of us, Norfab makes sense. I just installed a bunch of spiral pipe because Norfab didn’t make sense for me.
    Oh, Nordfab has plenty of appeal to me, but everything has to pass the cost/benefit test to determine if it's right for me. It hasn't done that. If one wants Nordfab just because it's neat stuff, I totally understand that & it's a valid reason to have it. But I haven't found a reason to make it work for me. Ease of assembly/disassembly is not really a reason, because spiral duct assembles/disassembles very easily. I've done a couple of rearrangements of ducting in my shop & at no time did I wish I'd sprung for Nordfab.

    If we're in the context of a woodworking shop, then ease of cleaning has got nothing to do with it. The inside of spiral duct is very smooth & doesn't catch dust & chips.

    We all have ways of spending our money that may appear to be foolish to others & that's fine. I do it, you do it, but just spend it knowing all the facts & don't make decisions based on parameters that don't apply or are invalid.

  15. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    The inside of spiral duct is very smooth & doesn't catch dust & chips.
    I haven't seen the inside of spiral duct. What are it's advantages compared to same gauge snap lock? I can't imagine it is any smoother on the inside.
    NOW you tell me...

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