Help me soup-up a Grizzly 1029 DC

I am setting up a new space for a hobby woodshop with the usual tools. My 10” cab saw, 12” J/P and router table are probably my biggest dust/chip producers. Right now, I am hooking them up individually as needed with flex hose to an older 2 hp Grizzly single stage DC 1029, and it’s a pain. While I’d love to jump into a nice 3 hp cyclone system with a hard-piped duct run – I don’t think I can justify the overall $2,500 dollar cost right now for the amount of time I get to spend in the shop (hopefully that will change in the distant future as I look at retiring).
I thought maybe could break the project into more manageable chunks by setting up the DC plumbing first and finding a way to squeeze every bit of potential out the Griz DC I have now. Later, I could just substitute the bigger cyclone as funding allows without having to drastically change my duct runs.
I know several of you owning the Griz1029 DC and it’s distant cousin from HF, have found ways to “super charge” these without much out-of-pocket expense. What I’m thinking of doing is parting out the Griz1029, by directly mounting the motor and impeller unit to the wall in a separate adjacent insulated closet – rotating it 90 degrees it to be fed from the top , rather than from the side, for a straighter shorter upstream pipe run. However, this would put the motor in an upside down orientation.
Then, I would try to eliminate the 4’ of flex hose to the bag ring by connecting it directly to the impeller unit. I’ve already upgraded to a Wynn 35A cartridge filter on top and plastic bags for the bottom. Inside the bag ring would be an infamous Thien baffle to provide whatever separation I could get. If this doesn’t provide the degree of separation I need or I still have filter clogging issues, then I go the next step and build a Thien-style pre-separator.
My questions are this:
· First off, anyone see any big problems with this approach?
· Can the Griz1029 move air fast enough through a 6” main if I am careful with my transitions and run length? I only want to hang duct once, but it has to work with both the 2 hp Griz, as well as a future small 3 hp cyclone like the Oneida V-3000.
· Can I change the orientation of the Griz motor to an upside-down hanging direction without bearing or operational issues? I know supporting the weight may be a problem, but with four adjacent walls to work with, it shouldn’t be an issue.
· Anybody have any other suggestions for low-cost ways to improve on the overall DC system that I haven’t thought of?
I’ve attached a drawing of the shop floor plan with the proposed duct runs dropped in, as well as a cartoon of the mods I am thinking of for the Grizzly 1029 DC. I’m thinking if I’m careful, I can do the piping for $1,000 – 1,200 getting it cleared by the CFO, then upgrading to a cyclone unit in the future when I have built up the requisite goodwill.

Thanks in advance for your valuable advice.

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Originally Posted by Jeff Qualmann

· Can the Griz1029 move air fast enough through a 6” main if I am careful with my transitions and run length? I only want to hang duct once, but it has to work with both the 2 hp Griz, as well as a future small 3 hp cyclone like the Oneida V-3000.

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Yes - definitely use 6". I think the concerns about not moving enough volume to keep stuff suspended are over-stated.

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Originally Posted by Jeff Qualmann

· Can I change the orientation of the Griz motor to an upside-down hanging direction without bearing or operational issues? I know supporting the weight may be a problem, but with two four adjacent walls to work with, it shouldn’t be an issue.

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Yes, you can. I tried mounting a DC blower to a wall once, and the noise was much louder (presumably mechanical vibration coupled into the walls). Use hockey pucks or something to isolate the vibration.

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Originally Posted by Jeff Qualmann

· Anybody have any other suggestions for low-cost ways to improve on the overall DC system that I haven’t thought of?

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Can you eliminate the Wynn filter and vent directly outside?

Dan - Yeah, I worry a little bit about picking up vibration through the walls, but I have several layers of drywall, OSB and insulation to help with that issue, but it can't be any worse than it being the same room with me 5 feet away like it is now. Putting some rubber mounts on it is probably a good idea.

Exhausting outside might be an option in the warmer weather, but not in the colder months as have to work to hard to heat the shop to a reasonable temperature. If I did go that route, then I'd have to add additional ducting and come up with some way to make the easy switch summer to winter.

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Originally Posted by Jeff Qualmann

Dan - Yeah, I worry a little bit about picking up vibration through the walls, but I have several layers of drywall, OSB and insulation to help with that issue, but it can't be any worse than it being the same room with me 5 feet away like it is now. Putting some rubber mounts on it is probably a good idea.

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It is worse if the coupling of the DC to the walls translates the sound to other parts of the house where people care more :).

I have thought about the "Thein-Filter-in-the-ring" and I think it has promise. But this makes it a post-separator and not a pre-separator so it doesn't provide any protection for the impeller. I can live with that. I don't have any right now :).

To increase the flow of air from the motor to the bag ring you could try the "stovepipe mod" (google it).

The only problem I see with designing your piping to work for both a smaller DC and a later-added larger DC is the strain you would put on the smaller DC motor. The big free-flowing pipes will ask for more HP than the smaller motor can deliver if you are not careful.

I am in a very similar situation (same DC) and will be following the thread closely!

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Originally Posted by Jeff Qualmann

Exhausting outside might be an option in the warmer weather, but not in the colder months as have to work to hard to heat the shop to a reasonable temperature. If I did go that route, then I'd have to add additional ducting and come up with some way to make the easy switch summer to winter.

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Yeah, if it gets REALLY cold, you may have a problem. Although you'd be very surprised how little additional heat you'd need to replace what you exhaust outside - air doesn't hold much heat energy.

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Originally Posted by Salem Ganzhorn

To increase the flow of air from the motor to the bag ring you could try the "stovepipe mod" (google it).

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If you look at his first picture, Salem, he intends to get rid of that section of pipe entirely. Even better results than the stovepipe mod :)

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Originally Posted by Salem Ganzhorn

The only problem I see with designing your piping to work for both a smaller DC and a later-added larger DC is the strain you would put on the smaller DC motor. The big free-flowing pipes will ask for more HP than the smaller motor can deliver if you are not careful.

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This is true. If you move too much air, you can work the motor harder than it was intended. It's an unlikely possibility, but one worth avoiding. Build your system as you intend, then use an AC ammeter to check the current being drawn by the motor, and make sure it's not more than the nameplate says. Alternatively, you can just make sure the motor doesn't get "too hot" (not as scientific, but probably equally effective).

How about building one of these

Attachment 149049

Good advice Jack tossed out and not that hard to do. The Grizz is stronger than the blower they used here and this devil has found it's way into many shops. At least 4 that I know of within 2 sq miles of me for starters. Each uses 2hp blowers - Grizz and PSI. The 30ga metal used is holding up that they used - so that resolves the "it won't work" thing.
One guy added a neutral vane and says he noticed the difference somewhat so I would maybe do so at the start. They added to later plans he said.

Nice idea and excellent function - guess that leads to "why not?!" :D