DC cyclone w/remote DC location

Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.

Tonight I was standing in my dusty, junked, crowded shop, looking at the DC unit that I have not yet hooked up. I started with a 2 1/2 hp PennState unit with the upgraded bags, then added my own Wood Magazine type cyclone, which I mounted to the basement wall. The idea was to bring air into the cyclone to catch the big stuff, then route it to and through the bags (the unit sits right beside the cyclone. I have delayed because (1) I am slow and lazy, and (2) I have been concerned about the noise moving from the basement through the hvac ducting through the house. Ideally, I would like to get the unit out into the attached garage, but cannot do so and maintain anything close to a "straight shot" into the cyclone; more like a "crazy eight" pattern inside 4' of piping.

Then it hit me: Maybe I don't need the entire unit out of the basement! What if I only move the blower/bag assembly to the garage - leave the cyclone in the basement so I can have essentially a straigh shot into the cyclone, but run the 6" piping from the output end of the cyclone out to the DC. This would require a 90 degree bend at the output of the DC, then a 10' run, then a 90 degree out through the wall, then a 90 degree up to the unit, then a 90 degree into the impeller. Some of this "through the wall" run could be done with 6" flex to avoid true 90 degree bends.

My thinking is that because I am theoretically moving only small, fine particles between the cyclone and the DC, I should still have enough "suck" to move the dust along. I would rarely, if ever, be using more than one machine at a time, so I think the capacity of the 2 1/2 hp unit would more than overcome the turns and drag in the 90 degree bends between the cyclone and the DC. All piping will be 6" except for the drop to each machine, which will be sized to fit 4" openings. Each drop to machines will have 2 6" 90 degree bends.

What do you think? Is this worth exploring? I really would like to move the noise out to the garage, but I want the DC to sort of work, too!

I'ld like to offer advice, but I need a picture/shop layout/proposed schematic and more info about lengths of ducting... Sorry.

On the other hand, maybe you suffer from the same affliction that I do in the "lazy" category. It's not that I'm lazy, per se, I just get mentally blocked at certain points. Those "points" are the stages in construction for which I have not made complete plans. I start "gung-ho", but then, when my mental plan "runs out", I sit and stare. So, I make better plans now, and when I find myself sitting, I either leave the shop or grab pencil and paper and work through whatever indecision I have. I figure I would rather do something "non-optimum" than do nothing and have nothing to show for my time.

Todd.

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Originally Posted by Todd Burch

I'ld like to offer advice, but I need a picture/shop layout/proposed schematic and more info about lengths of ducting... Sorry.

On the other hand, maybe you suffer from the same affliction that I do in the "lazy" category. It's not that I'm lazy, per se, I just get mentally blocked at certain points. Those "points" are the stages in construction for which I have not made complete plans. I start "gung-ho", but then, when my mental plan "runs out", I sit and stare. So, I make better plans now, and when I find myself sitting, I either leave the shop or grab pencil and paper and work through whatever indecision I have. I figure I would rather do something "non-optimum" than do nothing and have nothing to show for my time.

Todd.

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The shop is in the basement - about 30x15. Imagine standing at one end of the rectangle, looking at the other end. Put a door in the left corner (leading up into the attached garage) and the cyclone in the right corner of the other end. The proposed location for the DC unit is in the tall headroom area of the basement-to-garage stairway, just outside of and directly above the basement door.

Ducting from machines will run down the side of the shop to the cyclone - essentially a straight shot into the cyclone. Each machine drop will go through one Y and one 90.

Ducting from the cyclone will come out the top in a 90, run about 10' to just above the door, then out the sill over the door, up about 2', then 90 into the DC blower.

Again, one machine at a time, with 6" ducting in all areas, except for the small amount of 4" flex to connect to the machines.

See, thinking I can do. It is the pesky "roundtoit" that gets in the way.

Oh come on now Joe be brave & open up the holes in your machines to 6" & get the full benefit of your 6" duct.

"The shop is in the basement - about 30x15. Imagine standing at one end of the rectangle, looking at the other end. Put a door in the left corner (leading up into the attached garage) and the cyclone in the right corner of the other end. The proposed location for the DC unit is in the tall headroom area of the basement-to-garage stairway, just outside of and directly above the basement door."


This sounds like I am standing in the far end of the shop from the stairway that goes to the garage & the door is in the left corner & I would go out the door & make a right turn to go up the stairs. Am I right?
You say you want to put the cyclone right above the door. I see not problem with that ACCEPT where are you going to put the chip can? Directly below the cyclone right in front of the door way?

"Ducting from the cyclone will come out the top in a 90, run about 10' to just above the door, then out the sill over the door, up about 2', then 90 into the DC blower."


In reading the above paragraph it looks like your starting at the DC & ending at the DC. So I am not really sure what your doing.

So what ever you are doing I still side with Bill Pentz or Terry Hatfield with running 6" all the way including right into your machines. Again I say use a hand held jig saw or snips or what ever & open up the 4" openings to 6" on all your machines & let that system breath.

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Originally Posted by Bart Leetch

Oh come on now Joe be brave & open up the holes in your machines to 6" & get the full benefit of your 6" duct.


In reading the above paragraph it looks like your starting at the DC & ending at the DC. So I am not really sure what your doing.

So what ever you are doing I still side with Bill Pentz or Terry Hatfield with running 6" all the way including right into your machines. Again I say use a hand held jig saw or snips or what ever & open up the 4" openings to 6" on all your machines & let that system breath.

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You're probably right about the 6" openings. I'll consider it.

For clarification, the cyclone will be in the "middle" of the run - it is just the cyclone I made - the actual DC in it's original form will be some distance away. The motor is not attached to the cyclone as in standalone units because I don't have enough ceiling height to do that. That is why I kept the DC in it's original form, but placed a cyclone collector in advance of the DC.