Late last summer I upgraded to 6-inch ductwork for my Jet DC1100 and at the same I also removed the DC motor/impeller assembly from the factory stand and mounted it to the shop ceiling so the main-trunk airflow was completely straight. I anticipated some improvement in the system’s effectiveness- there was some but I would not call it dramatic.
In early fall I relocated the dust bag and filter to a small “closet” that I built on the outside shop wall. As I expected, that did nothing to improve performance, but it freed up some floor space and helped reduce the ultra-fine particulates from the air (the ones that were too small for the filter to capture). It also made emptying the dust bag much easier and cleaner
This week-end I took yet another run at the system configuration. This time I removed the factory bag and filter from the system altogether. Now the dust and chips move directly (via 5“ flex-pipe) into a 5’ X 4’ X 2’ box in the closet. I fitted the box with a full width downward folding door (to permit easy emptying) and a 16” X 25” hi-MERV rated furnace filter to facilitate air flow.
I was astounded at the result! I immediately could tell that dust collection had improved exponentially. I did a few experiments and determined that I can actually have 3 blast gates open and have about the same vacuum effect that I used to have when running with only ONE blast gate open. I can’t describe how tickled I am.
There is no question that if I calculated the cost of my time (assuming that it is worth anything) and the upgrade materials, I could have probably purchased a pretty decent cyclone, but any case I am pleased to have achieved such good performance from a system that lots of folks dismiss as “barely adequate”.
Rick