Dust Collector Ideas - Help

[Michael E. Thompson]

Well I am FINALLY getting around to setting up my DC. I am trying to decide what's my best method of plumming. I am leaning towards PVC but have some concerns and questions. I looked on the web and searched the creek, but can't seem to find the answers.

1. I am aware of the static problem with PVC and prepared to ground it somehow. The problem I am running into, I get an idea from the web on how to do so, someone says it works great, next guy said it didn't. So what is the best way to ground the system? My thought was to run a bare wire on both the inside and out side of the PVC, wrapping the outside wire. Or, running short screws every 8"-10" into the PVC and tie the wire to each screw. My plan was to attach the wire to the conduit running along the wall that houses the shops wire, outlets and such.

2. Connections & Hook ups. How do I connect the gates to the PVC? I plan to use wye connectors but don't know how to connect to the flexible tubing for the tool.

3. Do I have to glue all the joints together? We don't plan on staying in this house forever and I would like to be able to take all of this with me. Can I simply screw the joints together?

4. Any suggestions you can offer.

Thanks for your help.

Mike

[John Keeton]

Michael, you will probably get more input by posting in the Workshops forum. Perhaps a moderator will move this thread for you. Lot of DC info there, and creekers are always willing to chime in.

[Dennis Ford]

The more you read about this stuff, the more different opinions you will see. After reading a lot of conflicting information, I used 6" SDR 35 pvc pipe. The joints are not glued at all (I did run a bead of silicone caulk around each joint). I did not attempt to ground the PVC pipe (don't believe a single wire would do much good anyway). I found that a short (~5" long) piece of pipe with about 1" removed from the diameter made a sleeve that fit inside the pipe and inside the hose.

ps;
I highly recommend grounding any metal duct or fittings.

[Michael E. Thompson]

Michael, you will probably get more input by posting in the Workshops forum. Perhaps a moderator will move this thread for you. Lot of DC info there, and creekers are always willing to chime in.

John, I thought that as well but didn't because I had a question the pertained connecting the DC to the lathe. However, I forgot to include it. So the question is, what are you using? I have seen simply a flexible tube behind the wood piece to elaborate boxes around the lathe. I don't necessarily want the box idea because I would feel 'constricted' while working.

I found that a short (~5" long) piece of pipe with about 1" removed from the diameter made a sleeve that fit inside the pipe and inside the hose.

Dennis, I am not sure I follow what you are saying exactly. Are you making a rabbit on the end of the pipe to receive the tubing?

Thanks
Mike

[John Keeton]

Michael, I use this -
http://www.woodcraft.com/Images/products/147113.jpg

147113_230.jpg

I have several vertical drops from my DC system (hvac 26 ga. metal), and I quick connect the hood to one of those drops behind my lathe.

I set the hood just behind the area of the turning on which I am working. If it is a long spindle, I may move it a couple of times, particularly if I am sanding.

It does a very good job of getting the dust, and a small portion of the chips and shavings - depending on the direction of "flight" from the lathe!

[Greg Just]

I have never had much luck collecting the chips with my DC system and only rely on it for dust while I'm sanding.

[Lee Schierer]

No need to ground pvc duct pipes. The static you see on new pipes is from the manufacturing process and it goes away shortly after you start using it. Sawdust on the exterior will eliminate the tendency for a charge to develop. Ground wires inside are know to cause clogs and don't do much. Ground wires on the exterior don't do much. No first hand cases of any problems other than an occasional zap if you touch it have ever been documented in the numerous threads that have come up on this subject. Industrial dust explosions are an entirely different animal. Basically the dust has to be so thick in the air you can barely see to be concentrated enough to cause an explosion.

My shop system is all 4" S&D pipe slip connected so it can be rearranged if needed. After the first few weeks of use the charge on the pipes gradually disappeared.

[Michael E. Thompson]

Thanks for the info so far.

Are there fitting to connect to the PVC to accept the flexible tubing or gates?

Thanks
Mike

[Steven Berg]

Woodcraft has everything you'd need: http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2005815/2005815.aspx

[Dan Friedrichs]

As Lee said, there is no benefit to grounding insulated pipe. Don't bother - the worst that will happen is you'll get an occasional unpleasant static zap.

Woodcraft only appears to have 4" fittings. You'll get much more air volume moved using 6" pipe. There are no real great ways to connect between fittings, blast gates, and pipe. The OD's and ID's is not well standardized, so you'll have to do some creative engineering to make everything fit. Many people build their own blast gates, which can help with that. Also, if you use PVC, it can be carefully heated and stretched or compressed to fit where you need it to.

I use 6" PVC, and didn't glue any of it together - just slip fit, and held up by brackets. The leakage is almost nothing, and it makes it easy to re-plumb in the future.

[Dave Schreib]

I found that a short (~5" long) piece of pipe with about 1" removed from the diameter made a sleeve that fit inside the pipe and inside the hose..

Could you explain more about how you do this? Thanks

[Michael E. Thompson]

I thought about using the 6" pipe, but the DC I got for my birthday only has a 4" port. Is it worth running 6" just to step down to 4".

Thanks for all the help. I actually cleaned my shop last night and am ready to get everything mapped out.

Mike

[George Lohnes]

6" pipe will require a more substantial DC system in order to work optimally. That being said, if your DC system can handle it going 6" the dropping down to 4" near your equipment can have a significant benefit.

Your probably about two answers away from being in the middle of a religious war here ....dust collection subject seems to bring it on... followed only by Festool

There are posts that have calculations etc.... if you get stuck. And it seems about every third person on this site is an engineer-- which always makes a simple answer impossible

[Michael E. Thompson]

6" pipe will require a more substantial DC system in order to work optimally. That being said, if your DC system can handle it going 6" the dropping down to 4" near your equipment can have a significant benefit.

What is the benefit? The only thing that makes sense is it would create a venturi effect at the DC which would increase the velocity and reduce pressure at the machine. Kinda like a carburetor on a car, or a wing on an airplane.

Or am I way off base??

[glenn bradley]

First let me say that I was just going to wait it out till the static went away. Turned out there was an area that I touched the ducting pretty often as I was moving about the machines. It bugged me and the fix took all of about 30 minutes and about $10 in parts so I went ahead and grounded the main trunk. Static immediately disappeared. Success lies in providing a desirable path to ground ;-)

1. The wire doesn't need to be bare but can be. Think about it; the charge has already made it through 1/8"-plus of PVC, a little wire insulation won't stop it from finding the ground. Speaking of finding ground; folks who don't have success probably have grounding problems. If you've ever run a hot-wire for animals, you know that almost good enough is a lot different than actually good enough when it comes to the grounding.

No wire inside. Wrap the outside about 1 turn per foot. I used wire nuts at locations where I thought I might want to separate the joint to add on later.

2. I used a 6x6x4 wye just before the hose drop. The blast gate slips in and as a "belt and suspenders" I put bead of silicone and a short self tapping screw through the pvc wall and into the gate "neck" but not long enough to enter the airway.

3. Except for my blast gates, all my joints are just slipped together. None have ever come loose. I don't get extreme temperature changes but, in SoCal this is a non-issue. If you have to use something, I would put a bead of silicone on the outside of the joint. when its time to leave, a razor knife cut through the rubber will release your slip fit.

4. Some of my setup: The ground in the second pic is about a shoebox sized area of the floor. Scrubbed and cleaned with metal foil tape stuck to the area in overlapping strips. The flap that the clip is grabbing is formed out of the foil tape as well. The other end of the ground is on the electrical system ground.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...8&d=1247339169

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...2&d=1240537596