Grizzly dc port design 15" planer

[glenn bradley]

Gosh... a simple string hanging from the ceiling, tied around the hose, fixed the problem for me...

I use bungees from the rafters for such things. It seems that even the 45* as shown in the manual would still allow the hose to be more in the way than I would care for. I think your after-market fix may be better than the "correct" stock one .

[scott vroom]

This thread was about whether an external sheet metal hood with a hole should aim left, right, or straight ahead. Personally I don't see this as an issue of innovation, rather one of design choice.

Now if someone could figure out how to make dust evaporate before exiting the machine, THAT would be an innovation

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folks,

Let's tone it down a bit.

I am really close to locking this thread.

What I think we have here is two strong personalities with neither wanting give the other guy an inch. Neither is completely wrong nor completely right.

Point blank.

Based on 34 years of experience of installing systems that cost up to several million dollars each and manufactured here and overseas, I don't care where or by whom something is designed, eventually one won't work out at someones particular installation and modifications will be required. So what? If the damned planar was designed with a rotating goose-neck, someone would find fault with it.

Personally I believe it was probably designed for an overhead drop to the dust port. Just my opinion.

Secondly, Van I think Shiraz has a point. Since you are not privileged to sit in on company meetings and don't have the inside details, neither you nor I have an idea of the number of innovations that have been designed and implemented by Grizzly in their equipment. We don't know.

Shiraz......I agree with the other poster, to a certain extent you are being overly sensitive. When you sell the volume of tools you sell, you are going to have a number of discontented customers. Some of the same type of customers, I have had to deal with them in my business. Sometimes you wonder if you wouldn't have been better off losing the sale than making the sale and incurring the wrath of someone who appears to not wanting to be pleased or happy with their purchase. I am not saying that is the case here or even implying it. I am making a general statement about a small percentage of customers with whom I have had to deal and I'm sure others have experienced it too.

Finally,

Let's tone it down a bit.....I don't want to have to post Glenn Clabo's link to the Cumbya song. Please!

[Shiraz Balolia]

This thread was about whether an external sheet metal hood with a hole should aim left, right, or straight ahead. Personally I don't see this as an issue of innovation, rather one of design choice.

Scott - we will have to offer a left AND a right option to please the masses. Frankly, in the thousands of planers we have sold since changing from angled to straight hoods, we have hardly had any calls for angled hoods. Most people have unique mounting solutions to fit their circumstances.

[Keith Outten]

When my G0453Z 15" planer arrived I discovered the 4" dust port comes out straight over the front of the outfeed table. When I attach my flexible hose it slumps over the center of the outfeed table making it impossible to run stock through without someone or something support the hose above the table. Just a really poor design IMO. Here's the kicker: The owner's manual that came with my machine shows a headstock breakdown on page 49, including a dust port that clearly angles 45 degrees off center, which would allow the DC hose to fall off to the side of the outfeed table. This is the proper design and is similar to what Jet provides on their 15" planer. I called Grizzly tech support and they could not explain why the manual shows a 45 degree angled port while my machine arrived with a straight port.

I'm a big Grizzly fan and am generally pleased with the 4 machines I've purchased over the last 9 months. Still, you have to wonder how such an obviously poor design could be allowed to ship out their door, especially one so easily corrected. Someone somewhere messed up.

I'm heading up to my local Woodcraft store tomorrow to look for a 45 elbo that I can use to get the DC hose out of the way.

Scott,

I own a Grizzly 15" planer that I purchased probably 16 years ago that has the identical dust hood. I solved the challenge you are experiencing by attaching a 45 degree ell to the hood exhaust. As others have stated it might be considered the best tact to allow the end user to provide their own means of directing the connecting hose so it fits the location that the planner is installed. Through the years my planner has been used in multiple locations, I found it very easy to turn the 45 degree elbow to suit the direction I needed which is much better than being stuck with a permanent discharge direction.

One mans poor design may very well be another man's perfect solution.
.

[Keith Outten]

We have had to do way to much editing to this thread due to unsubstantiated statements made by those who seem to be unwilling to consider an alternate point of view. This is irresponsible behavior that will not be tolerated here. Rather than removing threads from public view we prefer to remove privileges from those who cannot be friendly or respect their peers point of view. If anyone here must make derogatory comments concerning a specific company or product you need to have facts to substantiate your statements not just an opinion in your pocket!
.

[Chip Lindley]

Back in the '80s I was estatic to have any sort of DC with the original 4-poster Rockwell 13" RC33. The cast iron hood exits straight out the back, and I was happy to live with it!

http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.p...1&d=1263950375

Most import 15" planers (20" too) have a base-mounted motor and top rollers for retrieving boards for another pass. Any upward EL attached to a center-exiting DC hood will be smack dab in the way! Exit to either side would be preferable. Make it reversible! Just like Delta's blow-molded plastic DC hood for their lunchbox planers. Flip either direction, and please twice as many people!

To paraphrase P.T. Barnum, "You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time."

[Mike Cruz]

Scott, my take on this is that if you just bought this (new), what was the advertised dust port? If what they show on the website when you look at/order the planer is a straight port, well, that is what you got. HOWEVER, if they have it pictured with a side port like what is in the manual, then I think Grizzly should send you one of the side port replacement parts. To me, it is that simple. I do see your point though, and that you want something that "looks" like it was supposed to be on there rather than a mod. But since you move the planer around, a mod that swivels when you move it around would, in my opinion, be your best solution.

On another note, while a 45 keeps the least resistance re: airflow, a 90 will take your flex pipe completely away from your outfeed area.

[Jeff Miller]

FIXT








JEFF

[george wilson]

I was afraid that a 4" port might clog if I were planing a full width board. So,I adapted a 6" dust collector pipe,cut away the hood to fit it,and welded the 6" pipe on. My pipe from the collector does come down from overhead,so no problems. Everything goes right up the clear,flexible hose into the overhead pipe. Maybe overkill,but no problems. Actually,my 15" is a Bridgewood,but exactly the same unit.

I don't know if there ever is a problem with masses of wide chips jamming across the opening of a 4" port,but I do think that a sideways opening port would give the wide curls of chips a way to enter the 4" port from their edges,rather that from head on,if you see what I mean. We had problems at my old job with a planer jamming a lot while planing 12" wide wood. So much so that I had to put a door on the hood,so that I could reach in and clear jams. It had a 5" port that went straight in. The dust collector was 20 H.P.,but we were some distance from it. Cypress was the worst at jamming because it was so electrostatic that it would cling everywhere in the hood and pipes.

[scott vroom]

This thread has been very useful. I now understand why a manufacturer might chose to go with a straight hood (to avoid clogs for users that have less robust DC systems). Shiraz, a memo to your tech support staff on this would be useful; neither of the 2 gentlemen I spoke with provided this reasoning to me, nor had I considered it.

With respect to a fixed angled hood, the question was raised whether it should exit right or left. In my shop setup it wouldn't make any difference since I pull the planer out from the wall when in use, and I could just as easily attach my flex hose from either side. For those that have a fixed location for their planer it might be a big deal, particularly where a rigid wall mount DC system is used and where the planer must be oriented in one direction vs the other.

Several posters mentioned they use a vertical DC drop, however this may not be practical for mobile planers.

I'll be heading to Woodcraft today to purchase add on pieces to get my angled port. They salesman said it would require a ell and a coupling between the Griz port and the quick release coupling attached to my flex hose. This means I will have 3 slip connections at the port unless I glue or screw. Not an ideal solution but definately workable.

The ideal solution would be a factory installed hood that incorporates a swiveling port, enabling multi-direction DC connections. This would add cost to the machine and the manufacturers would have to determine whether the ROI would supports this.

Shiraz, I still like the idea of offering an angled port in the aftermarket as a catalog item. To your point, you'd have to offer right and left handed versions.

Thanks to all for your responses....very helpful.

[Michael Wildt]

As a customer I can understand the frustration. I belong to the group of people that tend to over research everything before purchasing 8-) I like to plan the install so for this case I would have prepared the electrical hook up as well as the dust collection.

I took a look at the product, what a nice piece of machinery, wouldn't mind one my self. Hmm, Santa when can I hand in my wish list. I also checked the available documentation.

Basic problem here is inconsistency. Pictures on the web does not show the dust shroud completely so it makes you guess on how it is done. One then goes to the manual, while nicely written it shows pictures with two different dust shrouds (straight type and side type), and the parts diagram shows the 'side type'.

Best way to avoid being disappointed is to call the vendor and ask what the machine comes with, but that may not always produce the answer.

Problem from the vendor side, is to keep every little detail in sync with what is shipped. It is a huge time consuming task, but definitely possible.

[Joe Chritz]

Considering the only time it is an issue is if one uses flex hose from a non-wall mount situation, I don't really have a problem only offering one option.

It is cheaper, easier and doesn't effect a (likely) vast majority of people.

When the price point needs to be kept down to be in a reasonable range for most people some sacrifices need to be made. I would rather that be in the form of a dust hood that needs adapters than some other cut that effects performance or isn't easily modifiable.

There may be market for an aftermarket or optional hood. Personally it is so easy to mod I wouldn't even look at one.

FYI, I have one of the planers and my DC comes in on a 45 from over head, soon to be changed to vertical since I keep wackin my head on the blast gate.

Joe

[Mike Cruz]

George, I'd LOVE to see how you did that! I have a Grizzly 20" and it has a 5" port. I have 6" duct run to the machine, reducer to 5", then 5" flex run to the port. I would love to get rid of the reducer an run 6" flex straight into the port. PLEAAAAAAAASE post some pics... Thanks!

[Paul Johnstone]

That would work if the planer was stationary. I move mine around my small shop.

I use a bungie cord. I have a few nails strategically placed in the rafters that the bungie cord from hang from (and support the DC hose) It works.