dust collection for small shop

[Zack Teal]

hey guys i need some ideas for dust collection in a small shop. i have been going back and forth between the cyclone http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22062 that you hook up to a shop vac or a small collector like this http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21255 for more money but i can hook up to more then one thing easily. what should i do please give suggestion.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Zack - how small of a space are you talking?

[Zack Teal]

the shop i have now is about 15 by 25.

[Zack Teal]

but will be expanding to about 15 by 35. just taking over my basement little by little

[Alan Schaffter]

Neither are small shops in my book! If you plan to have a fixed system with PVC or metal ducting I would look at something in the 3 hp range. The Rockler unit is a joke, not suitable for woodworking machines. The mini-cyclone is intended for use with small power hand tools, like ROS, routers, etc. and not for use with full-size machines. They need much more CFM. I suggest you go to Bill Pentz's site and read up on CFM vs SP (static pressure) and dust collection in general. While it is not the best from a number of perspectives, but a roll-around unit like the HF, run through a separator and vented outside (no filter) may give you the best bang for your buck.

[Paul Murphy]

If you run a planer, or use a downdraft sanding table you really will benefit from a cyclone dust system with a minimum of 2 HP. JDS and Oneida have slick portable units this size, while most of the cyclones are fixed location.

Have a look:
http://jdstools.com/2hpcyclone2100-ck1700cfmdustcollector.aspx

http://www.oneida-air.com/portable.php

http://grizzly.com/products/G0440

[John Neel]

Have you read any of the Bill Pentz information?

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm

[Troy Turner]

If that's a small shop, I need to rethink mine then at 14 x 24...LOL

I have the dust deputy and love it. Does what is says it does!!! It's good for hooking directly too your tools, but you're still going to leave dust in the air. You may want to look into a ceiling/wall mounted air purifier as well. I've seen some folks make them on their own and some buy them outright. Those are to clean the air and not hook up to your tools.

[David Hostetler]

For the money, the best DC I can think of is the Harbor Freight 2 HP #97869, fitted with a Wynn 35A cartridge filter (greater surface area, .5 micron filtration etc...), and fit a Thien baffle in the inlet ring of that DC.

The DC frequently is on sale via a coupon for $139.00, the paper element Wynn 35A is $106.00 + S&H. I personally run the Spun Bond Poly but that filter is quite a bit more expensive at $150.00 + S&H. Even paying the extra premium for the spun bond, the total invested into this system is quite a bit below any other cartridge equipped DC on the market...

The Thien baffle is something you would have to make yourself. However I will tell you, after making several, they are easy to make, and WELL worth the effort in that they keep your DC filter clean and keep your air flow up.

I would typically suggest a separate cyclone separator unit with the Thien baffle, but it sounds like you are more concerned with space, than with ease of emptying your dust container...

Full on cyclones like what Paul and others suggest are great if you have the room, and the budget, but it sounds like both may be a concern for you...

[Dan Friedrichs]

For the money, the best DC I can think of is the Harbor Freight 2 HP #97869, fitted with a Wynn 35A cartridge filter (greater surface area, .5 micron filtration etc...), and fit a Thien baffle in the inlet ring of that DC.

Or if you live in a milder climate, just forget that Wynn filter and vent outside. That HF blower, a shop-made Thien baffle, and outside exhausting will give you a fairly decent dust collection system for <$150.

[David Nelson1]

Neither are small shops in my book! If you plan to have a fixed system with PVC or metal ducting I would look at something in the 3 hp range. The Rockler unit is a joke, not suitable for woodworking machines. The mini-cyclone is intended for use with small power hand tools, like ROS, routers, etc. and not for use with full-size machines. They need much more CFM. I suggest you go to Bill Pentz's site and read up on CFM vs SP (static pressure) and dust collection in general. While it is not the best from a number of perspectives, but a roll-around unit like the HF, run through a separator and vented outside (no filter) may give you the best bang for your buck.

A larger system would be great and if I had the cash up front I would have bought something a bit larger. For small one man shop, realizing the constraints this is not a bad unit.

I have been using it on all my large machines. It works real well on the J/P and dimensional planer. Not so much on the B/S and T/S. The 2 machines need to be sealed and or a few more cfms.

The unit does clog on certain woods at the intake. The remedy for this was to add a 30 gal cyclone type trash can inline.

[Stephen Ash]

I have about half of a 3-car garage, and I use the Delta 50-760 1.5 Hp portable unit, with a single hose to the currently active machine. I added a cyclone pre-separator using a standard metal trash can with the special cyclone lid from Rockler, and that sits in the DC base on the platform next to the main filter bag. This gives me plenty of clog-free dust collection for my table saw, router table, bandsaw, 15" planer and 8" jointer. I wouldn't recommend a shop-vac DC solution, as those generally don't pull enough CFM and are not rated for continuous use.

Best regards,
Steve Ash

[Bill White]

Ditto on the Harbor Freight DC. Probably gets the best reviews of anything HF sells. The OE bags are only there to keep the mice from blowing through. I put good bags (from Highland WWing) on mine with excellent results. I don't bother with plastic bottom bags. Too danged expensive.
Bill

[Alan Schaffter]

I have been using it on all my large machines. It works real well on the J/P and dimensional planer. Not so much on the B/S and T/S. The 2 machines need to be sealed and or a few more cfms.

That depends on your criteria. If you look at any of the CFM requirements (OSHA, etc. ) you will see most machines require more CFM capacity than that system can provide (the 650 CFM is a free air measured at the blower intake, impossible for that small size blower and only 3/4 hp motor to achieve in the real world- when connected to a hose, a WW machine, and most especially that tiny single bag filter after it gets any amount of dust in it. Also, the standard and accessory bags are rated at 30 microns and 5 microns, respectively- the dust that is dangerous to breath is .5 - 10 microns, so even the better filter is not good enough. It really can't be classified as a "dust" collector and is probably only fair at chip collection.

I realize a lot of folks don't have the resources for a big system, but is the Rockler unit better than nothing? That depends- are you using it as a roll-around, keeping the hose to an absolute minimum (2' - 3'), and are you using the 5 micron filter and cleaning it often or are you venting outside? If you aren't you have a chip collecting "dust pump."

[Stew Hagerty]

For the money, the best DC I can think of is the Harbor Freight 2 HP #97869, fitted with a Wynn 35A cartridge filter (greater surface area, .5 micron filtration etc...), and fit a Thien baffle in the inlet ring of that DC.

The DC frequently is on sale via a coupon for $139.00, the paper element Wynn 35A is $106.00 + S&H. I personally run the Spun Bond Poly but that filter is quite a bit more expensive at $150.00 + S&H. Even paying the extra premium for the spun bond, the total invested into this system is quite a bit below any other cartridge equipped DC on the market...

The Thien baffle is something you would have to make yourself. However I will tell you, after making several, they are easy to make, and WELL worth the effort in that they keep your DC filter clean and keep your air flow up.

I would typically suggest a separate cyclone separator unit with the Thien baffle, but it sounds like you are more concerned with space, than with ease of emptying your dust container...

Full on cyclones like what Paul and others suggest are great if you have the room, and the budget, but it sounds like both may be a concern for you...

I agree with everything Dave said, but would like to offer one alternative that I happen to use. Instead of the Thein Baffle, I use a Trash Can Cyclone Lid that I picked up at Woodcraft. http://www.woodcraft.com/catalog/pro...px?prodid=8981
It fits on a standard metal trash can and it is very inexpensive.