HF Dust Collector Improvement: 1 Micron Bag Or Canister Filter?

[Edgar Harris]

I am about to buy a HF dust collector for my small basement shop. It will be used primarily with my table saw, jointer, planer, band saw, and compound miter saw. I will probably connect it to one machine at a time. I have a shop vac setup with a Dust Deputy for sanding.

I intend to upgrade the filter bag on the dust collector. For my use which is the best option, a 1 micron replacement bag from Highland Woodworking or a canister filter from Wynn Environmental?

[scott spencer]

Many years ago I upgrade the bags to my Grizzly 2hp DC, then a few years later upgraded to a JDS cannister. I'm much happier with the cannister....airflow is better and it's easier to clean.

[Peter Hanson]

I'm not a dust collection expert by any measure, but my understanding is that the canister filter's have a much greater surface area equaling greater air flow and filter efficiency. To get the same amount of filtering area, you'd have to have a "bag farm". Also, depending on which cannister material you're talking about, you can go to MERV 15 rating - I don't believe there is any way to get there with a bag.
The Wynn site has a bunch of information on this and I've read other's who have called Wynn and talked at length about home filtering.

psh

[Kent Chasson]

Another vote for the canister. You will get better suction with it than with a bag of the same micron rating.

[ian maybury]

I don't know your dust system Edgar, but by the Pentz 'doctrine' http://www.billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm you really need to get down to about 0.3 micron for health reasons. i.e. HEPA 15 which from memory is 99.999% efficient @ 0.3 micron.

Bags have not historically been capable of that sort of filtration (at least not until after many months of blinding up with dust), and even if one is it's probably going to be very low on surface area/air flow compared to the pleats on a good cartridge which means it may blind up fast. (unless somebody has invented a new type that does not)

Even with a HEPA 15 cartridge filter it's generally the view that a fine dust effective cyclone is needed or the cartridge filters (you really need two for enough surface area) will blind up very quickly - thus reducing you airflow to levels that don't give very effective dust collection at the machine anyway. A basement shop makes it especially important to get good dust collection, as it makes the risk is much higher that others in the house may be affected by dust too.

It's a bit like peeling an onion this topic (in that every layer you peel off reveals another that's equally important), but it's also the case that you need to be shifting lots of air (a genuine 800cfm plus) at your machine - which requires about a 3hp fan in a wheeled cyclone/fan combo running a short (<10ft) 6in dia flexible hose from the individual woodworking machine. The machine ports need opening out to close to the duct size too.

Bill proposes a proven DIY (to reduce cost) system design and overall approach to make the HEPA 15/800cfm numbers, but maybe there are others that can suggest alternatives. In the end it seems to come down to whether or not a person bites the bullet and goes the whole hog to make this standard with one or other system which is inevitably going to be more expensive than what many/most might traditionally have regarded as good enough.....

[Larry Rasmussen]

Hello Edgar, I recently got my Harbor Freight dust collector hooked up and am using a Grizzly cannnister with a 2 micron rating. I am in a garage vs basement and also at age 60 my tolerance to health risks is much higher that if I were younger. Just saying I recognize this might not be of interest to you in your situation. Regardless I made the bag vs canister decision when I was using my previous Jet 1 HP cannister for it using clear plastic bags on the bottom for collection. The Grizzly cannister fits right on the the HF collector.

Just adding a vote for cannister in general and presenting an example that may be more budget friendly albeit with trade offs. Good luck.



Regards,
Larry Rasmussen,
Seattle

[David Hostetler]

I have the Wynn 35A on my HF 2HP DC, the suction improvement was very noticable, I would not think the results would be at all similar with a bag. A cartridge filters through a MUCH larger area...

You will want some sort of separator, either a Thien pre separator, Thien baffle, or Neutral vane to keep your canister from clogging up quite so quickly...

I went with the Spun Bond poly at Dick Wynn's suggestion and haven't regretted it...

[David Romano]

I'll second the canister/baffle combo. In my opinion, a canister is the only way to go. I bought the paper blend 35A from Wynn few years ago. It's not as durable as the spun bond, but it has a lot more surface area. In my experience, the only way to keep it clean is with a seperator. Put a Thien baffle in the seperator ring of the DC.

See previous thread:http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ers-(Workshops)

Before the baffle, the canister was miserably clogged with chips. I think the neutral vane I had at the time was probably contributing to this as well.

David