Need help in selecting a dust collection system

[Scott Sallyards]

I’m looking to put a dust collection system in my workshop. I have read about different types and requirements and they seem to be all over the map from a Cyclone to a Shop Vac. If anyone can give examples of what they have done under similar circumstances that I have listed below that would be a great help. The last thing I want to do is purchase a system that does not meet the qualifications that I need. I don’t want to toss away any money on something that will not work correctly.

• My shop is a 2 car garage and I’m a hobbyist woodworker, and the garage door is almost always open when I work.
• The machine that produces the most sawdust is my 15” Planer, then table saw and so on…
• Needs to be small to fit in the 2 car garage shop
• Needs to be 110v
• From what I read I should get a cyclone what are other options
• What CFM should be my minimum (for the planer I guess?)
• $$ Cost is always a concern

Thanks

Scott

[Jerome Hanby]

I got a good deal on some Delta AP400 units at Lowe's. Bought two of them. I bought a bigger Jet off CL some years earlier. My plans are to build Thein separators for the three units, put the big Jet in the middle of an island consisting of my table saw, planer, and jointer. Use one Delta at the Shopsmith/Router table station and the other at my Wife's lathe setup. Seemed more sensible to me for my shop that trying to install a bunch of ducting. Also have a new Ridgid 1450 shop vacuum and an Oneida dust deputy that will live together on a cart for portable use.

[Paul McGaha]

Scott,

I am similar to you in that I am also a hobbiest woodworker and my shop is a 2 car garage. I went with a cyclone dust collector and a duct work system to the machines. Mine is a 2 HP Duct Gorilla from Onedia.

Suggest you contact into Oneida Air or Clearview. There are others manufacturers also.

I dont know that I've seen any cyclones that dont need 220 volt service.

Doing a cyclone with a duct system to the machines in lieu of using smaller collectors is no doubt going to be more expensive but it makes the shop a lot more fun to use. Just open a blast gate to the machine your using at the time rather than constantly moving a smaller dust collector from one machine to another.

I used a 1 1/2 HP collector from Delta for a few years and then upgraded to a cyclone.

Just my $.02.

Good luck with it.

PHM

[David Hawxhurst]

after reading bill pentz website i choose the clearvue cyclone. bill provides all the info to build your own if your so inclined to do so. i put the clearvue up in my two car garage. while it seems the planners make a lot of saw dust, i think the table saw puts out more fine dust and straight in to your face. fine dust is what your trying to collect for health reasons. big wood shaving are pretty easy to collect.

[Joey Chavez]

I was in the same situation a short time ago, I was ready to spend some money on improved dust collection yet I wasn't ready to add another 220 circuit and spend what it would take to get up to a cyclone. I had been using a 1HP dust collector that just wasn't doing the job. My shop is in a 2 car garage like yours.

The more research I did, the more the Harbor Freight dust collector, when combined with a Wynn filter, was getting great reviews. This was said to be one of those Harbor Freight gems. The product states 2HP, however people have written it is probably closer to 1 3/4.

So I gave it a shot, spent $150 (sale) for the machine, another $100 for the Wynn filter, another $50 (sale) for the Rockler Dust Collector remote switch and I have have been extremely impressed with how well it has performed, for half the price I was going to spend on another 110V with a good filter and more CFM. Handles my planer and jointer perfectly, my old dust collector would clog after a couple passes on the planer.

[Bill White]

Second the HF collector. I bought good bags from Highland Woodworking, and they work just fine for me.
That was a good investment for my shop.
Bill

[Gene Howe]

I was in the same situation a short time ago, I was ready to spend some money on improved dust collection yet I wasn't ready to add another 220 circuit and spend what it would take to get up to a cyclone. I had been using a 1HP dust collector that just wasn't doing the job. My shop is in a 2 car garage like yours.

The more research I did, the more the Harbor Freight dust collector, when combined with a Wynn filter, was getting great reviews. This was said to be one of those Harbor Freight gems. The product states 2HP, however people have written it is probably closer to 1 3/4.

So I gave it a shot, spent $150 (sale) for the machine, another $100 for the Wynn filter, another $50 (sale) for the Rockler Dust Collector remote switch and I have have been extremely impressed with how well it has performed, for half the price I was going to spend on another 110V with a good filter and more CFM. Handles my planer and jointer perfectly, my old dust collector would clog after a couple passes on the planer.

+1 I have owned four different collectors over 25 years. The HF 2HP provides me the same, or better service, as the other three.
I put a 35 gal. waste can with a preformed "cyclone" lid on it ahead of the collector. (you can make one easily) Some might want a larger container. It serves two purposes. 1. It collects the chunks that would normally hit the collector vanes and, 2. it saves emptying the collector bag so often. Eventually, for space considerations, I did away the the filters and bags and vented it directly outside. We are VERY rural! Even so, with the trash can ahead of the collector, almost no dust reaches the outside.

[Jeff Monson]

Grizzly makes a 1.5HP cyclone that works on 110 volts, would make a DC for what you need. Grizzly also has a nice DC brochure on their site as well, worth the time to read.

link for the dc http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2011/Main/191

link for the brochure http://cdn0.grizzly.com/pdf/Cyclone_Dust_Collectors.pdf

[Prashun Patel]

If you have the funds, a cyclone is the easiest way to go.

However, there's a good article in FWW this month that summarizes how to make a single stage work about as well if yr on a budget:

1.5 or 2hp single stage collector. (My nonpro opinion is there's only one of two units worth buying here: Delta 50-760 or the HF 2HP unit; nothing else works (allegedly) as well for the respective prices).
Replace bag with a sub 1micron pleated filter cartridge
Use a pre-separator.

I highly recommend the Thien separator. Apart from it's alleged-but-not-proven-but-I-don't-want-to-start-a-debate-here benefits on protecting/maintaining the airflow thru the filter, it makes dumping the chips a breeze, and is cheap and easy to build.

[David Kumm]

Whatever you get be sure the motor can be rewired to 220 for the future. 110 is not a very efficient way to power a shop and at some point you will deal with the core problem and bring in 220. DC motors work pretty hard and you will want to convert eventually. Dave

[Greg Portland]

I’m looking to put a dust collection system in my workshop. I have read about different types and requirements and they seem to be all over the map from a Cyclone to a Shop Vac. If anyone can give examples of what they have done under similar circumstances that I have listed below that would be a great help. The last thing I want to do is purchase a system that does not meet the qualifications that I need. I don’t want to toss away any money on something that will not work correctly.

• My shop is a 2 car garage and I’m a hobbyist woodworker, and the garage door is almost always open when I work.
• The machine that produces the most sawdust is my 15” Planer, then table saw and so on…
• Needs to be small to fit in the 2 car garage shop
• Needs to be 110v
• From what I read I should get a cyclone what are other options
• What CFM should be my minimum (for the planer I guess?)
• $$ Cost is always a concern

Thanks

Scott

Your 110V limitation means that the larger cyclones or machines capable of capturing all the fine dust are out of the picture. IMO, get a basic 1.5HP collector (Grizzly, Jet, etc.) and a good respirator. The 1.5HP machines typically require a 20A circuit. You should expect that dust will still be floating around your workspace with this class of machine.