Question: Oneida 3hp Dust Gorilla Portable for Supermax 37X2 Drum Sander

[darrell huntsman]

I would like to buy a portable dust collection system for my hobby shop. Talking to Oneida, they claim that the 3HP Dust Gorilla Portable will be able to handle dual cylinder drum sander (I have the Supermax 37X2) as a standalone with no other machines connected. However, when I look at the specs for the dust collector it states a maximum of 900 CFM. Supermax recommends 1,200 CFM. I called Supermax, and they said to get a dust collector with a minimum of 1.5 HP (Jet or Delta) and that would be fine.

I am confused, will this Gorilla Portable handle the dust collection for my drum sander or not? Any help in answering this would be much appreciated.

[Paul McGaha]

Darrell,

I suggest you call Oneida. Voice your concerns to them. They should be able to talk you through it.

Just a guess but I dont know that the CFM numbers from Jet or Delta are obtained the same way as Oneida does it. The Oneida motor has twice the horsepower. How could the Oneida do less CFM?

PHM

[David Kumm]

I think it would take two 2 hp baggers- one to each 4" port to get close and a 3 hp cyclone with a cartridge will work but just barely. 1200 cfm means you are running 6000+ fpm through the ports and few cyclones short of 5-7.5 hp can do that. I run a 37x2 and I think 1200 is about right but you can get by with a mask, an overhead and a smaller collector. Problem with any cartridge system is the clogging that will reduce the cfm on even a large system. Do not run a cartridge without a cyclone with that sander. I think the 3 hp will be marginal and a 5 hp to be the proper size assuming short runs and clean filters. If you can exhaust outside the 3 hp is fine. Dave

[Sam Layton]

Hi Darrell,

I have an Oneida 3 HP cyclone. It is not the Gorilla, mine is the commercial one I think. I purchased it before the Gorillas came out. Mine is not a portable either. I also have the 37" double drum Performax sander. On my sander, I opened up the two 4" ports to 6" ports. I have an 8" main exiting my cyclone, and then two 6" lines going to my Performax. My dust collections is outstanding with the Performax. Opening the 4" to 6" really helped a lot. Also on my cyclone, I have the largest filter they had. I don't know about any portable units.

Sam

[David Kumm]

Sam makes a good point. Increasing the port size even to 5" each will help with the cfm and help the sander but it becomes critical to have enough filter area so the outlet doesn't become the cause of too much pressure drop particularly as the cartridges clog. If you do as Sam suggests with the sander ports and increase or add a filter you can make the 3 hp work. At the end of the day the 5 hp system costs about the same so if you have the amps available.... dave

[mreza Salav]

What's the main reason you want to have a portable one? a bigger (with more suction and HP) cyclone isn't a lot more expensive yet it will probably be the last one you buy and you won't regret having a better DC. Also the suggestion of going with larger ducting is something to consider.

[darrell huntsman]

What's the main reason you want to have a portable one? a bigger (with more suction and HP) cyclone isn't a lot more expensive yet it will probably be the last one you buy and you won't regret having a better DC. Also the suggestion of going with larger ducting is something to consider.

Thanks all for the input. The reason I wanted to go with a portable one is that I have a very spacious shop with 20 foot ceilings. I got a quote from Oneida on the duct work, and it would cost an additional $1,000 - $2,000 more to just run the duct work. I am a hobbyist and I don't run more than one machine at a time, and I didn't want to clutter or ruin the nice open space of my shop with duct work. I may not have another choice; any other ideas?

Thanks!!

[Paul McGaha]

Well, you're right about the costs of a ducted system being significant. I do prefer it though. All you have to do is open and close the blast gates depending on which tool is in use. To me, much better than constantly connecting and disconnecting a tool to a portable machine.

Just my thoughts.

PHM

[David Kumm]

If you go portable keep the flex real short. Flex adds so much resistance it is a cfm killer. Some flex is better than others but even though the runs are short the system needs to be sized to compensate. Dave

[Ole Anderson]

I hear you about the next step of installing a collection system, but if you look around at local sources for pipe and fittings, I think you can beat that 1-2 grand number by a bunch. One of my most satisfying shop projects was installing and then using a good steel duct collection system.

[mreza Salav]

I'm in Canada and in a town with not a lot of choices (and a hobby wood worker). For ducting I went with spriral galvanized. A 10' run (6") costs about $22 from a reasonable HVAC supplier.
The expensive parts are fittings (around $6-$13). I didn't go with those expensive curved fittings and I don't regret. For my ClearVue system the standard fittings work fine once you seal the seams. I think the whole ducting cost was around $300 for me (table saw, bandsaw, drum sander, router, shaper, miter saw,...).

[Michael W. Clark]

Why not make the 5hp system portable then add the duct system later when you are ready?

[Cary Swoveland]

This thread is rather old, so how about an update? What did you decide and how has it worked out?