Dust collection modification

[keith micinski]

I have been want ing to do this for two years now and finally got around to it. I piped it right out the back of my shop so I didnt have to keep emptying that darn bag all of the time. I also picked up more suction by getting rid of the filter bag and a bonus I didn't even think of by exhausting it outside is the noise is cut down by a third easy.I do wonder how much I am loosing by knocking it down to a 4 inch outlet and may see if I can get a 6 inch one, then I will just go straight 6 inch right from the housing.

[Cody Colston]

I'm also thinking of venting my cyclone outside, by-passing the filter, but the chips will still go into the drum. Assuming you have no near neighbors to complain about the dust, one drawback is the loss of make-up air. If your shop is heated or air conditioned, it will be more difficult to maintain a constant temperature and it will cost more. You will also be introducing normally wetter, outside air into the shop so the RH will go up increasing the EMC of any lumber stored inside.

[keith micinski]

My shop is heated but I figure it is well worth the extra cost to not have to mess with the dust bag. I am interested to see what the ramifications of my shop air will be but I dont run my dust collection all day so I think the effect will be minimal.

[Jim Andrew]

Let us know how much your heating bill increases. You may have to go out with something to get the sawdust away from the building occasionally. Guess you could park a trailer by the dust outlet, and haul it off when it gets full.

[Keith Outten]

Unless you experience extreme high or low temperatures it is unlikely you will notice a significant change in your energy consumption or the comfort level in your shop. I have been exhausting my dust collection to an exterior chip box for over 20 years in Virginia.

[keith micinski]

I planned on having to drag my dust pile out with my tractor blade every once in a while.

[Fred Belknap]

Keith I have been doing mine that way for several years. I tried catching the chips in a trailer but they just blew right in and right out. I used the collector on the original DC and mounted on top of a 55 gal barrel with the top cut out then put a stand pipe to get rid of the dust. Works pretty good, when the barrel get about 2/3 full I start getting some chips out the top, like a little snow. I don't have a problem with the heat bill. It stays around 65° in the shop. I'm thinking of getting a cyclone and putting it outside, cut down noise and get a little more suck.

[Keith Outten]

Fred,

My first two chip boxes were made from plywood. i got seriously tired of painting the chip boxes and even with regular maintenance they don't last long enough. My new chip box is a 3000 gallon steel tank which I expect will last longer than I will and I have no idea how long it will be before it needs to be emptied

If I ever get the chance I will weld a steel frame on the end of my tank and cover it so I can install my Dust Collector in the box which will make my exhaust pipe about four inches long. The noise from my DC isn't to bad now but it will be much less when the DC is outside.
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[Brian Brightwell]

I am in the process of installing my DC. I had to raise the roof a little to clear the motor on the Clearvue. I wanted the intake on the cyclone to be at ceiling height right next to the outside wall. The cyclone is supported by the concrete floor and does not touch the wall. The piping inside is suspended from the ceiling and each machine will be isolated from the pipe by a rubber sleeve [inner tube]. I am anxious to see how things work.

Roof raised to clear the cyclone and motor.


Looking at the cyclone.


Inner tube isolation.

[Ole Anderson]

When you get that bad boy fired up, could you post a video of that CV sucking planer shavings? I would love to see them go around. Easily entertained...

[Brian Brightwell]

Well Ole, I have never posted a video is there much difference from just a photo? Oh, I am not hooking my planer to the DC. I roll the planer out from under the roof and plane outside. However, the jointer will fill a drum in a hurry.
I am going to run power to the cyclone tomorrow.