In need of some DC suggestions

[Ben Rivel]

Welp, just ran through the whole spreadsheet again, compared it along side the Oneida and one smaller Rockler order (for smaller plastic connections that I needed a few of and Oneida did not offer) and including everything (duct crimper and cutter, sheet metal screws, foil tape, silicone, hose clamps, end caps, 8 wyes w/ 8 blast gates, straight snap-lock pipe in various sizes and lengths, 10 adjustable elbows, several reducers, many feet of flex hose in various sizes, blast gate adapters, etc) and subtracting pieces I didnt end up using (which will probably be added in later as I add more tools and/or change the system around), the grand total came to about $1100 including shipping and discounts.

That doesnt include any of the actual dust collector parts or accessories. All the dust collector parts, upgrades, additions, etc. (V-3000, steel 35gal drum, bin sensor, leg extension kit, drum dolly, filter efficiency gauge, drum liner, bags) came to about $2000 including shipping and discounts.

So not nearly as much as I had originally stated/thought, but still a lot more than I had originally expected when I first started out. That said the system is awesome and fits way better in the garage than I could have ever hoped for. I definitely feel the whole endevour was money well spent!

[Jim Becker]

Sourcing locally what you can (26 gage snap-lock or even spiral straight pipe, for example) and getting specialty items (wyes designed for dust collection, etc.) from a specialist may very well result in "best cost" rather than buying everything from one place. But as Ben clearly shows, the "little things" can add up when you're doing it right! Fortunately, the "cost benefit" of a quality dust collection system is a worthwhile investment because of the health and safety aspects it brings into play.

[Paul Wunder]

I have a Clearvue 1800 in my height challenged basement shop for six years now. Best investment I ever made. Here is a summary of my mods:

By mounting the motor between the ceiling joists (leave 1" clearance at the top) I was able to get 90" of height.

I used a 35 gallon fiber drum from Penn State Industries (squat design, well made, $40)

I mounted the two filters side by side and designed a simple manifold (MDF) to combine them at the top and to connect to blower transition outlet

That was the attraction of the CV1800 for me: That it could be easily modified to my needs without having to compromise on performance.

[John Lanciani]

Welp, just ran through the whole spreadsheet again, compared it along side the Oneida and one smaller Rockler order (for smaller plastic connections that I needed a few of and Oneida did not offer) and including everything (duct crimper and cutter, sheet metal screws, foil tape, silicone, hose clamps, end caps, 8 wyes w/ 8 blast gates, straight snap-lock pipe in various sizes and lengths, 10 adjustable elbows, several reducers, many feet of flex hose in various sizes, blast gate adapters, etc) and subtracting pieces I didnt end up using (which will probably be added in later as I add more tools and/or change the system around), the grand total came to about $1100 including shipping and discounts.

That doesnt include any of the actual dust collector parts or accessories. All the dust collector parts, upgrades, additions, etc. (V-3000, steel 35gal drum, bin sensor, leg extension kit, drum dolly, filter efficiency gauge, drum liner, bags) came to about $2000 including shipping and discounts.

So not nearly as much as I had originally stated/thought, but still a lot more than I had originally expected when I first started out. That said the system is awesome and fits way better in the garage than I could have ever hoped for. I definitely feel the whole endevour was money well spent!

Just to pile on; 25' x 25' shop, V3000 collector, 9 machines connected with 6"PVC, +/- $400 all in for ducting. The most expensive items were the 6" Clearvue blast gates.

[brian zawatsky]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I work in a decent sized commercial shop and I helped design the dust collection system there (like 20 times bigger than what I need, 40 total hp across 3 units) so I'm well aware of what quality duct & fittings can cost. I have a local source for 75% of what's needed, so eliminating shipping will save a ton right off the bat.

My real concern here was the cyclone DC unit itself. I think I'm going to go with the CV1800, since I should be able to modify it to work in the basement, I love the fact that it's 5hp, and it seems like a solid unit. I can get 92" with clearance if I get the motor up between the joists so it should work.

[Jim Becker]

Brian, I did the "motor between the ceiling joints" thing with my Onieda cyclone to get more head-room ... it's a good method for that!

[Ole Anderson]

IIRC the Clearview motor is sized a 5 hp but the unit only uses 3.5 HP of that, therefore the need to bump up from a 3 hp motor to the next available size. Fan curve is more important than HP, but generally speaking, the hp usually relates to the size and design of the impeller.