Dust Collection for 2 car cramped garage? 5 gal Bucket

[Patrick Irish]

I need to get a dust collection going. Been using my ridgid shop vac and know suction power is low cuz of clogging.

I almost bought the $35 Woodcraft lid like this but read that it doesn't really make a cyclone action.

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The $50 dust deputy isn't bad but sticks up a lot. Right now I think a 5 gallon bucket is the highest I want to go so I can stuff under a table. I really dont have a corner in the garage for a bigger system right now. Hope to be moving in 6 months and plan to organize my shop with dust collection first.

What lid for a 5 gallon bucket is the best? Is it easy to just make one with PVC parts?

[Todd Davidson]

Yes, making one is certainly an option - Google "Thien Baffle"....

[Stew Hagerty]

I'm in a small shop too. I occupy just over half of an oversized 3-car garage, so probably close to the size of yours. I have a the ubiquitous Harbor Freight Dust Collector with a Winn Filter that runs to my major tools. Next to it, I placed a standard metal trash can with this lid from Woodcraft:
Cyclone Lid.jpg
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/t...an-cyclone-lid

I've looked at both, and this one sets up cyclonic action inside the can much better than the one you picture. I had it setting under my table saw extension wing for several years before I laid out my shop differently. The connections are both 4".

However, if you are planning on sticking with a Vacuum in lieu of an actual dust collector, then go with the dust deputy. It is hands down the best accessory for any vacuum. I built this roll-around cart for my vacuum/dust deputy setup. I use a Fein Turbo II with a HEPA filter for the vacuum. The cart has all of the accessories attached, including a retractable extension cord (unique because the "male" end is the retractable part) and even a spot for my RO sander. I use this for my smaller power tools, as well as cleaning up my bench and such.

Vac-Cart 1.jpg Vac-Cart 2.jpg Vac-Cart 5.jpg

[Charles Lent]

The Dust Deputy is amazing. If your vacuum source is a Shop Vac or similar, the Dust Deputy will remove almost everything from the vacuum air stream. If you have any trouble with the bucket under the Dust Deputy collapsing, stack two or three buckets together and it will stiffen the walls enough to keep it from collapsing. The recycled pickle buckets from Firehouse Subs are cheaper a bit tougher than the ordinary white buckets, but they tend to make your shop smell like a dill pickle. My son found me a metal grease barrel and that permanently solved my collapsing barrel problem. My vacuum source is a re-purposed whole house central vacuum unit, which was causing the 5 gal buckets to collapse, until I stacked 3 together, but the metal barrel holds more and won't collapse. My vacuum unit and Dust Deputy are in the attic of my small shop. It isn't a total dust collector solution, but I have no room for a full size dust collector. This handles vacuuming the floor and collecting dust from the scroll saws, drill presses, sanders, etc. With an inlet port on the outside of my shop, it also vacuums my cars and trucks. I don't even try to use it with my Unisaw, drum sander, or planer. My DW735 planer always gets used outside with the accessory hose/drum cover and a 55 gal plastic barrel. I shovel the sawdust out of the Unisaw.

Charley

[Chris Hachet]

As mostly a hand tool guy, I use this type of a system for dust collection. My table saw will cut for instance parts for two drawers and then I will take my time hand dovetailing the drawers...a Clear Vue cyclone system seems like wild overkill.

[Patrick Irish]

What about these $20 fittings from Rockler?

http://www.rockler.com/dust-right-4-...eviews-content

[Chris Hachet]

What about these $20 fittings from Rockler?

http://www.rockler.com/dust-right-4-...eviews-content

Seems like a decent product....

[Thomas Pratt]

I have a Grizzly dust collector but I got tired of emptying the bag, so I made an intermediate cyclone out of a 55 gal. drum and 4" stove pipe. The drum gets all of the chips and the collector gets the dust and I haven't had to empty the dust yet! The drum is easy to empty and is simple to make. You just cut a 4" hole near the top of the body of the drum for the inlet and a 4" hole in the center of the top for the outlet. An elbow at the inlet and a long pipe at the outlet makes it a poor man's cyclone. When you get to your new shop you may have room for a 55 gal. drum.

[James Gunning]

Patrick,

You don't mention what kind of tools you are trying to collect from. I assume it's likely a tablesaw and maybe a jointer or planer. Those three are usually the biggest generators of chips. Very few shop vacs will work in those applications. I would at a minimum fit your shop vac with one of the small cyclones like the Oneida Dust Deputy. It will eliminate the clogging problem with the shop vac filters. I use one of the 5 gallon buckets from a big box store with the Dust Deputy mounted on its lid hooked up to my shop vac. I haven't even looked in the shop vac in over six months and last time there was nothing in it. The Dust Deputy puts it all in the 5 gallon bucket.

If you see the need for much stronger dust collection, you can go at it in steps, spending more money at each one, or you can just go straight to the real solution and get a cyclone with or without filters. I've gone through all the steps and tried all the possibilities and a cyclone is the answer. Either buy one ready made from Oneida, Clearvue, Jet, Laguna, Grizzly, etc or you can roll your own with a Super Dust Deputy+blower+fliter (or exhaust outside if possible). Anything short of there will likely leave you disappointed.

The so called "cyclone lids" for garbage cans simply don't work as you would hope they do. They are designed for a dust collector and not a shop vac in any event. The single stage dust collectors will do the job collecting the large volume of chips generated by jointers, planers, etc., but have the problem of rapid filter clogging due to no separation. Many use felt bags with poor filtration and will coat everything in your shop and your lungs with a coat of dust. Even those with large canister filters clog easily due to the lack of separation. What is needed is a cyclone to separate the chips and all but the finest dust from the airflow. Then, the exhaust with the finest dust is either routed outside to blow away in the wind, or caught in a large canister filter. The canister filters stay clean for a long time, very little dust blows into your shop and your lungs will thank you for the cleaner air.

[Stew Hagerty]

Patrick & James,

I just checked inside my Fein for the first time in the 2 years since I built the cart with the Dust Deputy. There was less than a cupful of dust inside the bag, and the filter looked like brand new. This blew me away, because it gets used quite a lot. I not only clean my bench with it, but I use it at my drill press, 12" disk sander, miter saw, RO sander, biscuit jointer, Domino, scroll saw, jig saw, and portable belt sander.

And Patrick, I agree with James' take on needing an actual Dust Collector for stationary power tools. That is why I went over both of my systems for you.