Modding your 1-stage DC for cleaner filters (Workshops)

[Phil Thien]

Not really a plan, just thinking things through. I'm definitely going to have everything come through a front end separator. I was curious if also having the baffle in the ring (I guess that would be a back end separator) would add any benefit and/or would it introduce problems lie reduced airflow?

The old saying of "there is no free lunch" is true. Adding a baffle to the ring of the DC will reduce CFM a bit. So having the baffle in the ring, plus a separator, may reduce CFM more than you'd like at tools that generate more fine dust (bandsaw, sander, table saw even).

If you're going to do both, I'd probably configure the piping so only the jointer/planer/floor sweeps are in front of the separator, and everything else is direct to the DC.

[Ryan Mooney]

Ryan,
Thank you that is very useful information. Do you know the minimum diameter recommended for a 5" port? I have a 30 gal drum that has strait sides so the diameter may be on the small side. I will need to measure it.

James

I have no idea/way of figuring out what that would be other than my own very limited experience and I stopped experimenting when I got it to the "working" stage (loml was going on about making tools for tools vs making something useful - go figure ). I know what worked for me, but I'm a long way from being able to explain any of it

I'm currently using a 30g plastic drum which left me with a separator (interior) diameter of about 18" which I believe is smaller than your average metal can... so I think you'll probably be ok with a 5" inlet and a 30g drum (ignoring other variables). Mine actually worked pretty darn good at 6" for small dust and low volume shavings until I opened the slot to 2" for my new planers shavings, that (?somehow) messed up the flow dynamics and 5" worked better after that. Its possible that if I'd built a square inlet and added the bell mouth for the outlet (documented by - I believe retired2 on the cgallery board) it might still have worked at 6".. but... I had 5" pipe and it worked at that so.. heh..