Opinions Wanted Need to get a dust collector

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FrameMakers

FrameMakers

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Mar 20, 2001
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Powell, OH
I am setting up my Woodmaster at home to mill my own mouldings. I need to get a duct collector to go with it. They suggest a minimum 2 hp dust collector. I am looking at this one on EBay.

It is not marked as to which brand it is. Does brand matter in a dust collector? There doesn't seem to be much technology in one.

Any suggestions or anything to look out for?

Thanks
Dave
 
From the picture on eBay, that unit looks exactly like mine. I purchased my unit from Harbor Freight.

If I remember right, it was $225 plus tax. No shipping because we have a store here in town.

I use the smaller 1.5 HP unit from there for my Laser Engraver exhaust. It was $99 plus the install kit and some PVC piping.

Both have worked flawlessly.
 
My dust collector from Harbor Freight works great. May I suggest the you put a pre-separator or cyclone to your dust collector to trap the larger chips before they enter into the duct collector fan. Also makes emptying the saw dust alot easier. Please visit www.woodcraft.com/articles.aspx?articleid=408 for more info.
 
I'll second that mik.
Especially with a moulder 80% or higher (depending on species, number of blades, and profile being cut) of you waste will be chip which the cyclone takes out.
Dave you asked if "Brand" makes a difference.... answer is yes and no. There are many variables that are not exactly clear with advertising and labels.

2hp for instance. Harbor freights 2hp is rated at peak, but under "load" is rated only 3/4hp.
NEMA 135 or 97USA like that on my bandsaw is 3.25 peak, 2hp at load.

The thinking here is that a air-mover is always running at peak..... maybe..... but stick 20' of 3" on it and fire up a 16" planer taking a full 1/16" off a 15" wide stock of redwood..... and you can hear the motor drop out to that 3/4hp.

Bags are another huge consideration. If you're in a closed in shop and want to really control that fine dust..... micron is a critical thing to consider.

If it's going on a moulder ONLY, then the fine dust is to so problematic. But if you use it also for heavy sanding.... 180 grit produces a lot of 2 micron dust that goes right through cheap bags.

Rockler and others are now putting a clear lower bag. This is to see when it's 3/4 full....... but also means you only spend the big bucks on the 1.5 micron for the top.... or get a corrigated filter for the top.

Some times at 6 feet away, Poly looks like oil guilded compo and wood. . . for a while.
 
I agree with Baer about the load factor. I try to run the equipment being used (moulder, planner, saw, etc) on a different electrical circuit from the dust collector, when possible as this seems to help somewhat.

Also note that vacuum pressure works differently from water pressure. Larger piping works better then smaller pipe. Also be aware of how many ports you attach to the collector without using blast gates.

And lastly, remember to ground the dust collector system to prevent a big BOOM from happening.
 
Good comments above. Here's a link to all you ever wanted to know and more.

Dust Collectors

I have a homebrew, cyclone chip collector upstream and exhaust the harbor freight dust collector out into the alley instead of installing the bags. Many of the bag specs depend upon the bag clogging and then rate the bag collection spec when it is in the clogged state (even many of the 2 micron bags). I know, some places have ordinances regarding exhausting wood dust but I will ask forgiveness rather than permission.

Get the largest HP that you can afford because like they said above, the specs are much deceiving.
 
The woodmaster blades (240) is on its own circut, the woodmaster rollers, router and dust collector will be on their own. I have to do the wiring this week. I had to get a roll or 100' (about a 40' run to the garage) of 10-3 so I could just run that for the 110 as well and have 2 110 circuts rated for 30 amps.
 
This works ok with a regular shop vac and for sanding, but you'd be running to the dumpster alot if you tried using this size with a moulder/planner.

You can get the same thing that fits larger trash cans and the 4" hoses from Rocklers, Woodcraft or Woodworkers Supply. O
 
Went to Harbor Freight tonight. Got my dust collector. It is $229 on their website, but in the store it was on $179 and then the salesman gave me a 15% coupon on top of that.
They did not have any of the hoses or other misc attachments that I will need but I can pick those up online or from other vendors.
 
does it 'really' matter what the motor hp rating is?????? Isn't it much MORE important what the cubic feet per minute flow rate is??? wouldn't a HP doing 1500cfm be much better than a HP doing 500cfm???? I have always been told to get the one with the biggest 'blow'!!!!!!!(pre-seperators etc, not withstanding,of course)
which also brings up the question of----if you install a Prue-separator wont that, significantly, cut down on you cfm, thus pushing you into a much higher cfm blower range(of course a higher hp would automatically be needed also)??????
 
True Bill, but it seems that the higher the HP the higher the CFM. The unit I got is rated at 1600 CFM while the most of the 1 HP are rated at 650 CFM.
 
if you are diping into the world of 'make your own', have you checked out that "CNC" machine being sold thru sears????? will reliefcarve up to (looked like) 6-7" wide & 1-2" thick---saw it on 'cool tools' last weekend
 
Yes Bill, I have seen them, the reviews are not that great on them from what I have read.

I have looked at other CNCs but 1 new toy at a time.
 
You'll loose more cfm due to resistance in the corrugated hoses & other plumbing than you will in any of the vortex, chip collectors. If the one you got is as quiet as the green, 1hp version, you'll be happy with the lack of noise. The RED, 1hp version is louder than a shopvac.
 
I had a similar Jet brand dust collector, which was sold with my Pistorius EMN double-miter saw some time ago. The dust collector was louder than the saw.

Jeff Rodier, are you still using that setup?

Now I use a Phaedra SawHelper table with twin 12" DeWalt saws, smaller and quieter than the EMN, and I really like it. The main problem is that collecting dust from these construction-type miter saws seems almost impossible. I have not found an effective pre-fabricated collection hood for this type of saw. Is there such a thing on the market?

My dust-collection system, which came with this used saw and table setup, will be reworked soon. Presently the setup uses 2" diameter clear plastic pipes and gates, which ought to be 3" or 4" diameter instead, mounted to a bench-mounted enclosure that amounts to nothing more than a 5' x 2' x 1' deep box. With three vac ports, the pipes are connected to a small Sears dust collector that never was adequate for the job.

I'm thinking about buying the Clear Vue Cyclones, Inc. model CV06 cyclone separator, which will fit a Ridgid 16-gallon shop vacuum. Whatever I buy, the piping will be upgraded to 3" or maybe 4". I will use PVC pipe where possible and minimize the use of flexible hose, because that rippled inside surface greatly reduces the airspeed and effective CFM.

I have a design in mind for a smaller collection hood made out of Coroplast, which should use the saw motor's considerable air output to push dust into the vac ports...can't wait to see if it works.
 
Jim, your idea seems to be a good one. I would like to know how it works out for you. One word of caution about using pvc piping.....BE SURE TO GROUND THE PIPE!!!!!! If you want to know how to do this, just let me know.

Wood chips and sawdust blasting thru pvc pipe create a lot of static electricity. If you touch the pvc or any metal component that it attached to the pipe you will get a mighty shock. Don't ask how I know this. Static electricity is also the main cause for dust collector fires and explosions.
 
MIK, I have seen grounding kits for dust collectors. For myself as well as others that might do a search later on, could you please explain your grounding method?
 
I'm not disputing that you got quit a shock mik, but this very topic has been a hot subject on the woodworking BBs for years. Final analysis: Unless you're drawing in the 3,000-5,000cfm over a network with runs of 100' or more, and your fines are 1-2 microns (wide belt sanders 48" and up) the physics doesn't support the old woodworkers story about the friend of a cousin who knew a guy that heard from a trucker that in an unspecified state and city that there had been a dust collector explosion that blew up a shop and took out the neighbors chicken coop and everyone was plucking chicken till dawn.

And if you are doing runs over 20-30 ft, you're running galvenized steel anyway.

As for static..... I've got metal tape wrapped on the outside and two #10 bare copper wire running down the inside.... which causes more problems of large chip dams than anything else.... and I still get snapped when I run the planer for more than an hour. And that's with ABS.

IMHO doing anything more than installing Rocklers clear vinyl 4" hose with the slinky wire in it is over kill. This fall I'll be ripping out 80' of 4" ABS.... any one who wants it, come and get it.
 
I threaded a braided copper wire (14 gauge, braided or any uncovered copper will do) thru all of the piping. I attached the end of the wire to the outside of the end of the flexible hose that is attached to my saw, leaving a "tail" exposed that touches the sheet metal covering I made for my Frame Square saw dust drawer.

The other end of the wire goes into my pre-seperator. It has a nail attached to the end and is long enough to touch the bottom of the metal trash can.

I then attached another wire to the lid of pre-seperator and then pulled the wire thru the piping to the dust collector unit. The wire is then attached to a screw on the collector's motor. There is enough wire to go from the motor to the electrical outlet's cover screw. This last wire can also be attached to any ground in your shop like a water pipe.

When ever I need the collector of another piece of equipment, all I have to do is move the hoses and everything is still grounded as long as the first tail is touching the metal of the new machine.

By going thru the inside of the pipe, it doesn't matter if you have metal piping, pvc tubing or hoses and you don't have to drill holes to make a jumper around you fittings.

And btw, it cost about $5.00 to do it all.

I hope this all made sense.
 
"IMHO doing anything more than installing Rocklers clear vinyl 4" hose with the slinky wire in it is over kill." Baer, I would agree, but the problem is when people use metal or pvc only in their duct work. Most small shop don't have to worry, but why take a chance?
 
I guess it's the same argument about japanese hinges and rice paste to hinge photos of Palin..... could be the right thing to do, or could just be wasted effort.
 
Jim Miller said:
I had a similar Jet brand dust collector, which was sold with my Pistorius EMN double-miter saw some time ago. The dust collector was louder than the saw.

Jeff Rodier, are you still using that setup?
Click to expand...

Yes I am Jim. It is loud enougth to hear the dust collector over the saw.
 
By the by, the best thing I did on my dust collector was to rewire the on/off switch to a long cord that I attach to my saw or other piece of equipment. This way the collector is tucked into the corner and I don't have to bend around things to turn it on.
 
I had thought about getting a remote for it.
 
I looked at the remote device, but I'm cheap. Had the switch and wire handy and one of my customers did the labor. Let me know how the remote works out for you.
 
I would recomend the canister filter type. We retro-fitted our system when we moved and it works perfectly. NO fine dust anywhere...the dust settles into a plastic bag that we have sitting inside a garbage pail...just pull it off, tie it and dump it. The vacume never decreases due to cloging of the fabric when you use a bag.

I would also agree with the seperator can. First piece of aluminum in the impellor and forget it. We used all straight galvanized pipe it our retro-fit and now the system is strong enough to serve as our shopvac as well.


http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=50-850A&search=Dust Collectors
 
I have the same Harbour Freight dust collector that has been discussed here connected to a CTD D20R. I got an extra air clamp foot switch like on my Eclipse, installed a higher rated switch and heavier wiring to the metal housing and connected it to the dust collector. Way handy.

Jeff K
 
That's a good remote OR blastgates with a built in remote switch if you have more than one inlet.

The Dust Collector exhaust connected to a 4" or 6" dryer vent to the outside world is still better than ANY collector/filter bag that you can buy.
 
Remember this if for in the garage at home. If it was in the basement or the shop I would be much more concerned.
 
The old and woefully inadequate Sears dust collector on my saw setup will soon be replaced.

The 1,100 CFM dust collector (Jet brand) on my old saw was similar to the one Dave just bought. It was suitable for the double miter saw that went to Jeff with it, but big and very noisy.

The cyclone lid adapter for Ridgid shop vacuums is impressive and might serve my purpose, and it would fit better in my limited space. Described here: http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/Ridgid_Conversion.htm

I have one of those Ridgid vacs and like it, but I don't know how it would compare to the larger, noisier bag-type dust collectors. The air handling specifications are impossible to compare, as air speed, horsepower, and CFM ratings depend on lots of variables.

Money isn't an issue; either way I'd have $250-$350 in the new system. I'm more concerned about adequate results, minimizing noise, and saving space.

Any ideas about whether that cyclone thingy would be adequate for my DeWalt twin-single miter saws?
 
Jim, are you only cutting woods with the "DeWalt twin-single miter saws"? If you are, IMHO the cyclone thingy is a waste of dollars. I would be more concerned in building a dust box connected to the dust collector to trap the sawdust coming off the saw and using the full sucking power of the vac.

If you are concerned about noise, look into Fein tools (/www.feinus.com/p/newdustfree/vacmain.htm) They are the quietest and suck really good.

By the by, I don't have a noise meter to prove it, but I think my harbor freight dust collector is less noisy then my Frame Square saw.
 
mik said:
Jim, are you only cutting woods with the "DeWalt twin-single miter saws"? If you are, IMHO the cyclone thingy is a waste of dollars...
Click to expand...

Why a waste of dollars?

I have a sort of dust collection box now, but it is only marginally effective and will be modified. Part of the problem is that the saws' motors have a cooling fan inside, which throws a strong blast of air toward one side. That sends the dust everywhere, before the suction of the vacuum gates can pick it up.

I cut wood, aluminum, and polymer mouldings.
 
"Why a waste of dollars? "

Jim, the cyclone system might be a better filter than what comes with the vac and therefore will clear the air around the vac. And if the dust goes through an impeller on the vac, the cyclone will separate the chunks from the dust before going through the impellers.

But, I don’t think the cyclone will solve your dust collection problem at your saw. You need to design a better dust collection box around the saw. I have seen boxes designed to encapsulate the saw…sides, back and top, almost totally enclosing the saw. The boxes might not catch 100% of the dust but they get at least 95% or more. A front panel might also be a consideration.

Also where you place the main collection vent is another factor…is it placed where the main disbursement of dust occurs.

Just my humble thoughts on the subject.
 
mik said:
... I have seen boxes designed to encapsulate the saw…sides, back and top, almost totally enclosing the saw. The boxes might not catch 100% of the dust but they get at least 95% or more. A front panel might also be a consideration.
Click to expand...

Where have you seen prefabricated dust collection boxes to fit miter saws?

The box in use now covers the back, top, and both sides to some extent -- but not enough, which is why it will soon be reconstructed.

Of course we want to contain the flying dust as much as possible, but I'm not sure a front panel would be a good idea. Sooner or later I'll want to make personal contact with the saw's handle.:o
 
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