How To Set Up Cyclone Dust Collector

Dust collection for your forest shop isn't always the sexiest woodworking topic to discuss. But ignoring it can pb to long term impacts to your health, the functioning of your tools, and the cleanliness of your shop. Woodworking dust drove systems can range from a unproblematic store vac to a combination of cyclone dust collectors and overhead air filters.

When I start ready up my shop I was working with goose egg more than a small shop vac. This was great for cleaning up after the fact but it was pretty much worthless for controlling dust from the table saw. Luckily, I was working in a garage and then I was able to open up the doors and turn on a fan. That, combined with a dust mask, made for a more tolerable working surround.

Adding A Dust Collection Organisation

As my shop grew I knew that I had to invest in a dust drove organization. Running the table saw, lathe, or, what might be the worst tool in the shop without dust collection, the miter saw, was just getting to exist too much.

As I was working in a fairly large shop at the time I decided to get with a 1.5hp Jet dust collector. This unit has a decently sized footprint simply the size wasn't a huge business organization at the time. Information technology was easy to roll around the shop to my diverse tools and had plenty of power when hooked up to any single tool at a fourth dimension.

Dust Collection for My Small Shop

Once we moved to a new house and shop my woodworking space was reduced significantly. At present I am in a adequately enclosed space where I have very footling extra room for tools. While I have kept the same grit collector for the time beingness I will demand to brand a modify at some bespeak. The footprint of the jet and rolling it effectually the shop are no longer feasible.

The new, smaller shop space has also led to a lot of dust buildup in the air. Considering of this, I take recently added a ceiling-mounted Jet air filtration system to the shop likewise. Running this filtration forth with the dust collector regularly has led to a noticeable difference in the amount of dust in the air.

Using the Shop Vac for Dust Collection

A few tools that create a disproportionate amount of dust, like the random orbit sander, are the last dust issues that I will need to address. My current sander, the Makita 5-inch ROS (which I love!), has a dust collection pocketbook but isn't prepare upward to connect to a dust collector.

Upgrading the sander to either one that can connect to a shop vac or i (*cough* Festool *coughing*) that hooks up to a dedicated sanding vacuum should cut down on grit in the store even more.

Woodworking Dust Collection Systems for Your Shop

Let's have a await at some of the dust collection systems available at present and talk about which shop types they volition work all-time in.

First off, the primary dust collectors which can be hooked upwardly directly to your large woodworking tools.

Wall Mounted Dust Collection

Wall-mounted dust collectors are great for small shops or for those who want a dedicated collector for one or two tools. This is the direction I volition somewhen go for the shop as a wall-mounted unit of measurement will clear upwards some valuable floor space.

Most wall-mounted units pull between 500 – 600 CFM of air which isn't a huge amount. If you are merely using the collector on 1 tool at a time though information technology volition normally exist sufficient.

Most stationary tools need between 350 – 500 CFM of airflow for acceptable dust drove. The one exception usually being the drum sander which, due to its large size and amount of dust produced, can oft exceed the output of a smaller dust collector.

Rockler actually sells ane wall-mounted unit of measurement that pulls 1250 CFM. This puts it on par with a lot of the rolling dust collection units. Their dust collectors can also be fitted with a filter rather than the collection bag that is capable of filtering dust down to 1 micron. Near collector bags only filter dust downwards to 30 microns so this makes a huge divergence.

Floor Standing Canister Grit Collectors

Floor continuing grit collectors, like the Jet model that I use, are perfect for small to medium sized shops. Virtually units of this size move around 1250 CFM which makes them powerful enough to congenital into dust drove ducting systems.

Running metal or PVC ducting around the shop is a cracking way to avoid having to elevate a hose to each private tool as y'all apply them. Setting the organization upwardly with nail gates will allow you to direct the airflow right where you need it.

These floor standing units are available with either a xxx-micron collection bag or a ane-micron canister filter. If you tin can beget to upgrade to the canister filter and so I would highly recommend it. It makes a huge difference in the amount of fine dust in the air after running it.

Cyclone Dust Collector

Cyclone style grit collectors are going to be your almost expensive and powerful systems.

They feature cyclone systems that collect 99% of the chips and dust in a drum before information technology reaches the filter. This keeps the filter cleaner and provides a better and more constant airflow. Another benefit of a whirlwind way system is that, since large debris is collected before information technology reaches the filter, metal objects like screws won't be sucked through the collector's impellers which can cause a spark or impairment the unit.

These systems are besides equipped with canister filters which will filter dust downwardly to ane or 2 microns.

Cyclone dust collectors will likewise exist your largest option then they are best suited to medium to large shops where the arrangement can stay stationary and be hooked up to ducting.

Adding a Cyclone to an Existing Dust Collector

One way to become some of the benefits of a cyclone system without having to pay a $1,000+ cost tag is to add together a cyclone separator to your existing dust collector or shop vac.

Oneida sells these DIY or plug and play kits that simply plug into your dust collection hose and will remove nigh all of the chips and grit before it reaches your dust collector filters. They claim these systems volition increase your airflow by 20%!

Running Dust Collection Piping

Setting up a dust collection ducting system in your shop is a keen mode to go on all of your major tools hooked upwardly to the dust collector all the time. I currently have to drag a flexible hose around the store whenever I want to use different tools. This leads me to often making quick cuts on the bandsaw without hooking information technology up to the collector which, in the end, just makes everything messy with dust.

There are a lot of debates in woodworking forums about whether PVC or metal pipage should exist used. Some debate that PVC can build upwardly a static charge which tin so ignite your dust and cause the collector to take hold of fire or explode.

I'm not quite sure I buy that argument in a DIY store setting but if you lot're nervous about such an event PVC pipe can ever be grounded to eliminate the static buildup.

Oneida sells some smashing starter packages to get you going integrating ducting into your shop. Even if y'all can't run a dedicated line to every tool; just having a drop near 2 or 3 tools where the last flexible hose can be moved between them will make life so much easier.

Floor sweeps, dust hoods and nail gates are all piffling add together-ons that volition make your system a breeze to use.

Other Grit Collection System Components

In add-on to the primary grit collector yous can also add together on air filtration and dedicated dust collection for sanding.

Woodworking Air Filtration Systems

Ceiling mounted air filtration units are a dandy fashion to remove dust that just tends to linger in the air and eventually settle on everything.

I utilise this unit of measurement from Jet which can be mounted direct to the ceiling, hung from bondage or only fix on a high shelf. The unit comes with a remote control and can run on a timer which is perfect equally I tin set it for 2 hours after I'yard done in the shop and then it can continue to clean the air.

Shop Vac Dust Collection Systems

Shop vacs can easily exist used to add together portable grit drove to specialty tools like the random orbit sander or CNC machines.

Similar I discussed before, not all sanders are compatible for connexion to dust collection so keep that in mind when choosing one if it is of import to you.

Festool likewise offers a portable HEPA filter grit extractor which is designed to work well with hand sanders. While I have non used 1 of their extractors I accept heard zip but good things most them. As is usually the case with Festool products.

Concluding Thoughts On Woodworking Dust Collection

I hope that this gives yous a base of operations to start with in figuring out your own dust collection needs for the shop. Making these upgrades can be expensive only in the long run, it will make a huge deviation in the air quality of your workspace.

Derek grew upward woodworking in his father'south shop and has since gone on to start upwards a successful woodworking business on Etsy. In his spare time, you can find him mountain biking, skiing, or writing.