Thread: Ducted vaccum system for workshop

The only issue I could see with a ducted vac system in a workshop environment would be blockages.

Maybe its just me being careless/slack, but occasionally I will endevour to suck up things that might just be a little to big for a vacuum system. This usually ends up with the item getting lodged somewhere in the pipe. Easily remidied by taking off the vacuum pipe/hose and jamming a broom handle or similar down it to dislodge it. If this was a ducted system however, that would become a lot more of a challenging task.

There are kits available in North America to do what you are contemplating.

Dust Collection Network - Lee Valley Tools

Pete

"More efficient at doing what" is the question you and others need to ask.

While a triton shop vac may be more efficient at capturing a bit more dust at source even higher pressures than generated by virtually all shop vacs cannot capture (especially the invisible) particles that are instantly sprayed around a shed as soon as a power tool is used. This escaped residual dust means that most air extraction systems need to be kept on for some time (eg 10 minutes) after the tool has been used. The critical factor for health purposes is the speed at which residual dust that is now all over your shed is removed from the shed. A 50 mm system and triton shop vac will simply not remove enough air fast enough to clean up a typical shed and most power tool use will continually build up fine particles far faster than it can be removed by a shop vac even if it is left running all the time. A 2 HP 4" ducted system with multiple inlets that can be closed [except for inlet connected to the tool that is in use] and then all inlets opened when the tool use is complete and vents outside the shed is the minimum safest system I would recommend. 3HP is better.

Of course a high pressure vacuum system arranged to feed to a plumbed DC is a good idea - but get and plumb for the DC first.

Thanks guys for taking the time to reply. Have taken onboard the advice and will have a look at some options.

Cheers

Trav

To add to Bob's reply, 4"/3hp is a minimum starting point. In fact 4" can't flow the air required to capture the dust but it is better than nothing. A good system is

150mm ducting
3HP extractor
Exhaust to the outside of the shed
Big collection hoods over each machine (this is critical)
150mm ports on the machines OR two 100mm ports from each machine into one 150mm duct

The problem we have here in Australia is the lack of suitable equipment to achieve this in the way of motors, impellers etc at any price let alone a reasonable price. All the Yank stuff is designed to run at a higher speed and all the cheap extractors we buy here are Yank designs running at our speeds and thus do not work at their designed (joke) capacity.

The reality is to do all the above costs a serious amount of money but your health is worth how much? That is the question you need to ask yourself. Would you ride a motor bike without a crash helmet? Same thing really.

*thinks to self... Ok Ben, maybe next time you should read ALL of the post before answering! lol

I thought you just wanted to run a ducted system solely for the purpose of vacuuming, ie attaching to a sander, or cleaning the floors etc. If this is what you want to do then you should be ok, just don't try suck up anyhting and make it get stuck as per my post above. If you want to attach larger stationary tools, then it will fail pretty badly as 50mm and a shop vac will not cope with the quantities produced by a tablesaw, bandsaw, thicknesser etc.

Originally Posted by socratous

The only issue I could see with a ducted vac system in a workshop environment would be blockages.

Maybe its just me being careless/slack, but occasionally I will endevour to suck up things that might just be a little to big for a vacuum system. This usually ends up with the item getting lodged somewhere in the pipe. Easily remidied by taking off the vacuum pipe/hose and jamming a broom handle or similar down it to dislodge it. If this was a ducted system however, that would become a lot more of a challenging task.

In line with your advice, I would like to know how much ducting, in length, would be the maximum for using 4 inch ducting on a 1hp Economy Dust Extractor from Carbatec.

I only use it for one machine at a time and those machines are a band saw, a saw bench, a jointer planer and a thichnesser.

I have two hoses from the Extractor with blast gates, but only about 1.5 and 2m lengths of hose, this means the the Dust extractor is often in the way of the machinery.

I would rather have the extractor against the wall and lengths of hose to the machines in my limited space.

Thus my question.

BB

Simple answer; 2/3 of bugger all.

I started out with the Carbatec 1hp dusty and moving it from machine to machine was the only way to go. It simply doesn't have enough balls to power a ducted system, especially if you are going to be using a jointer and a thicknesser. I found that it started to struggle on a table saw with any more than about 3m of flex hose attached to it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you want to run a hard line duct system with a stationary DC, the 1hp unit needs to be replaced.

Yep, I found that out the hard way as well. A 2hp DC is the minimum for fixed ducting.

There are times I think I should have bought the 3hp twin system.

Originally Posted by socratous

Simple answer; 2/3 of bugger all.

I started out with the Carbatec 1hp dusty and moving it from machine to machine was the only way to go. It simply doesn't have enough balls to power a ducted system, especially if you are going to be using a jointer and a thicknesser. I found that it started to struggle on a table saw with any more than about 3m of flex hose attached to it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you want to run a hard line duct system with a stationary DC, the 1hp unit needs to be replaced.

I agree. A 1HP is more like a slow shed ventilator rather than a dust extractor. I'm hoping for a 3HP for my shed upgrade.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

There are times I think I should have bought the 3hp twin system.

I was thinking that when I bought my 2hp unit. For the shed I'm in now it would have been fine, but when I stop renting and buy a house it will more than likely only have a double garage if not less and one of them would take up to much space

Having said that, the 2hp one I have is the CT-2042 and is a million times better than the 1hp unit I had standard, so adding a pre-seperator and a pleated filter improvements should do me just fine.

From the Bill Pentz site.

" . . . . showed a 1.5 hp portable dust collector motor driving an 11" impeller can barely support 10' of 6" smooth interior walled flex hose and still move the minimum 800 CFM needed to capture the fine dust at our larger machines. This unit is not ample to drive permanent ducting for a small one-car garage sized shop without an impeller upgrade. A 12" impeller upgrade pushes that sized motor right to the limit so the amps need to be watched closely. Rather than risk burning up that motor, most instead go with a 2 hp dust collector with a 12" impeller."

AND

"This same testing shows that the 2 hp dust collector solution is too small to power the average ducting for a two-car garage sized shop without an upgrade to a 13" diameter impeller. Adding the additional resistance overhead required to power a cyclone pushes the needed impeller size to 14" and the motor to over 2 hp. Because motors come in 2 hp or 3 hp sizes, I used a 3 hp motor for mine. Most with normal sized shops will be well served by a 14" impeller driven by a real 3 hp motor. With the ducting overhead in my larger shop, the 3 hp motor left enough extra capacity to permit my upgrading to a 15" impeller."

Thanks for the information, fellas. I was expecting that answers given, but had hoped someone would think it a reasonable chance.

Later, when the good fairy gives me a bonus or summit, I will go for a larger one. I think the pleated filter is a bit out of my range of needs, and the cyclone type certainly move some shavings.

It is much harder to move green wood shavings, but that would be normal.

I can get reasonable access to two machines and the extractor if I position them right.

Ta'

BB

Originally Posted by Black Bear

. . . . . . I think the pleated filter is a bit out of my range of needs, and the cyclone type certainly move some shavings.

You don't really need either if you can put the DC outside the shed.