Thread: Single Car Garage in a Townhouse - DC Thoughts

Hi Dibbers,

There is a sticky thread on how to modify one of those 2hp dust collectors to maximise its performance. It does take bit of work and planning but its well worth it.

The basic idea is to widen the inlet to accept a 150mm duct, this can be done either by replacing the entire front panel with a piece of mdf with a slightly larger than 150mm hole in the mdf. Alternatively you can cut a hole in the metal panel.
The second modification is to remove the 5" flexy between the motor and the dust bag, there are different ways of doing this but the most compact is to raise the motor so its inline with the inlet to the dust bag and widen the inlet so it accepts the full width of the motor outlet.

According to Bob's testing this should allow you to get fairly close to whats considered acceptable.

The enclosure outlet needs to be atleast 4 times the inlet, so having a simple duct may not be suffice.

Static pipes for unmoveable is a great idea, as it obviously saves significant amount of time setting up for various tasks and depending on how serious your setup got it can be very time consuming moving pipes around to machine to machine, plus Bob will also tell you that this will also induce potential leaks etc.

I'm in a similar situation to you where space is quite a limiting factor with multiple machines to take into account. What I've done is for equipment that I use most often/produces the most amount of dust have a static duct to them, the others I have drop downs from the ceiling and use a small length of flexy ducting to the machine i need.

Ducting layout as a guide is to have the shortest runs as possible, with machines that need the most amount of airflow closest to the DC, limit length of individual runs to <5m and use blast gates to close off unused lines.

The other question you may need to ask yourself is how sensitive your neighbors are as even with exterior venting may cause some people grief, ie I've heard people complaining about people using their garden blower to clean their driveway let alone plumes of dust coming out of a DC.

Dust extraction is something that once done correctly you'll wonder how you ever did without it, not only is it beneficial for your lungs it saves significant amount of cleanup time afterwards.

Just be patient and be prepared to move things around after you've set up it and eventually you'll have a setup you're happy with.

Thanks Tonzeyd.

When i get to the modification stage (or that stage of my planning) i'll take some time to look at the sticky thread, thanks for the heads up.

Regarding the outlet, I don't think it'll be a problem. The garage runs parrallel to the street thats frequented by trucks during the day, so i'd be suprised if they'd notice the DC on. The size of the outlet is a conundrum though... I suppose i could do away with a fly screen on one of the windows and have a larger duct hanging from that... it has blockout shutters on it so will be hidden when not in use (if i can make it removable in some way... and i'd imagine all the fine dust will be gone with the wind too rather than pooling under or around it. I honestly don't think i'll have a great deal of time to dedicate to building. Most of the work i'll be doing is ripping sheets down for cabinets/shelves. It'll mainly be the table saw for ripping and the bandsaw for finer work on occasion at this stage. Might go down the path of a router table in the future but thats probably it. As i said, sanding i can do in my back yard (other side of the property).

Aside from the problem with the outlet, does that DC seem sufficient? If i had the space, bigger is better, but for my space and purpose i figure it'll do a decent job. I'll need to put my design hat on for an enclosure, outlet and ducting so need to see what i can do in the space i'm thinking of using..

Thanks again for your advice.

Originally Posted by Dibbers

So what i was thinking, was a smaller DC (something like this: https://www.carbatec.com.au/dust-con...ld-code-fm-300). I'd want to build an enclosure for it to keep noise down,

This sounds about right for your setup and given you say you won't be spending a lot of time in there although I have heard that before (especially from wood turners) and before you know it they are spending 20+ hours a week in there. Either way I would encourage you to modify the DC so it can use 6" ducting

. . . . .and potentially have the outlet (is that the right term?) Piped outside and around the side of my shed with a removable PVC setup. So when i intend on working, open the roller door, put the pipe in to go around the wall of the shed and pumping out into the small grass area around the corner (its not used for anything, it's just a patch of grass along the fence line)...

Is there any chance you can just vent it through the shed wall or roof?
The reason for doing this is I usually recommend that DC once modified be limited to 3m ducting runs and the includes any ducting venting down stream from the filter bags.
If your DC is in the middle of the shed, vent ducting will need to from the DC up to the door and then down the side of the shed and by then you will already be up to ~6m before you even install ducting to a machine..
Of course if you have no other option then you have to live with the reduced flow.

Now Ideally, i'd put in static pvc pipes for my unmovables (when i get them) like the bandsaw. but i wanted to by a Dewault DW745 and build it into a movable bench, so i'd look at some form of movable ducting for this.

This should not be too hard to rig up.

Originally Posted by BobL

^^^

Thanks for the input BobL.

To clarify on a couple of issues you've raised, I have no intention (at this stage) of wood turning. Budget and space won't allow for it. If i ever by 5 acres and manage to get a massive shed, i'd be all for it but that won't be for many many years... and I'd by a better DC! haha. I also have a 2 year old son, who will not take too kindly to Dad playing with noisy tools rather than dinosaurs and trains, so that will limit my play time... at least till he's old enough to catch the bug too...

I will definitely look to modify it for 6" ducting.

Regarding the outlet pipe, I can't go through the wall or the roof because of strata laws unfortunately (damned Sydney house prices!). I'd intended on setting up the DC right next to the Garage roller door, so the pipe would have to go out the door (roughly 1m), around the corner (roughly 500mm), and back again (any length would suffice). So there wouldnt be much length to it, 2 bends though. My only concern is toneyzd point about the size of the outlet. I'll see if i can design it to go out a window near where the DC will be housed... when i get home i'll get the layout of my shed off Sketchup and post with what i'm thinking. almost like an industrial air con vent (those tin box things) that goes out the window and drops down a couple of hundred mm. Only catch is it'll need to be removable... i'll think of something though.

I'd be keeping most fixed machinery along the same wall as the DC, as there's nothing to navigate around. This will keep the fixed PVC relatively short and straight(ish).

Thanks for your input. I know this has been discussed at length on here, but haven't been able to come across another thread that had similar circumstances to me. There are a few with small sheds, but were all able to house the DC outside...

Originally Posted by Dibbers

. I also have a 2 year old son, who will not take too kindly to Dad playing with noisy tools rather than dinosaurs and trains, so that will limit my play time...

Been there and done that

. . . . almost like an industrial air con vent (those tin box things) that goes out the window and drops down a couple of hundred mm. Only catch is it'll need to be removable... i'll think of something though.

A window insert idea sounds like the go.

Yep it would be useful if you posted a rough plan of your shed so we could see the doors/windows relationship.

Originally Posted by Dibbers

Thanks Tonzeyd.

Aside from the problem with the outlet, does that DC seem sufficient?

Thanks again for your advice.

Sufficient is a fluid concept, and IMO is most likely dictated by your budget/space constraints. In a perfect world you want a 5hp DC to capture all dust at the source. In reality this is difficult and expensive to do. So (for me) it becomes a game of risk minimisation to bring your exposure levels down to what you're willing to accept. Even venting externally may not be sufficient but is obviously better than having it floating around the shed where you'll be breathing in unacceptable levels of dust. The only way you'll know if its sufficient is getting a professional out to test the air around your place. Plus there will be times when effective dust collection is impossible, eg hand routing a large project.

The guru as you know is Bob and I try to take his lead on the matter but as a newbie it is a tough pill to swallow and depending on how serious your hobby is one that must be taken seriously.

Originally Posted by BobL

Yep it would be useful if you posted a rough plan of your shed so we could see the doors/windows relationship.

I'll try to get something up here tonight when i finish work. A couple more question regarding the mods and the outlet if you don't mind (feel free to tell me to bugger off... my wife does all the time when i discuss my harebrained ideas, so i'm used to it). So based on the 2hp Carbatec (picture below), i'd need to modify the motor to get rid of the bended pipe, so i'd assume i'd also have to rotate the motor 45 degrees to do this?

And is the outlet on the opposite side of the Y junction in the photo? Only reason i ask is if i'm going to go with the window box option, i might need to raise the DC to get a straight Box out the window... or is that not necessary for the outlet?

Originally Posted by Dibbers

I'll try to get something up here tonight when i finish work. A couple more question regarding the mods and the outlet if you don't mind (feel free to tell me to bugger off... my wife does all the time when i discuss my harebrained ideas, so i'm used to it). So based on the 2hp Carbatec (picture below), i'd need to modify the motor to get rid of the bended pipe, so i'd assume i'd also have to rotate the motor 45 degrees to do this?

The motor itself does not need modification - just the mounting position.

And is the outlet on the opposite side of the Y junction in the photo? Only reason i ask is if i'm going to go with the window box option, i might need to raise the DC to get a straight Box out the window... or is that not necessary for the outlet?

No Photo came up so can't comment on this.

Originally Posted by BobL

No Photo came up so can't comment on this.

Sorry, Forgot to attach. Here you go:
2017-08-31_16-33-19.jpg

OK now I understand. Have a look in the sticky on modifying the generic 2HP DC to see how I did it.

OK so reviving this thread seeing as my idea of a slanted 2hp dusty with the filter bag hanging out the window is probably not a great idea...

I'm trying to come up with a design in my head for the outlet of my enclosure to pipe outside through the garage window...

What i'm thinking is a series of four or six 6" ducts attached to the side of my enclosure, that poke through the window opening (very rough sketch attached...very rough). Ideally i'd make these moveable/removable so i can still open and close the window & roller shutters. I can't think of another solution that will really work... thoughts?
20170921_141947.jpg

That looks pretty much like what Zelk did in 2009 in his setup.
Unfortunately the final photos of his setup are gone but I did keep one photo of his.

His photo shows his enclosure with the vent shooting air back into his shed.
I suggested he close the vent and put 2 x 6" vents out through the window in the direction shown by the arrow and this is what he ended up doing.

dustyexit.jpg

Originally Posted by BobL

That looks pretty much like what Zelk did in 2009 in his setup.
Unfortunately the final photos of his setup are gone but I did keep one photo of his.

His photo shows his enclosure with the vent shooting air back into his shed.
I suggested he close the vent and put 2 x 6" vents out through the window in the direction shown by the arrow and this is what he ended up doing.

dustyexit.jpg

Brilliant!

Well, I'm still a ways of the actual build of all this (bloody expensive setting up isn't it?). But i'm conscious of not just going out and buying a bunch of stuff willy nilly without a basic plan of how i'm going to lay it all out.

DC is pretty high up on the shopping list, 2nd actually behind the Dewalt table saw. I need the table saw to build the enclosure... and i need the enclosure to run the dusty inside... so it's a bit of a lesser of 2 evils scenario.

So at least now i can check the dimensions of the dusty online, design the enclosure and tape off the garage floor where i think i want to put it so i can start planning where everything will go and ducting etc.

On a side note, anywhere in particular that I should source my 6" ducting & elbows and Y's from? Also some flexy will be needed too, not a lot, it'll mainly be fixed ducting hopefully.