Can I make a dust collector with these??

[muzza]

What a great forum to stumble across.

This is my first post, so be gentle.

I was wondering if i could use these fan cowlings to make a dust collection system. I picked up 2 of them a couple of years ago. They used to be part of a fume extractor in a school metalwork shop and both still work.

I have mainly used a triton dust collector bucket attached to a vacuum cleaner which proved just adequate for my router, but useless on the Makita compound slider. I've just bought a Jet 13" thicknesser and I'm scared to use it as I know I'm going to be knee deep in chips. (the budget has been greatly overstretched so a ready made one is out of the question. The missus doesn't even know I've bought the Jet yet!)

I have an urgent job that will just have to be done in the driveway. Is Western Red Cedar chips harmful to the environment??

So have any of you made a DC from scratch? Any thoughts? Any suggestions? Any photos?

Main tools used (so far) are; Jet 15" thicknesser, Makita compound slide saw, router table, small band saw and various hand tools (router, biscuit jointer, sander etc.)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/muzzza/DC1.jpg


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/muzzza/DC2.jpg


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/muzzza/specs.jpg

[vsquizz]

Muzza, Welcome. Just about all you'll ever need to know is here;

http://billpentz.com//woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm

or amongst the threads of this Board. Doing a search of this site will turn up Faeces Loads of information along some jocularity general sarcasm and urine pulling.

By the look of your industrial extraction fans I have no doubt they would be suitable for the WW shop system provided the electricals are up to scratch. The amount of Ooomph they have depends on the impeller and housing design and obviously the power available. Shooting from the hip I'd say they look a little small and may have to be connected in parrallel to a collector of cyclone arrangement. Many just have a 2hp mobile unit for the likes of your thicknesser.

You can buy a cheap dust extraction kit from the likes of Carbatec which includes some hoses and all the fittings. A number of posts on this board show homemade collectors and adaptions on a 44 gallon drum.

Putting your dust extractor on wheels really helps when you haven't get a full set-up and heaps of members of this board have just that.

Posts on this board by "Wayne Davey" are well worth reading but avoid that fellow called "Biting Midge";) . He has the longest running dust extraction construction project in Australia and probably the southern hemisphere:rolleyes: :D . Seriously though there is some very good reading right here.

Cheers

[Gumby]

What a great forum to stumble across.

]
Welcome
Most of us in here stumble regularly so you'll fit right in. :D

[KevM]

Muzza,
Firstly, welcome.

180W is insufficient power for a dust extractor, and even if it was, the gaps between the impeller blades are far too small and would block with chips very quickly. You may find that it would make and excellent extractor for dust from a random orbital sander.

regards

Kev M

[Mick C.]

180w seems a lil small, but maybe use both, and if the fans are nice and efficient, then sounds like a go, and if fitted after a cyclone, then no problems with chips getting stuck in the blades or causing damage! I'd be giving it a go considering you have the units sitting about, and if it doesnt work, then you still have a cyclone that you can fit to a bigger DC.

[bitingmidge]

He has the longest running dust extraction construction project in Australia and probably the southern hemisphere

I resemble that remark you, you, you nasty basket you!!!

It's actually NOT running!! (but watch this space! :D :D :D )

P

[Grunt]

Yeah Squizz, what are you incinerating? That Midge is slow?

[echnidna]

Even the 2 of these fans just won't be adequate for a thicknesser.
Make a bench a bit higher than a 200 litre drum and position the drum under the edge of the thicknesser outfeed table. Its easy enough to swipe the shavings into the drum as the timber feeds through. This will solve most of the mess.
Western Red Cedar is a very bad health risk so wear a good quality dust mask.

[journeyman Mick]

Alternatively if you have a trailer: Lay a wide board across the trailer and sit the thicknesser on this. Most of the chips will land in the trailer.

Mick

[bitingmidge]

I reckon the fans look like sitters for a pair of room filters though...they are perfect!!!

Remember filters aren't a substitute for dust collection, but they are a worthwhile addition.

Cheers,
P (also from the Sunshine Coast Chapter!)

[muzza]

Just about all you'll ever need to know is here;

http://billpentz.com//woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm (http://billpentz.com//woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm)



Wow, there's a lot of information there. Too much, almost. Puts you off buying a 1HP dust collector. I now want a cyclone.

Anyone made one?

What do you think of the 6" ducting requirements?

[bitingmidge]

Muzza,

As the pot tummied pancake guzzler implied above.... I do have a 6" system ALMOST ready to fire up!!

MAYBE it'll be working over Easter.... if you want to pop over send me a PM and I'll tell you where to go! :eek:

I have a 2 1/2 HP fan with filter, the Cyclone is next...IF

a) I live long enough, 'cause it's only taken me 18 months so far just to do the ducting!

b) the sucker sucks through the pipes, because I couldn't understand any of the mumbo jumbo about pressure loss and stuff so I just built it so it would look pretty!

Cheers,

P

[muzza]

So much information - SO MUCH!!!!

I'm looking after my youngest with tummy problems today, so lots of internet time.

SO MUCH INFORMATION.

I've now decided to use one of the fans to make a small cyclone based on the triton dust bucket/40litre paint tin (found in a couple of other threads - search for 'cyclone') and make a full sized cyclone when my family move out of my workshop and into the house I'm supposed to be building. (My biggest woodwork project EVER!) I'll use the other one to make a downdraft table. (Good idea or bad??)

I read in one of the threads that someone was going to use a 'bingo blower' to make his cyclone. What do you think? Where can these be purchased? How much? I looked at the Markair website, but they don't say how powerful they are, just speed.

What other blower/sucker would people suggest? (without buying a commercial DC)

[Wayne Davy]

Muzza,

Those units are way way to small for a cyclone and just wont work period. The cyclone needs a fair bit of power just to get to working state and a 2hp Blower is considered to be the minimum.

However, I think they could be very nice units for a mini-cyclone which is good for Sanders and some other hand-held tools (my Biscuit Jointer works well with mine).

The bigger tools make big chips which, as the other guys have mentioned, will either just block the smaller pipes or, on a direct design, destroy the impeller (fan blades).

I also dont see that one of them will be real good for a Downdraft table. You have to think about the amount of area you are asking the blower unit to work with. For a Downdraft table, this is lots and even 2hp Cyclone units get pushed. (More inlet area means lots more air to move.)

Check out my site for a bit of a summary of Bill's work and some other ideas.

[DanP]

Wayne,

You used ot be able to download the plan for a cyclone on Bills site but I can't seem to find it now. I downloaded it once before, but that was on another pooter. I don't have Excel so if it's in that format, I'm cactus. Can you provide the plan, or a link to it?

Dan

[Wayne Davy]

Dan,

It's is in Excel format as it recalc's given the inputs of Height/Width/Motor Size/etc.

However, you are not buggered as I think the freeware OpenOffice would read it just fine (have not tried though).

Check it out here http://www.openoffice.org/

As for Bills spreadsheet, it's under the Cyclone Plan section (but well hidden). This is a link to the current metric one http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/CycloneSpreadsheetMetric.xls

[Wayne Davy]

All,

For those who dont realise, 2hp Bag Unit Dust Collector are down to just $299 now. The blowers from these are what I used for my Cyclone (as have others guys).

http://svc010.bne011i.server-web.com/catalogue/carbatec2/cache/header-705public__0-0.html?cache=no

http://www.carbatec.com.au/images/catimages/machines.dust.extractors/FM-300.jpg
Note that they are not small being nearly 2 metres in height and those are two 4" inlets.

[Harry72]

Or you can get a 3hp double bag unit for $499.

[Kev-in Melb]

[QUOTE=bitingmidge]I reckon the fans look like sitters for a pair of room filters though...they are perfect!!!

I agree with this, forget about using them for dust extraction, use them to build your self a room air filter(s). Those fans are 180W, which is just under a 1/4 HP, have a look at a Carba-Tec cataloge or website and look their CTF-1500 Workshop Room Air Filter. You could build your self something equivalent to this using just one fan, some MDF and some filters. (i did have a plan for building them, i'll post it if i can find it)

For the machinery that you have, go out and buy your self a 1 or 2 HP portable dust extractor, they are not that expensive and even cheeper if you get a used one, look in your local Trading Post or keep an eye on this site.

If you do all of this you'll have good working enviroment, although it will never be completely dust free :)

Good luck
Kev

[muzza]

Muzza,

Those units are way way to small for a cyclone and just wont work period. The cyclone needs a fair bit of power just to get to working state and a 2hp Blower is considered to be the minimum.

However, I think they could be very nice units for a mini-cyclone which is good for Sanders and some other hand-held tools (my Biscuit Jointer works well with mine).Wayne, I'm making a 'midi' cyclone. It's just going to be for hand tools like you said. I've gotta try it, ay? Spins at 2775 RPM, so should move SOME air. Anyway, anythings gotta be better than the orange lidded plastic bucket.

I like your website by the way. Sent you an email re. your crappy old TS.

Does anyone know where to buy a 2HP blower without buying the whole dust collector - seems a waste.

[vsquizz]

Muzza, Industrial hardware suppliers will sell these fans

Cheers

[Wayne Davy]

Muzza,

Just buy the 2hp DC from either Carbatec, Hare & Forbes, etc, etc. as it is the cheapest way to get the motor and blower unit (do a search if you dont believe me).

Oh, the old TS is long gone btw.

Cheers,

[DanP]

Downloaded that openoffice stuff and I'll be buggered if I can get it to work. Now I can't figure out how to uninstall it either. (took 5 1/2 hours to download)

Can anyone else help with how to open an excel file without excel?

Dan

[Sturdee]

Can anyone else help with how to open an excel file without excel?

Dan


No, but if you're down this way you can do it from my computer and print it out or tell me which file etc you need and i'll mail you a print out.


Peter.

[echnidna]

Downloaded that openoffice stuff and I'll be buggered if I can get it to work. Now I can't figure out how to uninstall it either. (took 5 1/2 hours to download)

Can anyone else help with how to open an excel file without excel?

Dan

Select the excel file with the right button then select open with open office and it should open the excel file

[ScrubOak]

Muzza,

Just buy the 2hp DC from either Carbatec, Hare & Forbes, etc, etc. as it is the cheapest way to get the motor and blower unit (do a search if you dont believe me).



I'd agree with Wayne on this one. Was looking at setting up a cyclone unit myself recently - checked with a couple of local retailers and found that getting the motor and the impeller was almost equal the price of a new machine.

Seems you can get even a 3hp machine for around $400 - $700 these days, and I figure having more (cfms, that is) is better, so I may be going the 3hp route, standalone at first, then maybe converting to a cyclone.

[Wayne Davy]

Downloaded that openoffice stuff and I'll be buggered if I can get it to work. Now I can't figure out how to uninstall it either. (took 5 1/2 hours to download)
Dan,

Have you got the file to open??

[DanP]

Nup. Tried Echnidnas thing - no good.

I'll email it to Peter (Sturdee) and get him to send it to me.

Dan

[Wayne Davy]

Dan,

Read this - might help.
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/qna/1740.html