Thread: DC enclosure and ducting set up

Thanks for that advice fellas, I'll put a bead of silicone on them.

Originally Posted by BobL

If you don want to glue the outside PVC joints but want to keep the water out, push fit the joints and them apply a small bead of silicone will enable you to take the joints apart if you need to.

That's what I've just done.

Finished off all the ducting today. The bandsaw and planer are connected with 5 inch hose as they have 5 inch outlets. I haven't given much thought to modifying those ports yet so they'll stay like that for now. Hose on the BS is a bit excessive but I'll live with it for a while and see how long it needs to be in practice before cutting it down. The hose on the planer is also 3 metres long but I need that to stay connected when I switch modes. All these things can be fine tuned anyway.

The TS will be connected with 150mm hose shown. I will cut a new 150mm dust port in the back of the machine with a BMH and block off the existing 100mm port. I then need to cut some new air intake holes in the front of the machine cabinet as the current air intake is very poor.

Originally Posted by 3 toed sloth

Finished off all the ducting today. The bandsaw and planer are connected with 5 inch hose as they have 5 inch outlets. I haven't given much thought to modifying those ports yet so they'll stay like that for now

FWIW a 5" hose can carry no more than about 770 CFM at the usual DC pressures, a 6" can carry ~1250 and a 4" can carry ~425 CFM.
This assumes free flowing entry like a BMH, as soon as you connect it to a throttled machine these figures will drop significantly.

Hose on the BS is a bit excessive but I'll live with it for a while and see how long it needs to be in practice before cutting it down. The hose on the planer is also 3 metres long but I need that to stay connected when I switch modes. All these things can be fine tuned anyway.

As I usually use "push on" PVC fittings at each ends of all my flexies this enables a quick connect/disconnect to ports on my machines. What I then proposed was to make all the flex connections as short as possible and make up a long 6" and a long 4" flex for possible future use. The only machine I have only done this for is my planer thicknesses.

Yes I'm keen to put a 6" hose on the planer. I had a bit of a look at it yesterday and the hood, which flips over from planer to thicknesser mode, tapers down to the 5" outlet so I should be able to just cut it back a bit to where the taper equals 6" outlet. I'd have to make a square to round transition. There is a flap arrangement inside the hood so I'd have to check I won't interfere with that. I haven't looked at the intake side at this stage.

The bandsaw is another story. Maybe leave the 5" connection as is but convert to BMH entry. Then put another 4" port under the table. I don't get a build up of dust inside the cabinet so the existing port seems to be doing okay as far as visible dust is concerned.

I would like to keep the machines permanently connected to their hoses for convenience, which I should be able to do with the PT and TS, but the bandsaw will probably end up needing the push on arrangement, especially if I end up with more than one hose connected. I'll have to see how I go once I start using this new arrangement.

Originally Posted by 3 toed sloth

Thanks for that advice fellas, I'll put a bead of silicone on them.

Duct tape my friend, good old duct tape.

Originally Posted by Tonto

Duct tape my friend, good old duct tape.

Yes duct tape is another option, I just don't think it holds up too well in the weather, especially when it gets wet, although with the amount of rain we've been getting lately it probably won't be too much of a problem for a while.

Originally Posted by Tonto

Duct tape my friend, good old duct tape.

Duct tape is good for inside but after a while can start to look pretty ragged outside. I put some around a slightly exposed sheet metal edge on my main external door and it needs replacing.

Metal foil tape should hold up outside for a lot longer than duct tape. Both though stand out a lot more than a small bead of caulking. Sometimes neat and tidy looking work is better especially where the neighbours can see it.

Pete

Originally Posted by QC Inspector

Metal foil tape should hold up outside for a lot longer than duct tape. Both though stand out a lot more than a small bead of caulking. Sometimes neat and tidy looking work is better especially where the neighbours can see it.

Pete

Good point about the neighbour's view, that pipe is a real eyesore, right outside their window. I'm hoping to get that creeper to start growing around it. It will probably end up growing right over the roof of the enclosure which might help with noise reduction too.

Originally Posted by 3 toed sloth

Good point about the neighbour's view, that pipe is a real eyesore, right outside their window. I'm hoping to get that creeper to start growing around it. It will probably end up growing right over the roof of the enclosure which might help with noise reduction too.

A relative of ours lives on a block with a hankerchief garden. Immediately over the fence and uphill is the flat two storey side of the neighbours house with few windows and a full maze of externally exposed PVC plumbing servicing two bathrooms and the kitchen on the second floor and I agree it looks awful. The relative has planted visual screening but its going to take some time to get up to that height.

If you’re really concerned with the aesthetic, put some timber lattice behind it, and grow the creeper on it. Whilst it’s growing, at least the lattice will break up the profile. Our neighbours did this against their ugly old carport side, and it made a huge difference.

Lance

Had a bit of spare time this arvo so I marked out the hole positions for the TS upgrade. I'm happy with the 225mm hole for the 150mm duct with BMH on the outlet side but now I've marked the air intake holes I'm wondering if that's the best location. Having the holes right at the bottom of the false floor makes me think any dust in the bottom will just fall out. Also maybe the holes higher up would be more effective being closer to the blade. I'm also wondering if there's a danger of bits flying out and hitting me in the leg or foot, especially if I'm wearing my safety thongs.

Originally Posted by 3 toed sloth

Had a bit of spare time this arvo so I marked out the hole positions for the TS upgrade. I'm happy with the 225mm hole for the 150mm duct with BMH on the outlet side but now I've marked the air intake holes I'm wondering if that's the best location. Having the holes right at the bottom of the false floor makes me think any dust in the bottom will just fall out. Also maybe the holes higher up would be more effective being closer to the blade. I'm also wondering if there's a danger of bits flying out and hitting me in the leg or foot, especially if I'm wearing my safety thongs.

If you put some sort of a coarse mesh over the holes that should prevents bits flying out.

Venting the cabinet is just for that, Collecting sawdust off the blade should be handled via an under-table collection port.