Thread: Dust Collection Setup

Sorry to appear negative but I'd say that your dreams are unlikely to be met with that dust collector in that size shed.
For the same $ you could have purchased a ClearVue which would have been better up to the task.

To summarise the dust collection forum:
Ensure the DC is located outside OR in an airtight cupboard that is vented outside.
This means you can remove the filter and improve the flow
Ditch the 4" ports on the DC
Make up a 8" to 6" adapter or buy one from Timbecon
Run 6" ducting to all machinery (4" ducting has ~1/3rd the air flow of 6" ducting)
Open up all the dust outlet ports on machines to utilise 6" ducting

For particulars invest some time into reading the Dust forum - it will save you far more time than you spend reading it.

If you decide to stay with your DC given the size of your shed you will need to
- add additional ventilation to vent escaped fine dust.
- locate your DC and machinery on one end/side of the shed so that ducting lengths are minimised eg <~6m total run from DC to machine

Thanks Bob

your reply was not taken as negative, i know its not the greatest duct collector i could own. I bought it new in 2008....well before i heard about ClearVue. To date i have only used it to connect my table saw and jointer via a 3m long 4" flex hose.

Budget is pretty tight so unfortunately i will have to stick with what i currently have.

Building it a separate room is a great idea and ill definitely plan the shop around that.

Thanks for the advice

Marty

Originally Posted by BobL

- locate your DC and machinery on one end/side of the shed so that ducting lengths are minimised eg <~6m total run from DC to machine

Bob,

I'm in the middle of installing a fixed pipe extraction system into my shed. To this end I've now built a separate 3x3 metre acoustically insulated shed sitting 300mm off the back wall of my 7x5 metre workshop. Noise abatement is the reason I went for a discrete structure. I've bought a ClearVue Max which will exhaust to the outside.

I was intrigued about the reasoning behind your maximum 6m run from machine to extractor. My longest run from the bandsaw will be about 9m including the flexible pipe so now you have me thinking about its efficiency. Reconfiguring the workshop is not an attractive thought.

mick

The original poster's machine is 3hp. Your CV-Max is 5hp assuming you are running it with a variable frequency drive. It will have no issues with your 9 metre run as long as you aren't strangling it with small ducts.

Pete

Thanks Pete. Good to have reassurance. VFD? Yes. It's going to take a while to convert the existing 100 & 125 mm machine outlets to 150mm but I can always increase airflow by adjusting another blast gate downstream if necessary.

I'm still interested to discover why a shorter run is better. Given that the volume and velocity should not change, I'm left to conclude that flow turbulence or lack of it might preclude longer runs.

mick

Originally Posted by Glider

Thanks Pete. Good to have reassurance. VFD? Yes. It's going to take a while to convert the existing 100 & 125 mm machine outlets to 150mm but I can always increase airflow by adjusting another blast gate downstream if necessary.

I'm still interested to discover why a shorter run is better. Given that the volume and velocity should not change, I'm left to conclude that flow turbulence or lack of it might preclude longer runs.

mick

Wall friction increases with longer runs but that tends to be a minor effect. Usually longer runs contain more bends and junctions which add to turbulence and all that increases flow. As I have indicated many times 6m is just a guide for 3HP machines , same as 3m is just a guide for 2HP DCs. But there are heaps of other factors to consider and if you have to use longer runs they so be it.

FWIW my longest run is 12m to the underside of my TS. This was done to get the ducting feed under the concrete floor and keep the area around the TS clear of ducting. I also have a 9m run to my DP but that doesn't need much flow anyway as DPs don't make a lot of dust.

Ive been looking at the CV website and the Bill Pentz static calculator. I must be doing something wrong, if i add a small amount of 4 inch either straight pipe or flex hose...no bends or Y's it goes over 12" WC which is the recommended maximum on the spreadsheed. How much static pressure does each 4 & 6 inch bend add and is there an easy calculation i can use for straight pipe?

What would the estimated static pressure be on a system like im planning? Im re-planing my layout to reduce the pipe runs to be as short as possible and will use the 8" to 6" reducer to run the main line.

I cant seem to find many reviews/info on the DC i have...all i can find is they aren't as good ad the CV. Understand there is a difference in HP but what is the major difference that makes them not comparable?

Thanks

Marty

in a nutshell it doesn't pull as much air, due to numerous factors such as smaller impeller, not enough power, inefficient cyclone design which then leads to poor chip separation which then leads to clogged filters which further hurts extraction.

Originally Posted by stevo81

Ive been looking at the CV website and the Bill Pentz static calculator. I must be doing something wrong, if i add a small amount of 4 inch either straight pipe or flex hose...no bends or Y's it goes over 12" WC which is the recommended maximum on the spreadsheed. How much static pressure does each 4 & 6 inch bend add and is there an easy calculation i can use for straight pipe?

It doesn't surprise me. 4" ducting is very restrictive and it sounds like you are using too high an expected air flow and air speeds. What Air flow and speeds are you using ?

What would the estimated static pressure be on a system like im planning? Im re-planing my layout to reduce the pipe runs to be as short as possible and will use the 8" to 6" reducer to run the main line. I cant seem to find many reviews/info on the DC i have...all i can find is they aren't as good ad the CV. Understand there is a difference in HP but what is the major difference that makes them not comparable?

If you provide a photo of the DC, the size of the impeller is and the motor HP I can give you an idea of the pressure it can generate..

Originally Posted by BobL

It doesn't surprise me. 4" ducting is very restrictive and it sounds like you are using too high an expected air flow and air speeds. What Air flow and speeds are you using ?



If you provide a photo of the DC, the size of the impeller is and the motor HP I can give you an idea of the pressure it can generate..

Been a while now since i have made any progress on the shed setup. The specs say the impeller is 15.8 inch, the motor is 3hp, the inlet size is 200mm (currently has 3 x 100mm inlets on a junction) which i will be reducing as per previous recommendation.

This is the same DC I have comment on elsewhere in these forums.

A well made (efficient) 15" impeller usually requires a 4HP motor.
Putting a 3HP motor on an efficient 15" impeller will normally result in the motor drawing too much current and burn it out.

In the case of that DC this suggests the impeller has been deliberately made inefficient (to prevent the impeller sucking too much air and hence drawing too much current) by one or more of the following
1 the impeller vanes have been reduced in size
2 the DC has been unintentionally or deliberately choked down ( eg 3 x 4" inlets, or the cyclone design)

If its the second one then opening up the inlet to 8" or removing the filters to aid air flow could result in problems.