Thread: Dust, ick!

Had a quick gander at carbatecs web site, they have a 2Hp economy DC for $369, 1200 cfm.

Ya probably already looked through old threads regarding DC's, cyclones etc.so I won't go into it all here, if not do a search.

From all the advice I received when researching the nasty "D" topic, a DC of this size seemed to be the go, then hook up a cyclone, run some PVC ducting and you get to be a full member of Waynes dust club .

After Sydney wood show this year I hope to attain this level.

I have the Carbatec economy 2HP DC and it does a great job.
IMHO I think that a standard dust collector actually is more of a threat to your health than protection. I base this opinion on the DC collecting many of the finer particles that would normally settle close to the source becoming airborne through the DC bag.
The suction is powerful and it will certainly pick up the fine particles and if they pass through the filter bag they are then airborne at face level. This is something that might not occur if there wasn't a DC. This is an opinion and I am not able to substantiate this.
To overcome the problem of fine dust passing through the bags a cyclone appears to be the ultimate, however there are alternatives.
The simplest way is to pipe the ducting through your shed wall and position the DC outside in a leanto or other weather proof structure.
I haven't got room outside my shed so I built a sealed cabinet inside the shed and simply run a duct to the outside. This means that any fine dust that escapes through the bags is pushed outside the shed with the exhaust. Obviously you do not duct it out to face the clothes line or back door. Having it housed inside a cabinet also reduces the noise in the shed. I have just hung a standard internal door on the front of the cabinet so I can access the DC. I was worried about loosing shed space but it has actually provided heaps of storage. I have hung shelves on the sides and the top of the cabinet is also used for storage.
You will probably spent an additional $100 plus for pipes and fitting depending on your requirements so budget for this.

I reckon Rod has hit several nails on their proverbial head. The exhaust from any Dc setup will carry a certain amount of fine dust with it. A cyclone will llessen this amount but won't fet rid of it all. Wayne Davey, the dust guru vents his exhaust outside. My eventual plan is along Rods sugestion. That is, build a skillion roof off the existing play pen, in this I can have the cyclone, as well asother garden shed type storage. The cyclone will exhaust to the outside world. Whilst the EPA may not approve of this, I am in a rural area, (REAL rural) and I don't think I will cause harm to anyone.