Thread: What combination should I buy first?

Well I reckon it's better to stop the dust at the source than to try and suck it out of the air after it has already floated around. So I'd be going for the pleated cartridge first, unless you have other dust sources that you can't connect to the dust extractor.

Edit: Another option though is to put the dusty outside your workshop so the fine dust isn't returned to your work area. But that's dependent on your set up at home.

G'day Whit68,

I'd keep walking past the 1Hp unit and go for a 2Hp unit. The 1Hp unit will work okay, but you will probably want to add other machinery to it in time with longer runs of plumbing and find that it has lost its suck.

In this case bigger is better.

What they said, Dusty first 2hp would be the minumum i'd recommend.


joez

while the room filter units are OK it is much better to pick up the dust at the source. If you have time, read Bill Pentz site on dust collection.

What ever size unit you decide to buy, (1 or 2hp) compare the size of the impellor on the blower/motor. they vary enormously. Some units have a very small impeller ( the overal diameter of the blower casing is a 'reasonable' indication, if you can't measure it directly)

After reading Bill's site it is apparent the there is a huge variation between brands and the figures they quote.

Im going to be cantankerous again, I dont agree. If you are doing it as a pro then you need a big setup with plumbing for all your stuff. My workshop is a garage, an electronics shop and a woodworking shop. So everything has to be mobile. I bought a 1hp, now on my one, the dust went through the impeller into a bag. It wasnt great. The cure was a 40 gallon plastic drum with a hoop held on lid, the extractor is fitted to that and I have a hose from the drum that goes from unit to unit. 99% lands in the drum and as I can only work on one tool at a time it works for me. I was very lucky a guy was selling hose on Ebay and I picked up 20M of 6" hose for $30.

Originally Posted by silentC

Well I reckon it's better to stop the dust at the source than to try and suck it out of the air after it has already floated around. So I'd be going for the pleated cartridge first, unless you have other dust sources that you can't connect to the dust extractor.

Mind you, with the average home setup either the DC doesn't catch it all or there's always some other dust source. Lathes & hand sanding are prime examples. My old shop was set up after intensive reading of Bill Pentz, and built with both a seperator drum and 5µ & 1µ needlefelt bags on the DC. (1µ clogged too quickly, dammit. )

My shop was still a permanent dust-bowl though. The joys of being a woodturner.

After seeing the difference Waldo's room filter makes - and he has a reasonable DC mounted outside the shed - if I was really concerned about the fine dust I'd definitely put the room filter on my list!

BTW, I agree wholeheartedly that 2HP is the way to go.

Originally Posted by Whit68

G'day everyone,

I have decided to buy a 1hp dust extractor for my shed.

What I don't know is should I buy a pleated filter cartridge to go with it or a room air filter (unfortunately I can't stretch for both - other toys to buy).

I you appreciate your thoughts.

thanks
Anthony

thewoodwhisperer has a video on cleaning air. His view on the air cleaner is it's too late for your lungs, but good for reducing the dust settling in the workshop. He recommends leaving it run for a while after you knock off.

Originally Posted by rrobor

I bought a 1hp, now on my one, the dust went through the impeller into a bag. It wasnt great. The cure was a 40 gallon plastic drum with a hoop held on lid, the extractor is fitted to that and I have a hose from the drum that goes from unit to unit. 99% lands in the drum and as I can only work on one tool at a time it works for me. I was very lucky a guy was selling hose on Ebay and I picked up 20M of 6" hose for $30.

Someone (here, I think) inserted a wheelie bin in the line. He made a gasket to seal the lid with hemp/sisal rope and silastic.. I will probably do likewise, attaching inlet and outlets to the lid.

I note that some of the cyclones folk made have the impeller/motor from a 2HP dusty on top. I think if I go the cyclone route, I will just run a pipe from the dusty to the top of the cyclone rather than take the dusty apart.

Originally Posted by Johncs

I note that some of the cyclones folk made have the impeller/motor from a 2HP dusty on top. I think if I go the cyclone route, I will just run a pipe from the dusty to the top of the cyclone rather than take the dusty apart.

As a minor bonus, leaving the DC intact with the clear plastic bag on the bottom gives you a good idea of when the seperator needs to be emptied.

ie. when the bag suddenly starts to fill...

(Actually, you're mixing terms a bit there. A true cyclone and a seperator drum are different things. But we all know what you mean. )

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

As a minor bonus, leaving the DC intact with the clear plastic bag on the bottom gives you a good idea of when the seperator needs to be emptied.

ie. when the bag suddenly starts to fill...

(Actually, you're mixing terms a bit there. A true cyclone and a seperator drum are different things. But we all know what you mean. )

I thought I was speaking of two things, the bin looks simple and I have all but the bin already (I got a kit with the dusty). If I ever think it's inadequate for my needs, then I might consider a cyclone.

Sorry, my bad.

If you are doing it as a pro then you need a big setup with plumbing for all your stuff.

Why is that exclusive to a 'pro'?

I think it depends on the set up and the machines that the guy has. It's nothing to do with whether or not he is a pro. 1Hp is fine if you have a small set up and you're prepared to wheel it around to each machine. I prefer to have mine stationary and take the plumbing to the machine. There's nothing wrong with planning ahead and if he wants to go the same way some of the others here have, then it's something to consider.

Put the dust extractor outside , the room filter i would not do without , an industrial fan positioned in such away it blows to an open door , and just as important wear a good mask . dust will always be there if you are using woodworking tools .

paul , k

The 1hp with the pleated filter does a good job with dust but it struggles with any machine that creates chips or shavings such as a thicknesser or a jointer.

Ross