# Dust Collection Options



## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

I'm in-between shops just now and since I sold most of my power tools I have the opportunity to buy new equipment. The dust collection debate/discussion is a weekly forum topic with dozens of forum threads asking about how to design, size, and choose dust collectors. In my case, I certainly understand the science and theory behind it. I've read all of the on-line materials from the likes of Oneida, Bill Pentz, and others. If money and space were no object I wouldn't be posting this thread.

One opinion/idea for providing DC for the planer (DW 735), jointer, router table, and table saw is to buy a single stage Shop Fox 1.5 HP DC with that will connect to a "6 super dust deputy. The components will be mounted on the other side of the wall separating the shop from the garage with the header pipe coming through the wall to the shop. I may have to enclose it with a filter box made from HEPA rated furnace filters to keep dust off the cars. I-vac switches would be needed to start/stop the unit. Cost would be ~$800.

Here's where the twist comes in. Oneida has a Dust Cobra 17 Gal. Cyclonic HEPA Dust Extractor that claims 245 Actual CFM at 23" WC, max of 70" suction which is pretty darn good and would handle virtually all of the dust generating tools in the shop. It runs $1100 (35 gal is $1200). Basically, a shop vac on steriods. My rationale for this option would be that it is smaller, uses shop vac sized hose and I could probably still get away with hooking it up to the TS, or jointer. The planer has an internal fan that runs 250 cfm or so which would allow for a thein baffle between it and the DC. The big advantage would be the superior DC compared to the shop vac on hand held tools like ROS or a hand held router.

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions on other systems? Does anyone have the Dust Cobra?


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

The 17 gallon Oneida collector is designed for handheld power tools. I fear it's woefully undersized for a tablesaw, jointer and planer. I see that as a portable single-tool D/C used with one tool at a time. The bin is also way too small.

I can recommend the iVac automatic gates though. Both iVac and Grngate make excellent automatic gates systems. I have them both, and they make using a D/C system a pleasure instead of a chore.


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## GrantA (Jul 19, 2014)

Earl put a little more with it and get a CV1800 from Clearvue. For small tools you may also still want something small like their mini setup
I'm afraid the unit you posted would only frustrate you. No way that's enough cfm for chip extraction from the planer and definitely no way it'll remove fine dust. 
You also mention it'll be in the other side of the wall. If the shop will be conditioned that's fine but make sure you setup the exhaust into a filter back in the shop.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

I agree with what both of you said. Maybe what this comes down to is asking whether a small shop vac style DC is more practical for the majority of activities in a small hobby shop or whether the standard 2 HP DC is really necessary to have?

A DW735 planer can discharge into a thien garbage can collector with a filter bag on the outlet and it works without a DC. The internal fan does a pretty decent job of moving the chips. The real question is the dust. Connecting the outlet to a smaller system would allow the fine dust to be collected.

Even with the Laguna DC I had, dust and chips from the TS were still an issue. I tried to use the Sharkguard and it helped quite a bit, but there were still DC issues from ripping and a lot of the time it had to be removed because the types of cuts required the fence too close to the blade for it to work (rails, stiles). The TS would be the main benefactor of a large 2 HP DC set up.

Sanding (hand held ROS, belt sander) hooked to shop vac never quite did the job with the fine dust. Hand held router use wasn't great either when I used my Leigh jogs, even though they had dust ports on them. I'm sure some kind of dust hood would improve the situation considerably. In order for a dust hood to work, you need a lot of flow and a decent amount of pressure (back to the 2 HP DC).

I'm still leaning toward a 2 HP unit that can hang on the wall with the mini set up like Grant suggested for the Shop vac. If it is on the other side of the wall, I can leave the door between the shop and main garage open and get some of the air back.

The I-Vac should keep the amount of time the DC runs to a minimum and help keep the electrical cost down.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

IMHO, you'd be better off spending a bit more for a 2hp (or larger system). I did the various mods to my HF DC and by the time you factor in all the parts needed, your money is better spent on a 3hp Grizzly or similar: Grizzly 3hp Even with shipping it's under $1500 for a portable unit.

I run my DW 735 without connecting to the DC. The internal blower does fine moving the chips through a trashcan lid separator:










I ran a lot of construction lumber through the DW 735 without a problem (other than make sure not to overfill the can). Very little cleanup afterwards on the planer.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

It's all just a myth Earl. Commercial DC manufacturers started a rumor that breathing in the fine dust created when processing wood could be harmful to one's health. It's simply not true. Any reasonable person can do a quick google search and quickly come to the proper conclusion that DC is simply unnecessary and a frivolous waste of resources.

In an independent fictional survey, < 100 medical professionals were surveyed and confirmed the conclusion that I came to myself. Dust collection is not necessary. I myself am not a doctor but I don't play one on TV.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

Sage advice from our resident superhero!!!!!! LOL

It's just that the fine dust is such a pain to clean up and then there's also the fire/explosion hazard from having a thick coating on everything. Plus SWMBO doesn't like dust on her car.

So how would you approach this problem???


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Sounds like a simple solution. Get a divorce and park outside.

You're welcome.


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

> Sage advice from our resident superhero!!!!!! LOL
> 
> It s just that the fine dust is such a pain to clean up and then there s also the fire/explosion hazard from having a thick coating on everything. Plus SWMBO doesn t like dust on her car.
> 
> ...


what about a wall in between shop and garage ? :<))))


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

I use a 2hp Tempest cyclone hard piped with 6" metal to all the big tools. iVac gates on most everything, but some manual gates.

Then I use a Dewalt dust extractor for handheld power tools. This works well for the router, ROS, biscuit joiner etc. I still use a gool 'ol shop vac for the router table.

With this setup I'm finally happy with my dust collection. It took a long time, and I went through the trial and error that most people do. Even if I was setting up a temporary shop, I would hard pipe to a cyclone. You can drill out the pop rivets pretty easily if you ever need to move it. Just use foil tape and not duct mastic (it's a nightmare to separate).

Good luck!


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## farmfromkansas (Jun 16, 2019)

I had a 2hp cyclone unit with 6" pipe, and when I got an edge sander, found I needed a bigger DC. Then I bought a small widebelt sander, 15" Grizzly. Bought a 3hp cyclone, gave the old one to my nephew. should have gotten the clearvue 5hp. But the 3hp does not do real bad. Just hard to collect sanding dust, planing dust is easy compared to sanding dust.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

Tony - there is a wall between the shop and garage. I'm considering putting the DC on the garage side of the wall so it needs good HEPA filters on the air outlet. IF I do that, I will probably need to leave the door between the shop and garage open so the air flow balances out on both sides of the wall.

Willie - It looks like Penn discontinued making the Tempest cyclone.

My approach at the old shop was similar to what everyone is describing. With the smaller shop size, I'm questioning everything and asking if I really need it. In this case, do I really need a big 2 HP DC that really only supports the TS or can I get the shop vac on steroids and have better DC for the things that I use more frequently and make a bigger mess. The Leigh dovetail and M&T jigs come to mind, as does the ROS, and belt sander.

Ideally you have a DC set up for the big equipment and a shop vac set up for the little stuff that makes the fine dust. If you have to choose one or the other which would it be?


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## rbrjr1 (Nov 2, 2017)

whatever you decide on the chip collection device, make sure you couple it with ceiling mounted air scrubbing units (more of them is always better)..


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## Bill_Steele (Aug 29, 2013)

I would consider the Oneida Mini Gorilla before the Dust Cobra. The Dust Cobra would be nice if you needed something portable, but 245 CFM seems on the weaker side for the tools you listed. Maybe a Mini Gorilla for all your big dust generation tools and a Rigid wet/dry vac and a Dust Deputy for the sander, router, router table, floor sweeping, clean-up, etc. ?


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