# A Good Idea for Those with Dust Collectors



## Tootles (Jul 21, 2011)

I've never seen this before and I think it is a good idea. The dust collection system in the workshop where I took these photos are connected not only to each of the machine tools, but also to one point on the floor. All you do is lift the flap, turn on the dust collector and sweep.










When you're done, put the flap back down and carry on as normal.










I hope you like this.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Great idea for those with large enough shops.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

That's a great idea, even in a small shop.

I wish I had enough dust collecting power to set up a system, as it is I just use my bucket vac and do the best I can.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

i have one in the shop

with a 1/4"x1/4" mesh 
to keep stuff from grinding the impeller blades

in the shop where i learned WW
we used sawdust with water 
and spread it around the floor
then swept it to these
the wet sawdust kept the dry dust from rising


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

I have underfloor DC piping in my shop in BC so all I have to do is disconnect something and sweep into the hole.
The thing is, then you have to empty the can under the cyclone more often so I usually use the old dustpan.


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

I thought about doing something like that, but decided to use my DC like a house central vac. I can hook up shop vac hoses at three places in my shop and vacuum everywhere. No dust stirred up from sweeping.

SWMBO claims that my shop gets vacuumed more often than the house. - lol


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## Visions (Sep 12, 2011)

Good idea. The set-ups I've seen like that used a blast gate in the pipe above the floor pick-up.

I had considered it, but I'm not so sure I like the idea of just sweeping stuff willy nilly into my DC piping. A 3/8" nut wouldn't be too healthy for the blower for sure! 
Maybe with the mesh like patron uses, but I'd still want to run a magnet through it.

But I guess if I'm running a separator it wouldn't really matter anyway…


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

Cool.
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## Bobsboxes (Feb 8, 2011)

I have one but have found I rarely use it, with my DC hooked up to all machines, I sweep the floor and am lucky to get a half a dustpan of sawdust. And I also think that there might be something in using the broom that triggers miller time. Thanks,Bob


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I bought one of the plastic floor adapters to do just that, but never got around to hooking it up. I'm like Sawkerf in that I just use the open end of the flex hose as a giant vac. I find it easier than sweeping, though I do make sure to watch out for metal when doing so. Don't want to start a spark-lit fire in the DC, for sure…


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Hey Mike,
Don't you use a collector can ahead of the DC?


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

1800 sq. ft. shop, 2 hp Murphy-Rodgers dust collector.

My dust goes through my impeller and into the bag/barrel.

It would be absolutely and incredibly stupid for me to install that floor sweep. Any piece of metal that could generate a spark could go in there and life would be vastly different from that moment on.

I'll continue to use my dustpan which takes maybe ten seconds more and consumes, so near as I can tell, zero kilowatts.

Kindly,

Lee


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

Lee: is your impeller definitely ferrous ? Many aren't … to avoid just that risk….

Not to talk you out of your dustpan method, by the way ;-)


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## HamS (Nov 10, 2011)

@Sawkerf Re: #5 So does mine and it is probably true.

I used a plastic floor sweep for some time and it worked well. However, I needed to cut the intake area down to get adequate air velocity to get everything swept to it.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I've thought about adding something like this to my DC system however, I'm not sure I want all the non-wood dirt shooting through my cyclone.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Gene,
Yeah, I use a DIY Thien separator in a 30gal can before the DC. The likelihood of metal actually making it past the separator and spark is low, however I do try to stay alert to that possibility. I also keep a couple of 2lb ABC extinguishers close at hand for that very possibility.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Just a thought and, like most of mine, probably not worth considering: One could glue some rare earth magnets on the bottom side of a plastic floor sweep adapter…back from the opening so it would stay flat to the floor.

I use one of those magnets that look like a push broom to locate dropped screws and the like. But, I found out that they will NOT locate brass ones. At 71, I'm still learning. hehe


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Neil-the impeller is aluminum but the housing is steel.

The little aluminum plate fell off the ninety degree fitting where the 220 wires go into the motor on my Powermatic 66….down into the sawdust, and eventually through the system. I saved it, all bashed up, as a reminder that unexpected stuff can get in there.

I quietly shudder when I think about floor sweeps. Pyrrho was most concerned with dogs, carts and precipices, but I'd have to add floor sweeps and subtract dogs.

citation:
According to one tradition, his was a life that emphasized heroic indifference, apathy toward phenomena and external objects, to such a great extent that his health was always in danger. Diogenes Laertius in his Life of Pyrrho tells us that he would not look where he was going and that only his more commonsensical friends preserved him from death or maiming from "carts, precipices, dogs or what not."

"Pyrrho went his brave and lonely way, eschewing all rigor and certitude of thought: "None of the accounts reveal a logically agile philosopher . . ." Powerful praise indeed! Two thousand full years before our most advanced and modern thinkers, this homely Greek arrived at the position of reasoning as little as possible. Therefore, Pyrrho's total relevance to today's world is 100% clear!"

end of citation.
source: The Journal of Provincial Thought.

Kindly,

Lee


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## TechRedneck (Jul 30, 2010)

I have two located at each end of the shop. I use the plastic ones with a quick clamp on a section of hose which is connected to a blast gate. Everything past the gate is plastic S&D pipe to a separator.

I used to just sweep everything into them, however if you hand plane, those shavings tend to be too large, so I went back to a broom or just hands for the shavings then pull the gate and sweep the dust into the floor sweep. With the quick release, I can use the end of the 4" flex hose to get into any corners.

I agree with Mike, with a separator I am not really worried about some stray metal hitting the impeller. There are two ABC extinguishers handy which is a MUST for any shop.


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## Tootles (Jul 21, 2011)

A bit of mesh across the opening sounds like a good idea.

I must admit that the issue of sparks from fan blades is not one that crossed my mind. I haven't closely inspected the DC itself, but I'd figured it has a cyclonic separator so the heavy stuff shouldn't reach the fan blades. I'll need to look.

Thanks for the feedback.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

FYI, here is a thread related to fire hazards in the shop, that makes a good read if you you are interested. There is more than just 'static electricity' hazards discussed.

Dust Collector Combustion from Static... Myth or Reality?


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## piloon (Feb 26, 2012)

I use a separator drum for the chips etc B4 my collector as I did once shatter a plastic blade.
I just recently added a homemade floor sweep setup and really like it, but as previously shown I'll add a screen using hardware mesh ( or maybe chicken fencing so as not to block chips).


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