Dust Collection

Many of us have struggled with the issue of dust collection, especially from our machinery. Last winter, I installed a whole-shop DC system and learned a lot. It appears that the main issues are:

• Whether your shop is in any part of your house
  
• Size of your shop and distance from DC
  
• Power availability (110v ... 220V ... amperage of circuit)
  
• Space for installation
  
• Whole-shop stationary system vs. portable DC
  
• Budget

And not necessarily in that order!

What these factors yield are the following options:

• 1HP, 110V portable unit (on wheels) ... 1-stage
  
• 1.5HP, 110V semi-portable unit ... some 1-stage and some cyclone
  
• 2hp, 110V (high amperage) ... some 1-stage and some cyclone
  
• 2hp, 220V ... some 1-stage and some cyclone
  
• 3-5HP, 220V cyclones

If you really look at the factors, your situation will clearly yield your choice of DC. If you can, it is most ideal to make a choice that will allow (now or later) for you to power the ductwork for a whole-shop DC system. If you want to run ductwork to all of your tools, plan on spending 2-3 times the cost of your DC ($500 to $800) for the ductwork and connection parts (if done in metal). Some parts, like straight pipe, are very cheap and some parts, like laterals and flexible hose, can be on the pricey side.

Let me know if you need any help or references for parts.
http://woodtalkonlin...n=user&user=486

Chester

PS - Many of the books are good but they do not tell you what to do. They only tell you what to consider. Also, most publications are very weak on how to make the final connections to your power tools. That was one of the most challenging parts for me. 4" hose to 4" port ... that was easy. But many of your tools will have less apparent match-ups.