# Dust Collector



## wdcav1952 (Oct 10, 2009)

This unit is on sale at my local Harbor Freight for $179.95.  I know Eagle preferred HF dust collectors, but other than that, I know nothing about the machine.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?function=Search


Any comments, ideas, funny zingers or just smart alec thoughts out there?

TIA,


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## MesquiteMan (Oct 10, 2009)

Its fine but if you use it as it comes from the store, you might as well just inhale the sawdust directly and save yourself some ear damage listening to it run.  The filter bags that come with it are so porous that it is just a huge dust pump, sending the smallest, most dangerous stuff back into the air in your shop all while you think you are doing yourself a favor.


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## kirkfranks (Oct 10, 2009)

Don't know anything about the collector, but both of the Woodworking magazines I subscribe to have HF ads now.  Also has a 20% off one item coupon.  Cannot be reproduced or scanned but if you are going to buy and need a cupon PM me and I could mail one your way.


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## wdcav1952 (Oct 10, 2009)

Don't sugar coat it, Curtis. :biggrin:

So, I take it that it has an abusively loud motor.

I have a Grizzly air cleaner in the shop, the G0572 Hanging Air Filter w/ Remote,  Is the HF dc louder than this unit?

As to the bag, are you saying their bags are low quality, or that 5 microns in general is not enough filtration?

I need another dc, and of course want the best value for the money.

Thanks for your input.


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## NewLondon88 (Oct 10, 2009)

wdcav1952 said:


> As to the bag, are you saying their bags are low quality, or that 5 microns in general is not enough filtration?



well .. if you figure that the sanding dust from the 12000 MicroMesh is
probably 2 microns or less ..


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## Chief Hill (Oct 10, 2009)

This micron stuff is why I just vented mine outside my shop through a dryer vent I installed. I have tge DC mounted on my wall and vented out beneath it.  No bags, no cleanup, no suction loss from clogged filters,  And best of all no more fine dust, chemicals, or containers to empty. All on a cheap 1 horse HF DC..


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## wdcav1952 (Oct 10, 2009)

Good point, Charlie.  I'm not sure that the 12,000 MM adds much to the total dust in a shop, but do want to improve dust collection.

How about some recommendations as to where to get replacement bags?


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## NewLondon88 (Oct 10, 2009)

I only mention that because the large dust tends to settle on the floor, 
where it can get swept up. The finer dust tends to stay airborne, where
it is dangerous. there's more of the larger dust, but that's not what you
need to be careful of.


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## wdcav1952 (Oct 10, 2009)

NewLondon88 said:


> I only mention that because the large dust tends to settle on the floor,
> where it can get swept up. The finer dust tends to stay airborne, where
> it is dangerous. there's more of the larger dust, but that's not what you
> need to be careful of.



As I tell my Hispanic inmates "Si Comprende, Y'all!"

Excellent point Charlie, even if I didn't understand it at first.


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## nava1uni (Oct 11, 2009)

Cyclones reduce the fine dust that goes to the dust collector and it is collected in the cyclone's container.  I use one and have very little dust in my shop. Easy to set up.


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## IPD_Mrs (Oct 11, 2009)

William,
If you can swing it try and stay away from the felt bag style of collectors.  They do not do that great of a job when it comes to the fine dust and every time you turn the silly things on you will get a cloud of dust popping up around the machine.  Canisters are the way to go but they aren't cheap.  You did not mention what you are hooking it up to so I can only assume that it will be to the lathe and a saw of some sort.  We have many machines hooked up and run a central line with blast gates to the various machines.  Try and stay away from the flex hoses as they cut down on the air flow.  (wish we had done that)  Someone mentioned having an outside enclosure for the dust collector.  If you can possibly do that it is by far the best suggestion on here.  (another thing I wish we could do)  The things are noisy around 80db at three feet for a good one.

The last point I have to make deals with the ease of emptying the collection bag.  If you do as I do then you are an idiot.  These things have to be emptied to work.  Also if the bag fills up you are talking about a trash can size bag that is full of compressed saw dust.  It ain't light.  I figure when full mine weighs in at 80lbs.

Do yourself a favor and do some homework on dust collecting.  Linda bought the Jet we have as a gift and got one heck of a deal.  But like any piece of equipment it needs to be maintained to do it's job correctly. 

Mike

PS Make sure you ground the hoses unless you are a masochist.


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## wdcav1952 (Oct 11, 2009)

Thanks all for some good input.  I like the idea of the cyclone separator.  Maybe tomorrow I will spend some time cleaning my mess of a shop and mentally planning where things will go.

Mike, Eagle constantly puss\hed me to make an outside enclosure for a dc.  He said to make it as near to airtight as possible, and have a return duct to bring cool or hot (depending on season) back into the shop through another filter.


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## jttheclockman (Oct 11, 2009)

wdcav1952 said:


> Thanks all for some good input. I like the idea of the cyclone separator. Maybe tomorrow I will spend some time cleaning my mess of a shop and mentally planning where things will go.
> 
> Mike, Eagle constantly puss\hed me to make an outside enclosure for a dc. He said to make it as near to airtight as possible, and have a return duct to bring cool or hot (depending on season) back into the shop through another filter.


 
Cav you are talking 2 different things here. A dust collector does not need a special air tight room. I have mine in a seperate room and just use a standard filter to seperate the room. The DC only collects large particles and the dust it collects is not as fine as a dust cleaner. I have a unit from Penn State Industries hanging in the center of the shop and it runs from the time I step in the shop until about an hour after I leave the shop. It is great for picking those real fine particles of dust out of the air. I get away with just one unit because my shop is not that big. I put my dust collector in a seperate room because of the noise level. The air cleaner is quiet enough to keep running. I still use a dust mask when in the shop and making dust. If I am just designing or glueing things it is not neded. 

By the way that link you provided says the item can not be shown.


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## wdcav1952 (Oct 11, 2009)

Good points, John.  Eagle was talking more about not losing heat in the winter and a/c in the  summer for his idea.

Sorry about the link every one.  Maybe this one will work.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97869


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## JimB (Oct 11, 2009)

Cav - I believe others have commented on that DC in past threads. If I remember right, they were very happy with it BUT they bought a replacement bag from somewhere to get a 1 micron bag on it.


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## philb (Oct 11, 2009)

The DC like you have posted are really chip collects, move a fair amount of air to carry large particles. Like when you are turn the blank down to size. For anything over small chipping size there not really effective at all, as the dust can be forced through the porous bag as Curtis said. They are very effective at collect shavings and chippings though, from turning, planing even bandsaws to a degree!

Sanding dust is best collected with a canister type extractor, similar looking to an oil drum. These will filter down to particle sizes of 0.5 micron, so even safe for MDF dust. These tend to be fairly noisy though, I have a twin 1000w motor, and wear earplugs or my ipod when turning! Although in a deadened enclosure like a plywood box or similar then the noise can be easily canceled out!

http://recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=product&seq=385&cat=55&sef=DUST EXTRACTOR this is what i have but I don't think they sell outside the UK. But give you any idea!!

PHIL


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## seawolf (Oct 11, 2009)

In some of the shops I have worked in the bottom bag was replaced with a 30 gallon plastic barrel. This allows the chips to be removed to the dumping area with a dolly. 
A small plastic tool shed from the box stores can be attached to the outside wall of the shop to contain the DC. It is not unsightly so the neighbors should not complain. Cut in a hole for your piping and electrical fittings. The noise is outside the shop the dust is outside. If a return air vent is desired cover it with a good filter


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## NewLondon88 (Oct 11, 2009)

Someone else mentioned not using ribbed hoses if possible, and that's good advice.
My dad carried lines of industrial fans and had specs out the wazoo .. when I was
considering how to set up a CD system, he told me to avoid ribbed hoses or sharp
angles, as these cut airflow dramatically. A rounded 90 degree works much better
than a "T" or an "L" elbow.. and straight PVC pipe works better than dryer vent
hose. Distance decreases airflow, too.
A couple of elbows and a couple dozen feet of vent hose might decrease your
airflow by 90%. The air that has already been drawn into the system can hit a
90 degree elbow and get 'stuck' there in a corner, creating a vortex that can actually
fight the flow of the new air being drawn in.. or at least that's how I pictured it.
Turbulence? Maybe that's what I'm thinking of ..


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## Wildman (Oct 12, 2009)

Knew when bought my HFDC would be using a Wynn cartridge filter set up to replace 30-micron bags. Back then Wynn Filter cost about the same as quality 1-micron bags, don’t know if that is still true. Yes, this is a loud DC in a small shop. 

Only use DC at bandsaw and when sanding at the lathe. Had a combination of pcv pipe and flex hose, but am back to just flex hose now.


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## fernhills (Oct 12, 2009)

I have that same DC, it works good enough in a small shop. You want to read here  http://www.wynnenv.com           carl


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## Crayman (Oct 13, 2009)

I had that DC unit with the bags, last year I got the Wynn cartridge system for it and wow what a difference. Somebody mentioned the dust clouds on every start up, no longer. It is noisy but what in my shop is not noisy. If I had the room for a seperate area I would, but I deal with what I have.


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## philb (Oct 15, 2009)

That link posted 2 post ago, is well worth a look,

Also have a browse through the research behind the filters and test of dust-cyclones etc!!

http://billpentz.com/Woodworking/Cyclone/Index.cfm

PHIL


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## wdcav1952 (Oct 15, 2009)

No question that Bill Pentz is the authority on dust collection.  There are other dc's I would prefer, but cost and space are issues.

The HF unit has been upgraded to a 5 micron bag, which certainly is an improvement over the 30 micron bag.  The cartridge conversion is a good idea which has already been mentioned to me in a PM.

Long story short, for $179 I couldn't pass it up.  I have been busy at work and am gettiing over bronchitis, so haven't assembled it yet.

The hope is what dust it doesn't get, my 1 micron Grizzly air cleaner will.


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## philb (Oct 16, 2009)

Sounds like a plan! I really want a system like Bill describes,  but to make a cyclone, then purchase an estimate 5hp motor and 14" impeller! Then the 6-7" ducting im going to be even more broke than normal!

Think its going to be the 0.5micron shop vacs for me! As no one seems to make anything bigger than what your have bought, unless you go industrial! then its mega $$$!

PHIL


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