[Knothead72]

Hey all...I’m a total newbie to this forum. I have been woodworking for decades, but until recently I’ve not had the woodworking tools I’ve always wanted including a dust collection system.
I am ready to install as soon as we get out of this 100 degree weather...SO, to my question.
I’ve noticed most dust collection system run high in the air/on the ceiling.
Wouldn’t the collector be more efficient if all the sawdust allowed gravity to help? (i.e., install my main run along the floor)
It would be more out of sight and dust being sucked from each tool would not fight gravity to get to the collector.
Ideas? Comments?

 

[TomCT2]

you can run it pretty much up/down/sideways/anyways you want. overhead is a popular option as it is 'out of the way' - you'll find several pix of members who have the pipes run along the walls 'behind' equipment. future flexibility is key in doing the layout. i.e. if you move/add something, can you pipe to it without having to tear the whole system apart....



the suction fan must provide enough flow through the pipe(s) such that anything being 'collected' remains entrained in the air stream.

 

[difalkner]

Welcome to the forum! When you get a minute complete your profile with first name and location. You can add your name to your signature line and it will show in each post.

Would running the lines along the floor present an obstacle for walking, material flow, sweeping, etc.? A lot of folks run them overhead to get them out of the way and then gravity helps when it goes down to the DC inlet. How high is your ceiling in your shop? Do you have a way to run the lines along the floor and keep them out of the way?

Having asked those questions I can tell you my CNC run is fixed and overhead but the 20' hose for all the other equipment is on the floor and I connect to those machines one at a time.

David

 

[Knothead72]

I’ve decided to place my mainline pvc run at a height of 30” from the garage floor.
Reason? In averaging all my equipment the mainline will be near all their working heights.
Then my flexible 4” ducting will have the shortest run shorter each ducting is, the collection will be most efficient.
I will post pics when completed. (When the weather cools down. Washington State is almost in a drought and we have a 2,000+ acre forest fire just 45 min. from our house. It is not allowing wife & I to go to 2 of our favorite fishing lakes. ;( Please pray for rain tonight!)
Thanks for prompt response y’all.
Take care, God Bless
Rick

 

[Steve Neul]

I don't think it matters one way or the other whether the piping is at the ceiling or floor. Like others have said running against the ceiling is more out of the way for most.

 

[woodnthings]

I prefer a mobile DC unit, over a fixed pipe system

I have two 1100 CFM Jet DCs in a 900 sq ft shop. One services the planers and drum sanders, the other the tablesaws and a jointer. I connect the tool in use at the time, with a quick disconnect type fitting I cobbled up using a 4" PVC coupler and a flared DC fitting. It takes only seconds to swap out the very short flex hose to the DC unit.

If I were to have a fixed pipe system I would center the DC unit on the wall, and have a blast gate on each side, keeping the flex hose to a minimum. There is a difference between chips and dust and an inefficient system will work better on chips unless the inlet is right at the source of dust. Gravity is the most "effective" in large cabinets like the tablesaw since most dust just falls down to the dust port rather than getting into the airstream. It take huge volumes of fast moving air to get all the dust in a table saw cabinet, not capable for a home shop DC unit. A blade shroud is now more common on the newer table saws, a very good thing! :smile2:

Of course, the drum sander is the monster of dust generators in the home shop and a direct flex hose right to the DC is what I use on both the 24" and the 12" baby Grizzly. The thickness plane stands right next to the sanders, so it's easy to swap over when using that machine.

Most folks don't recognize that a DC is a blower, not a sucker. It only sucks because it's trying to blow out in the first place. You then need to make certain your filter is not clogged because it's trying to blow out through the filter. A cannister filter has much more surface area, so it's more efficient in that regard than a bag filter. Anything that gets past the filter is blown into the room, so a clean filter works best to a certain extent. A partially coated bag filter, filters better, but is not as efficient, so it's a trade off.

Dust collection is a science and since it's like electricity, you can't really see it work that well, you just have to experiment a bit to get what works best. Of course you can get a vacuum or air flow measuring device called an anemometer.
https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-DCFM8906-Digital-Display/dp/B00275F5EM