More Dust Collection

[Alan in Little Washington]

I finally got around to finishing up some long overdue shop projects.

Shop Central VAC

I have a great DC, but due to physics, DC's don't do well connected to routers and other power tools that have small dust ports- a shopvac, with its high static pressure, does a much better job.

I picked up a ClearVue mini cyclone when they went on sale last Spring so decided it was time to hook up a shop central vac system. Here is the cyclone:



The shopvac is located in the adjacent cabinet. The cabinet needs some sound deadening material.



I used 2" gray PVC electrical conduit which has larger radius bends, for the vac ducting. It runs up to and along the HVAC ducting. There is a utility drop above the cyclone, a drop adjacent to the mortiser:



and a drop connected to the mitersaw:



A branch line runs across the ceiling to overhead the assembly table where it transitions to a length of flex hose that can be connected to sanders, routers, et.

Over Tablesaw Dust Pickup

When I installed my auto-gates and I reworked some dust collection piping, I ran a 4" branch duct in the ceiling overhead the table saw. Here is a pic from last Spring. After the pic was taken, I closed in the ceiling.



I constructed an over-blade dust pickup (NOT A BLADE GUARD) out of some 3" S&D PVC pipe. The PVC is attached to the ceiling at an adjustable bracket in case I need to move the saw slightly. Two adjustable diagonal braces were made from EMT conduit and the remains of a broom handle (red).



The pickup pipe is hinged at the point where the braces connect. The dust shroud is made from a Lexan upper unit that sits 4" above the table and a soft shroud made from broom bristles. In use I just feed the stock into the blade. The bristles can be pushed out of the way but they contain almost 100% of the dust that is thrown off the top of the blade. It works well, but I need to find thinner, more flexible bristles. The front edge of the blade is visible from the top, through the Lexan, to align the cut.



If I need to cut something thicker than 4" or change the blade, I fold the lower section up, out of the way.



Three pairs of rare earth magnets along with gravity, keep the halves of the hinge unit together when it is unfolded. Another magnet and a magnetic reed switch (wires visible) were mounted in the halves of the hinge unit. The wire runs inside the duct. When folded up, the reed switch deactivates the blast gate that is connected to this branch of the DC piping. The blast gate on the duct that is connected to the saw's cabinet is unaffected.

[dick541]

I have been thinking want to do with the saw dust on my table saw for 6 months since I bought the clear dust pipe for it. That dust catcher you came up with is just what I need to do for my saw. I will make a gate into the top half of the hinge. I thank you for the idea, and now trying to find where I can get the long brush hair.
dick
PS just thought of the clear plastic tube form fiber optic lights.

[Alan in Little Washington]

Originally Posted by dick541

I have been thinking want to do with the saw dust on my table saw for 6 months since I bought the clear dust pipe for it. That dust catcher you came up with is just what I need to do for my saw. I will make a gate into the top half of the hinge. I thank you for the idea, and now trying to find where I can get the long brush hair.
dick
PS just thought of the clear plastic tube form fiber optic lights.

Try "brush strip" at McMaster-Carr. I just ordered some .014" nylon bristle brush strips. I hope it will be allot more flexible than the .030" broom bristles I used on the prototype.

A note about the down-pipe- I am using 3" S&D and get good flow. 4" would likely be better- even more CFM. If you use a small pipe or use a shopvac that has high static pressure and lower CFM, it may not work as well.

[Woodchuck]

Alan, I'm very impressed. I just wish my shop was have as neat. Great job with the vac system.

Chuck