Electric & Cyclone Upgrades! (w/ pics)

[WoodWrangler]

:icon_cheers Finally! :icon_cheers

It was a LONG, LONG weekend of WORK ... but it's in!

Through a great connection & friend here on North Carolina Woodworker, I was able to get a new sub-panel about about 13 new drops in the shop (most 220v) so that I can stop the plug-switcher game. My electrician spent all day (I mean from 8am until 10pm), but prevailed!~:icon_thum Not only did I get better power distribution, I also made a new friend in the process. Can't lose w/ that!

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While all of that was going on, good buddy Phillip (ptt49er) gave up his morning, and part of his afternoon, helping me get the cyclone assembled and installed. Pretty straight forward process, but some HEAVY lifting. Pete (PeteM) also came by to supervise the process (and borrow a jigsaw) :icon_thum It's a Shop Fox W1809 3HP cyclone from Rick at The Woodworking Source in Mooresville.

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And of course, my shop helpers were right there ready to lend a hand (or walk away with a tool) :eusa_thin

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Now I just gotta get some duct work! :rotflm:

 

[Bas]

Congrats Jeremy! Nothing like MORE POWER!!!

So, have you fired that thing up yet?

 

[nelsone]

Way to go! Sounds like an extremely productive weekend. I'm sure that new system will help a lot.

 

[Travis Porter]

The true jet engine has landed. The noise it generates will be astonishing to say the least.

True sticker shock will arise when you start buying piping!!!

Congrats on the electrical. It is a big plus when you don't have to flip around cords anymore. I finally got my jointer on it's own plug last week. Being able to walk up to a tool and press the power switch and knowing it will come on is a sweet thing!

 

[WoodWrangler]

Yep, it's been turned on and the wireless remote has been tested out and all seems to be good. It's not seen any chips/dust yet, but that will be soon to follow I HOPE! It is louder than the old unit, but nothing I can't deal with. It's a bit of a lower humm, or at least it seems.

The duct work is going to be a challenge. Not only financially, but just getting it in and situated. The Woodworking Source is pricing me some Norfab duct work ... so we'll see how that shakes out. Worst case I'll get a few fittings and get it started, then build-on over time.

 

[Trent Mason]

Congrats on getting everything up and running. That's gotta be nice to have everything on its own outlet. :icon_thum

 

[JimmyC]

Congrats on the new system Jeremy ! I'm sure that you are going to love it.

 

[ptt49er]

I'm just glad the jelly bean up Joel's nose didn't stop us :-D Erin handled that one like a pro...LOL

I'm sure you're glad to have the extra power! I know what it's like to not have enough outlets!

 

[McRabbet]

Jeremy, you will find that the Nordfab pipe is mighty expensive -- I bought 6" S&D D2729 PVC pipe at McRey Distributors, Inc. at 1201 Boiling Springs Rd. in Spartanburg, SC (phone 864-582-8106) a few years ago for about $15 per 10' length. You can get D2729 6" x 6" x 6" or 6" x 6" x 4" wyes, 6" x 4" reducers, 6" 45's and 6" couplings at Lowe's. I will bet you can put PVC duct in for less than 1/2 the cost of the Nordfab metal pipe. McMaster-Carr is another source for fittings.

 

[WoodWrangler]

you will find that the Nordfab pipe is mighty expensive

:cry_smile I know. We'll see what the damage report looks like, then go from there. I wanted to get something that could be disassembled and rearranged easily, and people seem to swear by this stuff ...

Thanks for that other information. I am going to check it out too. Just not sure which way to turn! :wconfused:

 

[Gotcha6]

Congrats on the upgrades.:icon_thum:icon_thum
The S & D pipe goes together & comes apart easily. Just don't glue the joints. You could run some small pan head screws into the joints if you needed to stabilize them, especially on drops, but the horizontals hold together by themselves very well if properly supported.

 

[ashley_phil]

there's several companies selling knock off nordfab piping. kb duct is one.

 

[Tarhead]

Looking good Jeremy! I'm sure the smaller neighborhood animals will steer clear now for sure when it's on.

I'm just glad the jelly bean up Joel's nose didn't stop us :-D

Aren't kids great! Glad there was a good retrieval. Of course you did have some pretty good suction there if it really got stuck:rotflm:

 

[Bas]

You can get D2729 6" x 6" x 6" or 6" x 6" x 4" wyes, 6" x 4" reducers, 6" 45's and 6" couplings at Lowe's.

My wife swears that every time she passes a Lowe's while driving my car, the car wants to turn into the parking lot. That's how often I go there. But I've never seen 6" S&D fittings at Lowe's, only the regular Schedule 40 (which are ~$26). Is there a SuperLowe's somewhere?

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Like Rob says, Norfab is EXPENSIVE- the BMW of metal pipe and fittings and produced mainly for industry. They are likely more expensive than the stuff you could get at Oneida which isn't cheap either. I think money saved on ductwork is better spent elsewhere. Like Rob, I am partial to PVC S&D. If anyone is interested and has a few thou $ extra, I believe Norfab picked up distibution of Ecogate electro-mechanical automatic blast gates and sells them along with their own line of electro-pneumatic gates- they are only about $300 per gate, not including the control box!!!!

My wife swears that every time she passes a Lowe's while driving my car, the car wants to turn into the parking lot. That's how often I go there. But I've never seen 6" S&D fittings at Lowe's, only the regular Schedule 40 (which are ~$26). Is there a SuperLowe's somewhere?

Bas, you gotta look by the irrigation and drainage pipe, maybe even outside- the S&D fittings are usually not anywhere near Sched 40 fittings. Even my little Lowes in out-of-the-way little Washington carries S&D fittings in both 4" and 6" (they only carry 4" S&D pipe however- go figure)

 

[WoodWrangler]

If I were to run two straight runs off the cyclone to different areas of the shop, and let's say 5 drops (some to be shared) ... anyone want to ballpark what you think the price would be for the plastic stuff? Just ballpark me...

 

[McRabbet]

Assuming 40' of straight pipe, 8 wyes (some on shared drops), 6-8 couplings (for shop made blast gates) and 6 45's, I suspect you'd spend about $250 in 6" PVC.

 

[Bas]

Assuming 40' of straight pipe, 8 wyes (some on shared drops), 6-8 couplings (for shop made blast gates) and 6 45's, I suspect you'd spend about $250 in 6" PVC.

And then budget another $250 for 6" hose, 6"-to-4" reducers, clamps, pipe hangers, and misc. supplies.

 

[ptt49er]

Just let me know when you want to make a run to get the pipe! I've got Dad's trailer (atleast for the next little bit) and I'm sure if I had a need for it he wouldn't mind me keeping it for a little longer.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Speaking of DC setups and dust runs- DON'T, I repeat DON'T follow the examples in the article in the new Tools & Shops issue of Fine Woodworking. I sent them a big blast about it. A lot of the guidance is fine, but the pictures of the author's shop show he either didn't understand it or didn't follow it! (In the first para the author attributes his knowledge expertise to reading to Bill Pentz's site). I know Bill and he is probably a bit upset with the article.