Pics of completed project submitted via E-Mail by Robert W.

[phil (admin)]

Hey Phil I just got mine working as I just got my DC.  I ran an add in Woodnet that I was looking for one and a nice guy in Florida hooked me up with a Penn State 1-1/2 HP portable unit and it works great.  I sanded and planed for about 4 hrs. yesterday and filled the 20 lb can with chips and dust and the bag didn't even have a handful of stuff in it!  I'm going to get a high quality felt 1 micron bag and see what happens next.  As you can see in the photos I mounted mine right on top of the separator lid.  I wanted the shortest and most direct connection for the inlet into the DC.  Also, as you can also see I put a lot of duct tape on the connections as I was paranoid about any air leaks because the 90 degree elbows were the metal ones that you could actually twist for the best angle.  You have my permission to post these on your site and on Woodnet if you want as it was your design in the first place and I thank you for it.

Aloha,
Rob

This was received via E-Mail from Robert in Hawaii.  Hopefully Robert will share his future observations as he uses it some more.

[RCP612]

I'm really interested in this design and see that it should be a great improvement over my shop vac system, although it does do a fantastic job as is.
My question is about the dust collecter used in the pics.  Would the HF portable unit work?  It's on sale very often for around $79.00 before adding coupons and compared with the Penn State unit, or others that appear comparable, the price difference is phenominal.  There can't be that much difference,,,,,is there?
BTW, the only thing smaller than my budget is my shop.  10' X 19' w/ 2 doors and 3 windows limits the space to use, and my space is pretty much filled with tools and they are all mobile,,,, just nowhere to move them.

[phil (admin)]

Sure, you can use the HF.  It is a neat little DC w/ twice the CFM of even the largest shop vacs, and more static lift than most DCs.  That is because:  (1) It uses an airfoil impeller (just like the big cyclones).  (2) It spins it in excess of 6,000-RPMs.

I've included pictures of my current project, which is using a wall-mounted HF mini-DC.  I may actually make a new top w/ the DC attached off-center instead of wall mounting it (due to vibration--even with the isolation mounts is vibrates the wall).  While off-center mounting wouldn't be ideal, it would make the unit more portable and bother other inhabitants of the house less.

[RCP612]

Another question.
What would be wrong with venting this DC through the wall with no bag?  Do these units require a certain amount of back pressure to work correctly?
I'm thinking that this would increase the CFM and, any fine dust would just be blown away outdoors.
Is my thinking correct?
Thanks Phil,  keep up the good work!

[phil (admin)]

Another question.
What would be wrong with venting this DC through the wall with no bag?  Do these units require a certain amount of back pressure to work correctly?
I'm thinking that this would increase the CFM and, any fine dust would just be blown away outdoors.
Is my thinking correct?
Thanks Phil,  keep up the good work!

There is no problem w/ direct venting (no filter) outdoors.  Several people have done so and have reported terrific results.  The reduction in resistance from the filter improves airflow.  As long as the motor on your DC doesn't exceed the current rating (easy to check), you're fine.

[rjwz28]

Hi.  I'm Robert W. that made this setup.  I am now doing what you actually are asking Phil.  I was going to buy a 1 micron bag to replace my cheaper one but I'm trying now to just run a long hose out in the driveway area as I do my woodworking in my garage.  like Phil says, It has a more suction and it seems to be working fine.  I don't see any dust or any chips exiting my outlet hose.  Phil's design works great and I am forever thankful for him to share it with guys like us.

rob

[rsquest]

Is this strong enough to use with my Unisaw? 

Ray

[phil (admin)]

Is this strong enough to use with my Unisaw? 

Ray

Well, yes and no.  The Unisaw requires lots of CFM in the cabinet to keep it clean.  And you're also going to want blade-guard based DC to keep your lungs clean.

I think a better solution for a large cabinet saw would be a larger single-stage unit (like a Jet DC-1200), with a cart. filter, and a baffle in the ring.  If you have any large chip-producers (jointer or planer) you can always add a garbage-can cyclone in front of them so you don't have to empty the bag on your DC too often.

[rsquest]

Great, thanks!  I am going to use the shop vac / separator for now, and for Christmas I am going to ask for something like the DC you mention!  I will build a separator for that, also, as you recommend.  In the mean time, I am going to keep the doors open for a cross breeze and will continue to use my respirator.

Thanks.
Ray

[phil (admin)]

If you're going to use a shop vac instead of a DC I'd suggest finding some way to use it on a blade guard rather than the cabinet.  I highly doubt the lower CFM from a shop vac is going to help you on a Unisaw cabinet at all.

[rsquest]

Yeah, I understand.  I meant "use the shop vac on some of my tools, and count on the cross-breeze, a fan and my respirator for the Unisaw until I get a DC."

When I get the DC and want to add a separator to it, do I need to worry about the strength of the separator can?  Do I need a steel drum (or something esle that is strong) for that, or will a 30 gallon trash can work in that case?

Thanks.
Ray

[phil (admin)]

When I get the DC and want to add a separator to it, do I need to worry about the strength of the separator can?  Do I need a steel drum (or something esle that is strong) for that, or will a 30 gallon trash can work in that case?

Thanks.
Ray

Due to the much lower static pressure of most DC's, a steel trash can will work fine.

[rsquest]

That's what I thought ... just wanted to run it by the expert!

[TheLandYacht]

You say that the DC pictured is "heavy", yet it appears to be mounted to the lid where it'd have to be lifted off the can to empty the can.  Am I seeing this correctly?  How "heavy" is heavy?  Ballpark the whole top assembly, with the DC & baffles & lid together?

[rjwz28]

If I had to guess, the whole top portion that I remove to empty the can is roughly about 25 to 30 lbs.  It is kind of a pain to remove, but it sure beats emptying a bag every couple of hours.  Part of the reason it is a little hard to remove is you got to lift it high enough for the baffle to clear the top edge of the can.  If it wasn't for that, it would be a lot easier.  Plus I'm short too.

Aloha,
Rob