Help with Griz 1029 Mod

[JeffQ]

Hi all - I am currently using an older 2hp Grizzly 1029 (similar to a Harbor Freight DC) with an aftermarket Wynn filter on it. For the time being, it is rolled around and connected to each machine as needed, but I am just about finished running the last of my 6" PVC for a central system. I've done everything I can think of to minimize the runs, and used 45's everywhere I had to make a direction change. Since the budget for the big Clearvue DC is a ways off yet, I want to mod out the Griz DC to be as efficient as possible in the meantime.

I plan to build a small bumpout closet space just outside the shop walls that the termination of the DC runs to, but since it was laid out for a tall cyclone, the DC pipe is high up on the wall and not down low where the Griz DC's inlet is. To make the transition back down to the interim Griz DC / baffle combination I have to utilize a number of 45's. If I go with the Top Hat pre-separator design, I see two ways I might be able to connect to the Top Hat. Which one would cause the least pressure and velocity drop? (see attached image).

Secondly, I can either reuse the Griz bag ring for the Wynn filter holder, or if the baffle works as well as everyone says it does, then maybe I could build my own plywood "filter holder" box and just add a small sealed clean out drawer at the bottom for the few fines that get through the baffle.

Any of you smarter and more experienced types have insight you might be willing to offer? Any advice you have would be appreciated. I'm hoping to only have to fab this up once and want to create the best efficiency without unnecessary effort until I can spring for the true cyclone.

[JeffQ]

Thanks for the reply Chuck. Your version "C", does give me a little straighter run from the in-feed main to the top hat, but does require me to come up with a long radius elbow from the blower and that means I'd have to punch a hole in the top of the Wynn filter to feed the exhaust air through the filter. That might be more metal work then I want to tackle. Maybe the long radius elbow is something I could have fab'd up locally at an HVAC shop, or see if maybe an Oneida ready-made one would fit.

You see any issues with dumping into the plywood filter holder box with a clean out drawer? I'm assuming the fines that make it that far through the system should be minimal. I actually could raise the closet ceiling up as far as needed to put the top hat directly in line with the main, but then it puts the collection barrel up so high I don't think I would want to lift it down when it got full.

By the way, how did you manage to chop up and reassemble my .pdf? I was having a heck of a time shrinking the original file down to under the 156K file posting limit.

[pitbull]

Same unit. The motor housing is 90 degrees to the wall. It requires less floor space like this. It was mounted higher to keep the bag up off the floor and allow sheet goods to slide behind if needed for storage during jobs.

[JeffQ]

Thanks for your ideas Chuck and Jason, it is good to know I am on the right track.

Jason - from some of your other posts, it sounds like you are running 6" pipe throughout, too. While I elected to run 6" PVC, over metal - I think we are just about equivalent piping-wise. My longest run might be 30-35 feet with all long 45 transitions. For whatever reason, my Grizzly 1029 claims to be a 2hp - based on your experience, do you think I will encounter any problems with having enough "suckage" when combined with the top hat style separator and Wynn filter?

I'm trying to ease the transition from the high in-feed pipe to the lower horizontal top hat connection in only about 4' of space. I think if I can resolve that fairly cleanly, I should be all set. With any luck, I'll be able to make some progress on things this weekend.

[pitbull]

Jeff-

My longest run is pushing slightly less than 30' and it is connected to the table saw with 6" all the way except a 3' long 4" flexhose. The amount of suction I am getting is scavenging all but the slightest of dust inside my leaky cabinet saws chamber...so I would say it is doing just fine. I have no problems with any of my other equipment which are located closer up the line, all running minimal lines of 4" flexhose.   

As long as you are not trying to suck from 2 machines at a time you should not have any issues. 6" main pipe is the key on mid range HP like our consumer units. People running 4" mains on anything bigger than 1HP are creating a serious bottle neck.

Build your project, takes pics and videos and post it.