Dust Collection that

Evolves with Your Shop

As your workshop grows, so do your dust-collection needs.
Make today’s system handle tomorrow’s tools.

Y
ou know you need to upgrade Of course, a basic dust collector or that can lead to respiratory problems.
your workshop dust-collection cyclone plus ductwork can be installed (For the definition of “micron” and
system when: for less than $1,000 while high-capacity other dust-collection lingo, see the top
1.  Your workspace looks like a shop- systems cost several thousand—not of the next page.)
vacuum showroom, with a different exactly chump change. So, if you’re The option to add step-up tools,
one attached to each machine. about to make that kind of investment, such as a 15" planer or 8" jointer, that
2.  You postpone buying a jointer or install a system that will serve you for need the power of a dust collector.
planer because it would overwhelm years to come, even as your dust-collec- Less setup time and clutter. A
your old vacuum or bury your shop tion needs change (and they surely will). ducted system eliminates tripping over
in chips and dust. You’ll find the extra money will be well extension cords and corrugated hoses,
3.  If the dust in your lungs doesn’t spent if you value: and repositioning a portable collector.
choke you, the people sharing your Healthier lungs. Few shop-vacuum Convinced? Then start designing a
dust-filled house will. filters and single-bag collectors trap 0.3- system for both the shop you have today
4.  All of the above. to 5-micron dust particles—the stuff and the one you’ll have tomorrow.

58 WOOD magazine July 2010

 Learn the language of dust collection
Before shopping for a dust-collection Cubic feet per minute (cfm). Be Drop. A duct descending from an
system, familiarize yourself with a few careful how a manufacturer measures overhead main duct or branch to
of the common terms you’ll encounter air-volume movement. Measurements connect to a tool; drops typically include
during your search. taken on a “free air” basis—without any a 45° wye for the main duct, a 45° elbow,
Static pressure resistance. Before a attachments that add static pressure or vertical pipe, blast gate, and corrugated
system can carry away debris, air hinder airflow—help you compare one hose to attach to the tool. Some use a
already filling the duct needs to be collector with another. But they’re not a wye splitter to serve two tools.
moved out of the way. That produces real-world measure of how a unit will FPM/air velocity. This is the speed of
static pressure resistance measured in actually perform when hooked up to a air, in feet per minute, moving through
inches. Unnecessarily narrow ducts, system that creates static pressure the ducts while the system is on. Aim for
sharp duct bends, and corrugated hose resistance. Measurements figuring in air velocities of 4,000 fpm in the drops,
increase static pressure resistance by static pressure resistance better mimic and 3,500 fpm in the main ducts.
restricting airflow or adding friction collector performance when hooked up Micron. In this unit of measure for dust
between ductwork and the air. to ductwork and tools. particles, 397 microns equals 1⁄64".

Plan a system for your changing workshop

First, estimate the dust-collection needs need a collector large enough to serve you’ll add. To lay out your shop, use
of your future, expanded shop. Make a machines working simultaneously. graph paper and paper cutouts to repre-
list of your existing machinery, and Next decide how much your shop sent the size and shape of stationary
what you plan to buy within five years. space might grow. Added space requires tools; a computer modeling program
In a typical home shop, you’ll likely be a more powerful collector to pull debris such as Google SketchUp; or an online
working alone on one machine at a time through longer ducts. tool such as Grizzly Industrial’s planner
with the others closed off by blast gates. Then map your shop layout with the at grizzly.com, as shown below.
If you plan to share your shop, you’ll existing equipment as well as machinery Dust-collector suppliers will often
help you position the collector in the
Place big dust-makers near the collector shop and lay out the ductwork effi-
ciently. The service is free for purchasers
Drum sander
of larger cyclones.
We worked with Penn State Industries
Tablesaw Router
table (800-377-7297) to lay out a 16×24' sample
Mitersaw shop, at left, that starts with a 10" table-
saw, a bandsaw, a 12" planer, a drill press,
and a router table. Future tools include a
6" jointer, 10" mitersaw, 16" drum sander,
➋ Workbench and a belt/disc sander. Oneida Air Systems
also offers a ductwork design service
(800-732-4065, or oneida-air.com).
Sander
➌

Jointer Map your shop by computer

Bandsaw
Planer Drill
press
Cyclone
➊ ➍ Shop
dimensions

This system designed by Penn State Industries uses a 2.5-hp cyclone and 6" ducts leading Tool
to 4" drops that connect to the tools using short, flexible hoses. (Existing tools are shown in categories
green, future tools in blue.) Economy ductwork and connectors, instead of spiral ductwork
and premium connectors,
Spindle cut the estimated price from $2,403 to $2,044. Features include:
Mitersaw Router
➊ The planer and (future)
sander jointer both generate large amounts of dust and chips,
Table so both
are positioned as close as possible to the collector,Drum
where static pressure resistance is least. Tool
sander
➋ The drop to the tablesaw splits into two hoses—one for the saw’s dust port, and another icons
for an aftermarket dust-collecting blade guard.
➌ Diagonal runs cover a large portion of the shop for adding still more tools while
Planer
minimizing the number of 90° connections. This online shop planner at grizzly.com lets
➍ Even the drill press connects to the system by way of a rigid adjustable hose that can be you virtually arrange shop tools so you’ll
repositioned at the drill-press table as needed. know where to run dust-collection ducts.

woodmagazine.com 59
Tablesaw
Ductwork dos and don’ts
To avoid common duct-design flaws: airflow resistance than the metal dust- 90° bends, use two 45° bends. Better still,
DO use the largest ductwork that collection pipe’s gradual bend. raise the collector until the main duct
fits your collector. Just because a tool DON’T overuse flex hose. Corrugated leads straight into the inlet.
comes with a 4" dust port doesn’t mean tubing creates three times more static- DON’T create long duct runs. A sin-
you should use 4" main ducts or drops. pressure resistance than the same length gle duct of 30' or more that wraps around
Instead, look at the intake port sizes for of smooth pipe. Use just enough to link more than two walls of a shop reduces
the collectors you’re considering. Most a tool to its drop pipe. air velocity and increases the risk of dust
cyclones have intake ports of 6" to 8", DO eliminate bottlenecks near the buildup. Instead, hang one shorter main
and some two-bag collectors have 5"- or collector. (See “Give dust a straight shot duct, with diagonal branches leading to
6"-diameter intakes, so consider at least a to the collector” below.) Instead of two the tool drops.
5" main duct. Tapered reducers, like the Two 45o bends
one below, change duct diameters with Danger: Curves ahead
minimal static-pressure loss.
DO smooth out sharp curves. Think POOR BETTER BEST
of air molecules as fast-moving cars on a
freeway. Both change direction faster on Airflow
a sweeping curve than a 90° turn. The Airflow
PVC tee shown at near right adds more

top rail assembly

Two 45o bends Two 90o bends
This PVC tee’s sharp bend A more gentle arc creates A shallow bend reduces
raises static-pressure loss less resistance, but you static pressure resistance
by slowing airflow. can do better. and improves airflow.

Reducer
Give dust a straight shot to the collector
Connecting POOR BETTER BEST
clamp

Two 90o bends Two 45o bends Straight pipe

Blast gate

This reducer connects to corrugated hose

or narrower duct. Connecting clamps let you The 90° elbows in the dust-collector setup (left) add turbulence and resistance. Two 45° bends
reconfigure this type of metal duct. (center) reduce resistance, but a straight run into the inlet port (right) works best.

Buy enough suction power

Straight pipe Two 90o bends
grade collectors on a curve
To choose a dust collector that will air” or “maximum” cfm, and check 12
Static Pressure (inches)

handle your shop’s future requirements, manufacturers’ literature and Web sites 575 cfm
10 @ 9" S.P.
you first need to know which tool in for performance curves like the example
your shop (or on your shopping list) at right. (For head-to-head comparisons 8
needs the greatest airflow to pull away of several manufacturers’ products, go 6
dust and chips. Because every foot of to woodmagazine.com/cyclones.) 4
pipe and each fitting adds resistance to Manufacturers’ curves may show how
2
that airflow, you also need to know the the system performs under ideal, care-
amount of static-pressure loss between fully controlled conditions with a new, 0 Filename:
FILENAME: Straight pipe 200
182DustCol1_#100646307.eps 400 600 800 1,000
the collector and that tool. With your clean filter. Time and real-world use may R LeMoine
Date: 2-09 Standard Cubic Feet per Minute
workshop layout and dust-collection lower a unit’s actual
Lor naperformance,
J. so opt 10-12-07
system map in hand, use the charts on for the next collector size up from what Trace a horizontal line from your system’s
the next page to guide you from your you’ve calculated you’ll need. That way, static-pressure total (9" in this example) and
a vertical line up from your most-demanding
floor plan to the collector you need. no matter how far woodworking takes tool’s CFM requirement (575 cfm). If they
Once you have both numbers, you’re you, it won’t leave a trail of sawdust meet on or under the curve, that collector
ready to shop. Skip references to “free along the path. has the power you need.

60 WOOD magazine July 2010

Filename: 182 dust collection 1

FILENAME: 182DustCol1_#100646307.eps R LeMoine
Estimate your dust-collection needs
Begin here Estimate your ductwork
Now that you know your maximum cfm needs, use
Estimate airflow needs that number to total the feet of ductwork required to
Find the tool you own (or will add) with the highest connect the collector to the most-demanding tool (or
cfm requirement. Write the cfm on line ➊ below. Your tools). Circle the maximum cfm number from Step 1 in
system needs to meet this peak cfm. If you’ll use more each of the cfm columns below, rounding up, if
than one tool at once, add the two numbers. necessary. The duct size shown on the same line as the
cfm you circled under “main” is the size you need for
Tool Duct cfm your main duct. The circled cfm under “branches” tells
Bandsaw 4" 350 the duct diameter leading to individual tool drops.
Now measure how many feet of each size you need to
Belt/disc sander 4" 550 connect your dust collector to the tool, and write
Drum sander (12–24" drum) 5" 550–650 those lengths in the spaces on the right.
Jointer, 6–8" 4"–5" 350–550 Main Branches Duct Number of
Size Feet Needed
Planer, 10–15" 3"–5" 500–600
170 195 3"
Planer, >15" 6" 700–800
300 350 4"
Radial-arm saw/mitersaw 5" 550
475 550 5"
Router table/shaper 4"–5" 350-550
700 785 6"
Tablesaw 5" 550
950 1,100 7"
1 Maximum cfm: 1,200 1,400 8"

Add up duct static Add resistance from system parts

pressure losses You’re almost finished. For each duct diameter between the collector and
the most-demanding tool, record the number of 45° elbows, 90° corners,
and feet of flex hose. Next, add up the totals for each row, and multiply
Now translate the main and branch
those by the SP values in the far right boxes. Add the subtotals down, and
duct length into static pressure (SP)
add the total SP loss from the box on the left, and write the total maximum
losses. Multiply the number of feet of
static pressure resistance on line ➋. This, along with the maximum cfm
duct by that size’s SP loss per foot. Add
from line ➊, are the two numbers you’ll need to shop for a collector that
up the numbers in the right column,
and transfer the total to the next box. meets your tool and system needs.

Static Total Fitting

Duct No. Pressure Static Diameter 45° Elbows 90° Corners Flex Hose Totals × SP (")
Size of Loss per Pressure _____×2.5= _____×5= ______ ×3= _____ ×.1"=
Feet Foot Loss (") 3" _________ _________ _________ Subtotal:______
3" × 0.1 = " _____×3= _____×6= ______ ×3= _____ ×.07"=
4" × 0.07 = " 4" _________ __________ _________ Subtotal:______

5" × 0.055 = " _____×4.5= _____×9= ______ ×3= _____ ×.055"=

5" _________ _________ _________ Subtotal:______
6" × 0.045 = "
_____×6= _____×12= ______ ×3= _____ ×.045"=
7" × 0.038 = " 6" _________ _________ _________ Subtotal:______
8" × 0.032 = " _____×6.5= _____×13= ______ ×3= _____ ×.038"=
Total Ductwork Static " 7" _________ _________ _________ Subtotal:______
Pressure Resistance: _____×7.5= _____×15= ______ ×3= _____ ×.032"=
8" _________ _________ _________ Subtotal:______

Non-Duct Static Pressure:

Sources
Dust collectors, ductwork, and system Total Ductwork Static Pressure Resistance:
design assistance: Grizzly Industrial, 800-523-4777
or grizzly.com. Oneida Air Systems, 800-732-4065 or
oneida-air.com. Penn State Industries, 800-377-7297 or 2 Total Static Pressure:
pennstateind.com.

woodmagazine.com 61