Dust extraction advice

[StevieB]

The dust in my workshop/cellar is starting to get annoying, and being based in a cellar I cannot simply open a door or window and sweep/tip it out! So a serious think about decent dust extraction is required. I am in the fortunate position that the whole cellar is going to be turned into proper 'rooms' (ie plasterboarded and ceilinged etc) and I currently have ceiling voids where the rafters/floor joists are so have a bit of space to play with. The cellar is already cramped however so not that much space.

First port of call - a search of the forums. Hmm, over 800 posts on dust extraction. Next is google - loads of industrial sites but none that seem to give me a basic overview of what options are available to me. So hopefully dear members you can point me in the direction of a good site, good book or offer some sage advice on the following:

The main machines I have are a tablesaw (kity 419) a bandsaw (EB BAS250) a jointer (Axminster CT150) and a thicknesser (Axminster 330). The jointer and thicknesser produce large chippings and the jointer I am happy to let them fall into a bucket. The other three I would like extraction fitted to. The position of the round the shop is fairly fixed due to an odd shaped cellar and space constraints so I am wondering if running flexible hose from each to a static extractor is feasible? Axminster do a 1hp extractor (AWEDE2) and 100mm fittings kit with blast gates and flexible hose. I estimate probably max 10 meters hose required with a blast gate before each machine and a couple of T pieces should be all that is required. My questions however are is a 1hp extractor enough for that length of 100mm hose? Am I likely to have future problems putting hose above a plasterboard ceiling (ignore the obvious access issues, but do they pierce often with chippings etc and need frequent replacement?) and is flexible hose a good option compared to rigid plastic - either the 63mm kit from Axminster or 4" soil pipe/B&Q drain pipe etc? Finally is 100mm likely to be too big a diameter - is smaller better with a cowl to the 100mm outlet on the machines or should it be 100mm all the way?

I have a small portable shop vac for hand held power tools so its only the big machines I would like this extraction system fitted to. Or am I going way too complicated with fixed ducting/flexible pipe and should consider something simpler? Due to space limitation round the shop however I do not think a big extractor like the Axminster AWEDE2 is feasible to be tugged round and fitted to each machine as it is used.

As always price is an issue, but would rather do it once properly than have to faff and replace because I still have dust everywhere. Main tool used is the tablesaw and its coarse dust from that rather than jointer chippings I would like dealt with most efficiently.

I am trawling through the posts I found through the search of the forums, but pointers or advice not already covered gratefully received!

Steve.

 

[OPJ]

If you're gonna go with a plumbed-in setup around your workshop then I reckon you're better off going with the 100mm waste pipe option. It may work out cheaper than the flexible hose, but you'll still need some of that to connect to each machine.

The AWEDE2 looks like a HVLP extractor, which means it's fairly quiet running, among a few other things. This machine is ideal for collecting large chippings and shavings from machinery but, as the filter (top bag) looks like it's made of a cloth material, then you're probably gonna find the really fine dust (saws, MDF) is only gonna escape back out in to your working area - and your lungs! :? Axminster appear to sell a cartirdge filter though, at £75, which should solve that problem. Not sure how it may or may not affect the airflow though.

This kind of extractor is not ideal for use with power tools because when you reduce the inlet diameter they become far less efficient than a noisy, vacuum-type HPLV extractor would otherwise be. So, keep hold of that vacuum cleaner! :wink: I think a general rule of thumb is that you should not restrict it below 50% (50mm), but I've seen other sources claim this should be only 75mm...

Hope this is of some help.

 

[Digit]

Keep flexible hose length to a minimum, the corrugated interior causes turbulence and adds resistance to the air flow, thus reducing overall suction.

Roy.

 

[hpl]

Hi Steve

I used to use one like this http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axmi ... -21168.htm It wasn't from axminster but a very similar machine. This is a better machine and doesn't take up much more space. (A friend now has mine and uses it on a nearly daily bases.) If you look at the spec of the machine they list airflow. The one I had has about 2.5 times the air flow, but it is about twice the price! My experience is the smaller ones don't pick up shavings very well but don't really remember how they are on dust from saws, perhaps someone will have experience of them on a saw? I only used it connected to one machine at a time moving it round the workshop as needed and it worked well. The friend now has it connected to two machines using shortish runs of flexible and again it does the job fine.
The 110 waste pipe is the way to go though, using flexible just to the machines for the reasons already stated by others, largest diameter is best.

Johnny B

 

[woodbloke]

Steve - as a fellow K419 user you will have no doubt found that it's a great little machine apart from the rubbish extraction. If you do a trawl through some of my posts you'll see how I fitted a hopper underneath which improves it 150%...Bean did the mod first to the K419 so he takes the kudos on this one - Rob

 

[StevieB]

Thanks for the responses. I hadn't considered turbulence from corrugated hose to be honest - I thought the flexibility of it would aid me in my machine positioning but if that is to the detriment of airflow then that would be a shame.

For those of you that use the 63mm kit from Axminster for table saw extraction, does it clog often for you? ie do you wish you had gone with 100mm instead? I think Philly and Gill use this system from reading past posts? Since dust from the saw is my main concern I would be happy just to get a system and extractor useful for sawdust rather than chippings and connect to the tablesaw and bandsaw as a first step. The 63mm kit would be easier to fit, less obtrusive and being clear easier to see where problems occur if they do. I could also run it outside the void in the ceiling without too much loss of headroom, whereas 100mm would probably end up being hidden.

Thanks for the headsup on the kity hopper Woodbloke - it is on my tuit list but the saw currently sits on a solid base not the legs kity supplied so I need to redesign the stand first, and I dont want to do that until I have decided on the final position of the saw on the shop. I also have a sled to make so I can take off the sliding table, there are only so many times I can walk into it!

Steve.

 

[woodbloke]

StievieB wrote -

saw currently sits on a solid base not the legs kity supplied

Mine sits on a 'shop made framework of 2x2" with the hopper in the middle extracted off to an AXminster unit (the one with a 60mm hose supplied, forget the name) - Rob