Dust extraction for small garage workshop

[Mark18PLL]

Hi, Still relatively new to the forum but am finding it a great resource.

So I have a small garage workshop which I am using for a very small woodworking business. Space is fairly limited but I am looking to add to my dust extraction.

Current equipment is
Router
Router table
Mitre saw
Track saw
Various sanders

Possibly adding at some point
Bandsaw
Pillar drill

I currently have a Festool CTL 26 and thinking of adding a cyclone collector, and was looking at the Festool pre separator so it can sit on top of the CTL. I know its a little pricey but looking at various other cyclones the price can jump up and some of the cheap ones get poor reviews.

Any ideas?

 

[garethharvey]

I had an Axminster extractor with a bag, this just collected all the chips and dust but was quite poor at collecting.

I took off the motor, connected it direct to the top of a cyclone and put a blue bin underneath. The motor on mine vents to through a hole in the wall direct to the outside.

The suction is 100% better

Maybe this is an option for you, buy the items separately.

 

[Lonsdale73]

I had the same Fesool extractor and connected it to a dust deputy attached to a blue simila to that shown by previous poster; worked great.

 

[D_W]

Separate can and dust deputy for small bits here. I don't do that much power tool work, though and have a separate input to vacuum hand plane shavings. Two shortcomings I've noticed with the small cyclones (Which work OK for not much material at a time coming into the cyclone)

1) they can only separate small bits (sawdust, sanding dust, etc) and things like hand plane shavings or flat bits that can grab air can be sucked through to the vacuum.

2) if you use something like a thickness planer, the capacity of the small cyclones to spin dust down to the bottom and into the can is overwhelmed almost immediately and material sucked through to the vac

I haven't tried any of the larger cyclones as I use a thickness planer only rarely (a couple of times a year) and can live with it.

For pull-through into a can, a larger single stage vac is nice (more airflow - the vacs can't handle filter clogs, etc, but with short runs and little clogging, they move more air than a two-stage setup like a fein or festool).

If you do anything other than sanding and light work with a smaller can, you'll frustrate yourself quickly. My vac and garbage can (the can is 35 gallons in size) are installed together on a cart.

 

[Mark18PLL]

I had the same Fesool extractor and connected it to a dust deputy attached to a blue simila to that shown by previous poster; worked great.

Out of interest how do you connect the Festool to the dust deputy?

Thanks
Mark

 

[Mark18PLL]

Thanks for the replies.

I would really like to use the festool CTL 26 if possible but im thinking that I may need to get something like shown above, wall mounted and then run some pipe around around the room. What would you recommend for a decent wall mounted option, the Axminster ones are on back order, are there any other decent brands?

Thanks
Mark

 

[Mark18PLL]

Part of the problem i have is I have a Jessem router table and I am thinking of getting the cleansweep dust collector but it has a 100mm outlet, the concern is reducing this down to 36mm and i am aware this will have an impact.

I don't have any equipment like planer/thinknesser etc (at the moment) so I am hoping I can try to make this work for now and look at the options later, im just not sure if im being realistic.

Thanks
Mark

 

[Doug71]

I would keep it simple, use the Festool for the portable tools and get a cheap Lidl vac to dedicate to mitre saw so you aren't swapping hoses all the time. Think the Festool cyclones are nearly £300, buys a lot of extractor bags.

 

[Argus]

I'm trying not to turn this into a rainy day......but........... not seen it mentioned yet..........

Moving air and fine dust = static electricity.

There are safety risks, so whatever system you chose, look into the earthing situation. Best to take technical advice.

Anyway, enjoy a dust-free workshop!

 

[Lonsdale73]

I had the same Fesool extractor and connected it to a dust deputy attached to a blue simila to that shown by previous poster; worked great.

Out of interest how do you connect the Festool to the dust deputy?

Thanks
Mark

Festool make an adaptor that accepts 63mm hose; I plugged that into where the regular Festool hose would go and ran a length of flexible duct hose to the Dust Deputy. That then linked to a Peter Parfitt inspired Dust Hub. As I recall, the Festool connector that came attached to the hose fits nicely over Axminster's 63mm Blast Gates. I made some 'plugs' to reduce the inner diameter to accommodate some smaller hoses I had.

 

[Lonsdale73]

Part of the problem i have is I have a Jessem router table and I am thinking of getting the cleansweep dust collector but it has a 100mm outlet, the concern is reducing this down to 36mm and i am aware this will have an impact.

I don't have any equipment like planer/thinknesser etc (at the moment) so I am hoping I can try to make this work for now and look at the options later, im just not sure if im being realistic.

Thanks
Mark

Not used a Jessem but I a poor man's version from Rutlands. I used a 'y' connector to run one short length to the dust port on my router (a Triton) and a second length went to the dust port on the fence. When I built a router table, I cut a hole ("The Black Hole") in the table top just beyond the insert plate. Underneath, I fitted one of these from Axminster (better point out I do not work for Axminster nor am I sponsored by them but I am open to offers!) This accepts a 100mm hose which sucks down all the dust thrown forward by the router (hence why I named it "The Black Hole"!) while a length of 63mm goes to the port on fence. Was hard but I sold the Festool and bought a wall-mounted extractor with twin 100mm inlets (also from Axminster but no link as no longer made) and a (relatively) cheap Titan Vac which has auto-takeoff and runs to douter's dust port. Not sure I did the right thing but I replaced the Axminster with a Record Power, thinking being it would help optimise available space in the workshop. Still an ongoing project but getting there.

 

[Mark18PLL]

Thanks for the replies, I decided to buy a dust devil with a cyclone and use with my CTL after watching a video of Peter Parfitt

 

[IdiotWithALathe]

I had an Axminster extractor with a bag, this just collected all the chips and dust but was quite poor at collecting.

I took off the motor, connected it direct to the top of a cyclone and put a blue bin underneath. The motor on mine vents to through a hole in the wall direct to the outside.

The suction is 100% better

Maybe this is an option for you, buy the items separately.

Hi Gareth what is noise level like of the motor?