Dust Extractor with cartridge

[Anonymous]

After purchasing my Excalibur saw, I got the go ahead (from my wife) to purchase a Elecktra planer thicknesser (arrived this morning - not sure about the fence, found difficulty in getting it to 90 degrees on a consistent basis - however, I planed a nice bit of hardwood to 2 5/8 by 8 and it made a lovely job of it).

I've got a trend vacuum cleaner which will do for my router table but I'll need a 'High Volume Low Pressure' dust extractor for the saw & planer thicknesser. This is where I need help.

I've reviewed the forum and elsewhere - from a dust issue I would like to trap dust from 0.5 micron. The scheppach HA2600 with cartridge looks good but I'm not sure whether it is really up to clearing everything from the planer/thicknesser. Jet 1hp advertise a cartridge but I do not yet know the price. The Charnwood & Fox 2hp machines look powerful but not sure whether a cartridge is available to get down to 0.5 micron. Any help will be appreciated.

(a few weeks ago I thought I only needed a router & table saw - funny really - as I delved further into what I wanted to do my list expanded - drinking with my brother in law tonight - my MGB GT is destined to a yet to be made car port so that i can use the rest of the garage as a full workshop)

 

[Midnight]

Badger... if I'm way off the mark here I'm sure some of the others will correct me.. but it's been my experience tha the machines you're looking to hook an HVLP DX to aren't the ones responsable for creating particles of the size you're looking to filter out.
Granted there is some real fine stuff, but they primarily generate course chips.. Unless you're planning a centralised ducted system (in which case perhaps a cyclone might better suit your needs), I think you'd be better served with a regular 1 or 2 micron bag, backed up with something like a ceiling mounted air filter.
The finer stuff tends to be generated mainly by sanders, and to a lesser extent by the table saw. I can't comment re a bandsaw cos I don't got one.. Table saw DC is about at its best when you can hook a HVLP system to evacuate the cabinet of the saw, and HPLV through the blade guard.

Sanders are far harder to control. Even connected directly to the shop vac, they're never gonna be 100% clean. That being the case (and if space permits) a downdraft table can make a big difference.

 

[DemiFrog]

Hi Badger,

About nine months ago I bought an EB SPA1100 for use with my bandsaw and P/T. The first few weeks were OK until I started coughing and found a thin layer of dust covered everything in the garage. After a little searching on the internet, I discovered the "filter sack" provided with these extractors are not suitable for use in a closed environment, none of them are! They do a wonderful job of collecting the big stuff and spreading the small dangerous particles all around the workshop. So I immediately went out and bought a fine filter cartridge for the SPA1100 (frustratingly I could not find the spec for this), they are expensive, but well worth the money (much cheaper than a new set of lungs, and any problems that may follow). I now have much cleaner workshop and lungs, I will at sometime in the near future invest in a ceiling mounted filter, I am also planning on installing a system that will pull "clean" air into the garage and suck the "dirty" old stuff out.

Conclusion: If you buy an extractor (like the SPA1100 or HA2600) for use with your P/T and Table saw and can’t install it out side, I would strongly recommend to make sure you can get a fine filter cartridge for it and buy one.

 

[johnelliott]

So I immediately went out and bought a fine filter cartridge for the SPA1100 (frustratingly I could not find the spec for this), they are expensive, but well worth the money

Where from, what make, details, details, pics??????????

John

 

[Anonymous]

Demifrog,

Where did you get your cartridge filter from? I too have a EB spa1100 and would like to urgrade it.

 

[Woodythepecker]

Badger, the type of extractor you are talking about are ok for filtering the big chips that a planer/thicknesser may spew out, but they are no good at protecting you from the fine stuff that can effect your health.

Even adding a fine filter cartridge will only help a bit. As Mike says you really need to get an air cleaner.

To get a really good insight into dust extraction go to www.billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm This man knows all there is to know about dust.

Let us know how you get on with your system.

Regards

Woody

 

[Ham]

All the current Recordpower extractors (RSDE1,2, 3 etc) filter to 0.5 micron.

Cheers, David

 

[Adam]

All the current Recordpower extractors (RSDE1,2, 3 etc) filter to 0.5 micron.

Cheers, David

And the worst dust is between 0.5 and 0.1 microns.

Not only that, but if you read the Billpentz site, one way manufacturers "grade" their extractors is to let them get completely "caked" with dust - then they filter out practically everything - but have no suction! Using them in the real world means they let much worse through.

I'd not trust anything any manufacturer quotes after a good read of the billpentz site. In the end, I put my extractor in a seperate "hut" outside the meain workshop - which means any dust it does let through just goes in there - and not back out into the main workshop.

Assuming they let fine dust through - all they end up doing is circulating dust throughout your workshop!

Adam

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for all your replies. Its been a bit of an eye opener especially after going onto the Bill Pentz site (I'm part way into the site - thought the cfm requirements for specific types of machines was usefull). I've received info from Charnwood that they don't do a cartridge for their 2hp machine but do a fine filter bag (2 micron) - However as stated above the dangerous stuff is .5 micron to 1 to 2 micron.

I take it the the air flow stated by the manufacturers is at the inlet and not the end of the hoses which does not help when you are trying to sort a suitable extractor. The manual for the planer thicknesser states the following requirements:

air volume > or equal to 550 m3/h
vacuum at suction port > or equal to 740 Pa
air speed at suction port of machine > or equal to 20 m/s.

The Elektra SPA1100AV quotes rated volume flow of 548 m3/h with vacuum of 740 (not sure the 548 will be high enough especially if at inlet)

The Scheppach HA2600 quotes air flow of 1000 m3.h - This may be okay.

 

[Ham]

And the worst dust is between 0.5 and 0.1 microns.

Adam,

Where did the sub 0.5 micron figure come from? I've looked on the HSE site http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis1.pdf and it only talks in terms of the MEL with no direct mention of the grain size.

Cheers, David

 

[Adam]

I'll try and find it, but the gist is the finer it is, the further into the depths of your lungs it gets.

Adam

 

[DemiFrog]

Hi,

I bought the cartridge filter for my SPA1100 localy in France, but don't worry you can get them in the UK for roughly £100.

The EB Part number is : 091 300 5058

I was given a quote in the UK by Lawsons http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/

I'll post a picture a little later.

 

[DemiFrog]

It took a while but here is a picture:

The only thing you have to watch for is the height (1m87), kinda obvious I guess...

 

[johnelliott]

Thanks for the details, Demi, tell me, how do you clean the filter?

John

 

[Chris Knight]

John,

To clean my cartridge filter, I just tap the outside then "flip" the pleats with my fingers. When I am feeling very keen, I use compressed air - just blast it from the outside.

 

[Woodythepecker]

Demifrog, that cartridge filter looks exactly the same as the one for the Scheppach HA2600, so as there are so many clones of the Elektra Beckum SPA1100, which are often cheaper, i wonder if the cartridge might be cheaper too?

Regards

Woody

 

[ProShop]

Badger,

I like most members on this site have become increasing concerned about dust, especially fine dust. IMHO if your really concerned about fine dust, then you need amachine that can filter down to 0.5 microns or less. Or as Adam says fit a HVLP machine in an annexe next to your workshop, but be mindful that these machines suck some serious volumes of air and if it's going out of your workshop it can take all that lovely warm air with it, not much fun in winter.
The Scheppach range of HVLP's have a 0.5 micron cartridge as an optional extra it's made of a type of polycarbonate stuff and they claim is extremely durable and long lasting. There not cheap though.

You could speak to CamVac they also do a range of extractors in the HPLV range and they make them to your requirements and they are powerful enough for your planer and saw, you can even fit small hose acessories for power tools etc. 01328 851407 or look on their website.

These are just some of the ones that I know something about.
There doesn't appear to be many machines that gaurantee to filter down to the 0.5 microns or less.

Hope this helps

 

[DemiFrog]

Thanks for the details, Demi, tell me, how do you clean the filter?

Until now I too have just tapped the sides of the filter to clear it; it is quite surprising how much dust drops down in to the bag when you do this. After three bags full of sawdust it's time to do as waterhead37 does, and give it a good blast from the outside with an air-compressor as I have the feeling it is a little less efficient on the thicknesser/planner.

As for the price, I was very lucky and got a very good deal locally.

 

[SimonA]

That looks exactly like the one that comes on the Scheppach.....when I got mine the guy told me if it got too bad I could use the pressure washer on it and leave it to dry on a warm day!! Don't know if that is overkill or not but mines fine with just a good knock on the cage to clean off all the crap from the walls of the filter........

Simon

 

[DemiFrog]

Hi Simon,

I don't know what material mine is made of, but the guy's from EB-UK recommended the "tap" on the cage and if I remember rightly they also suggested using compressed air occasionally, they did not mention using water.

I am not sure if water under pressure would damage the cartridge material? It might be an idea to get this checked out before trying. I would not like you to see your filter disappear in shreds, or that the mixture of dust and water causes the filter to get blocked up permanently.