Options for small workshop dust extraction

[mrmoose]

I am a sole trader running a domestic carpentry business and do around a third of my work in my workshop, which is a small single garage. I am currently looking to overhaul my dust extraction system which at the moment consists of a festool mini extractor.
As I do work a lot with MDF but use mainly small power tools, (the only larger ports being on the table saw and router table) I would like to set up a cyclone system with a dedicated extractor to extract the fine particles outside the workshop. I see no need to to pay a lot money for a high quality unit if the fine particles will be extracted outside, however I am unsure as to what type of blower/extractor can do this.
I have no room outside of the workshop for anything and would like any extraction unit to be as quiet as possible.
I only need one hose from the extractor of around 3m on a boom arm so have narrowed my thoughts down to the following :

A) Get a cheap extractor for around say £150 stick it in a cupboard and have a normal bathroom extractor fan taking the air out of the cupboard to the outside via say three metres of ducting?
B) Find a more powerful extractor fan that (via a cyclone) a 40mm hose could be connected directly to?
C) Find an extractor vac that has a blower function, the hose from that, ducting outside the workshop.
D) Tools trigger switch on extractor via ring mains circuit, options?

Any advice on these options would be greatly appreciated.

 

[user 19915]

have a look at this book it;s quite good

 

[sunnybob]

My concern whenever some says they will blow the dust outside, I always ask "where outside"?

If the garage is next to the house are you going to be blowing it straight in the back door or window? Will the neighbours get mad when their flowers all get covered in brown sticky muck? Are there kids or pets going to be running around through a cloud of (toxic) mdf dust?

Buy a proper filter system with a cyclone. Its not only safer for all concerned, it's tax deductable.

 

[MattRoberts]

You can get three stage extraction with a shop vac and a cyclone, all for under £100. This wouldn't need to exhaust outside the shop if you didn't want to, but you could still do it if you wanted. I have mine mounted on a cart for easy mobility.

Something like that would be fine for power tools, but it's not going to be great for the table saw it you were going to cover that too.

 

[mrmoose]

My concern whenever some says they will blow the dust outside, I always ask "where outside"?

If the garage is next to the house are you going to be blowing it straight in the back door or window? Will the neighbours get mad when their flowers all get covered in brown sticky muck? Are there kids or pets going to be running around through a cloud of (toxic) mdf dust?

Buy a proper filter system with a cyclone. Its not only safer for all concerned, it's tax deductable.

Thanks for the reply, my understanding is that a good cyclone system removes 99% of the dust so the 1% left would be particles too small, to cover neighbours flowers in "brown sticky muck" besides my garage is around 25 meters away from any neighbours so don't feel worried about that.
Besides I do not have the space for a large system nor do I feel it is necessary as I will be venting outside.

 

[mrmoose]

You can get three stage extraction with a shop vac and a cyclone, all for under £100. This wouldn't need to exhaust outside the shop if you didn't want to, but you could still do it if you wanted. I have mine mounted on a cart for easy mobility:
Something like that would be fine for power tools, but it's not going to be great for the table saw it you were going to cover that too.

Thanks Matt,Thats a neat system you have. If you were going to exhaust outside would you attach the exhaust hose from the blower port ? it seems that most extractors don't have blowers in this country.

 

[MattRoberts]

You can get three stage extraction with a shop vac and a cyclone, all for under £100. This wouldn't need to exhaust outside the shop if you didn't want to, but you could still do it if you wanted. I have mine mounted on a cart for easy mobility:
Something like that would be fine for power tools, but it's not going to be great for the table saw it you were going to cover that too.

Thanks Matt,Thats a neat system you have. If you were going to exhaust outside would you attach the exhaust hose from the blower port ? it seems that most extractors don't have blowers in this country.

The blower port is the only exhaust port, so I would indeed!

 

[MattRoberts]

I've just realised that's the wrong picture - that was my prototype. The full dust cart is this :

 

[mrmoose]

You can get three stage extraction with a shop vac and a cyclone, all for under £100. This wouldn't need to exhaust outside the shop if you didn't want to, but you could still do it if you wanted. I have mine mounted on a cart for easy mobility:
Something like that would be fine for power tools, but it's not going to be great for the table saw it you were going to cover that too.

Thanks Matt,Thats a neat system you have. If you were going to exhaust outside would you attach the exhaust hose from the blower port ? it seems that most extractors don't have blowers in this country.

The blower port is the only exhaust port, so I would indeed!

With that model does it exhaust from the grill at the top also?

 

[MattRoberts]

No, I believe that's heat dissipation only.