Lathe dust collection-part 2

[mmayo]

I've never been one to leave well enough alone. So I reinvented my dust collection system and it's better. The new system is structured around shop made wooden dust collection structures that I've seen here on this site. I made one for each of my two lanes and they use 4" hoses to carry the dust and chips to my Jet. A blast gate determines which tool connects to the vacuum. The plywood collector is held in place to the lathe using six 3/8" neodymium magnets.

After drilling twenty blanks today and turning quite a few recently, this gets the most chips and dust so far. Little cleanup means more fun and less work.

The table saw and router have similar blast gates connected to the Jet. I just need to always open the correct gate.

 

[keithncsu]

Nice!! I have a similar yet less nice version 1.0 that I'm looking to improve into a version 2.0 soon. I like your design!!

 

[TonyL]

Looks like my dentist's office....well done, organized, and neat!

 

[jbg230]

I see what you mean Tony... those wrenches on the table are what my dentist uses on me!
Hey, really nice work Mark. I love being inspired by this kind of craftsmanship.

 

[Herb G]

You do realize by covering the heads of those articulated lamps, you are inviting an overheating condition, that might lead to a fire, aren't you?

 

[Skie_M]

Probably using those low wattage twist bulbs, in which case that's not a big concern ... the bigger concern is keeping chunks of materials from hitting the bulbs in the first place.


First impression on opening the thread ....

Wait, is this a set from Star Trek???

 

[Curly]

If you could replace some or all of the flex hose you would get much better flow. The flex has many times more internal drag than pipes. Making it all 6" even better.

 

[jaywood1207]

I did something very similar recently but with a lexan lid on it and the extraction of fumes from accelerator is excellent now. It is not hooked up to my dust collector yet for chip removal but I expect that to be excellent as well.

 

[mmayo]

I use 100 watt equivalent 9 watt led bulbs. They stay cool (I checked) and protected from splatter when wet sanding. I will eventually try solid piping, probably overhead. Lexan is lot under the seat of my Honda and when I find it, it will be in top.

 

[jongunz]

Where did you get the lamps? I got a smaller version but those look pretty heavy duty.

 

[TonyL]

If you could replace some or all of the flex hose you would get much
better flow. The flex has many times more internal drag than pipes. Making it
all 6" even better.

I may follow this advice Pete...although I will need two elbows..do you think that will create drag. My runs are less than 8 feet and all of my DCs are dedicated to one tool. Thanks for your guidance!

 

[Woodchipper]

The pipe idea has merits. Make me want to rethink a possible DC setup for my lathe and other power tools. Thanks for the tip.
Edit: The lamps are general desk lamps that you can get at about any big box store. They generally mount to the edge of a desk or table with a clamp. I have one that I mounted to the wall to switch between the lathe and workbench. Cost is about $25. Check with salvage stores and places like Goodwill, etc. The curly Q bulbs are what I use and they put out very little heat.

 

[Skie_M]

If replacing the flex hose with smooth walled piping, I heard that you should avoid 90 degree elbows .... they restrict the air flow more than using a pair of 45 degree elbows. Also, the larger the degree of turns you make between your dust collector and the collection point (through the run of the pipe), the lower your airflow suction power at the collection point ... try not to exceed a total degree of turn higher than 270 degrees total.

 

[Curly]

I may follow this advice Pete...although I will need two elbows..do you think that will create drag. My runs are less than 8 feet and all of my DCs are dedicated to one tool. Thanks for your guidance!

You can if you have room use 2, 45 degree fittings with a short length of pipe between to make a 90 that has less drag, but it is a little more costly. Here is a calculator that you can play with to see how much of an improvement you get with changing from one configuration to another. Pipe vs hose, 2, 90s vs 4, 45s et cetera. It isn't perfect but it gets you in the ballpark.

Some other things to note is the maximum amount of air you can flow through a 4" pipe is about 400 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and 6" is 1200 CFM. You want at least 1000 CFM to get the fine dust you can't see that goes deep into your lungs and hangs in the air for many hours. Next is that most every DC seller rates their DC at least double what it will actually produce in a real system. Same as the 6 HP vacuum cleaners on a 110V circuit. If you want to get a better understanding wade through Bill Pentz's site. It is not the easiest read but the info is good. Many will disagree with it but form your own opinion and follow or not. Your choice.

 

[TonyL]

Thank you. I can definitely easily get away with the 45's. Thanks guys!