Static from dust collector pipe.

[RDH79]

I just ran 4" plastic pipe to my bandsaw, drill press. and both lathes. I think I should ground it somehow. What would be the best way to ground it? The dust collect is grounded through the plug but I would like more. I hate getting shocked.
Thanks
Rich H.

 

[zig613]

Rich...

Lee Valley Tools has an instruction sheet (Instr) on how to do it Grounding Kit for Dust Collection Systems - Lee Valley Tools.

Wade

 

[jfoh]

I ran a bare copper wire from each machine to the dust collector. In effect I grounded everything to the DC and that is grounded.

 

[StephenM]

Man Up!!!!!

 

[Wood Butcher]

Before we moved to a development, I had a large shop with nearly 200 ft. of PVC dust collector pipe with drops to all machines and none of it was grounded. I read up for almost a year before I assembled and installed the collector system and I found that; there has never been a reported fire or fire claim caused by static in a home dust dust collection system. A few fires have been reported where a nail or screw was sucked up, hit the impeller and the resulting spark started a fire in the DC bag. If you're concerned, get some copper wire and run screws thru the PVC with the wire wrapped around the head of it. If the screw protrudes into the pipe and the wire is grounded to a water pipe or to the electrical system, it should reduce the static a lot. Just my opinion coupled with experience.
WB

 

[MesquiteMan]

I have have been running PVC ducting with my 1,800 cfm cyclone system for 10 or more years and none of it is grounded. I too did a lot of research and the grounding thing is a myth in the home shop environment. As a matter of fact, Myth Busters did a show a couple years ago dispelling this myth. They could not get an explosion with anything they tried. It just aint gonna happen!

Now, if you are worried about getting shocked...I have felt a very slight little tap on occasion. It is much less than you get from your carpet or car seats.

 

[IPD_Mr]

Now, if you are worried about getting shocked...I have felt a very slight little tap on occasion. It is much less than you get from your carpet or car seats.

This I would have to disagree with as I know from experience. I hate, I mean HATE, emptying the dust collector. Some times it gets so bad that I have to take the canister top off and use the shop vac to clear enough sawdust to exchange the bag. While clearing out the dust with the shop vac if my bare arm gets to close to the edge of the dust collector I will get a real stinger. I have even tried to just start with my arm on the dust collector and that is even worse as it constantly discharges. While I am not worried about a fire, waiting too long to change the bags can be a stimulating experience in my shop.

 

[Sylvanite]

... that is even worse as it constantly discharges...

If you are getting more than a momentary shock, then I'd suspect you have a ground fault. That's a real safety issue and should be fixed.

You can prevent the sting of a static shock by holding a metal key in your hand and touching the charged object with it first.

Regards,
Eric

 

[Monty]

Now, if you are worried about getting shocked...I have felt a very slight little tap on occasion. It is much less than you get from your carpet or car seats.

This I would have to disagree with as I know from experience. I hate, I mean HATE, emptying the dust collector. Some times it gets so bad that I have to take the canister top off and use the shop vac to clear enough sawdust to exchange the bag. While clearing out the dust with the shop vac if my bare arm gets to close to the edge of the dust collector I will get a real stinger. I have even tried to just start with my arm on the dust collector and that is even worse as it constantly discharges. While I am not worried about a fire, waiting too long to change the bags can be a stimulating experience in my shop.

The degree of static build up will depend on where your live and how much humidity is in the air. The lower the humidity, the greater the static build up and the greater the shock capacity.

 

[JMCU]

Run a ground wire from the vacuum base frame to earth ground like a steel bar driven into the ground. Before i did this my vacuum hoses was hammering me with static shock a one half inch lightning bolt was common.

 

[Justturnin]

I did mine when I put it together. I just bought some 18 gauge ground wire for Lamps and such and ran it inside the pipe and terminated it to a screw on a plug faceplate (the part it screws into is grounded). I did this to avoid being shocked. I had issues w/ my belt sander shocking me but since I grounded everything no more issues.

 

[JimBlack]

Ground an insulator ??

PVC has a (electric) volume resistivity of 5.4 x 10^15 ohm/cm. This is quite high making PVC a good insulator. Much higher than rubber.

QUESTION: How do you ground an insulator??

Or should I ask why ground an insulator? I think in terms of grounding materials that conduct electricity.

Any electrical engineers out there to explain further?

 

[Haynie]

Out here in the desert SW those little prickles people talk about are flat out painful. I would ground just for that reason.

 

[Fred]

If you have problems emptying your DC bag then you might want to install a pre-separator can in the intake line. Lifting the lid off is WAY more simple than the disassembly of the DC. Beside being easier to clean, the pre-separater also protects the impellers from getting banged to death by any 'chunks' of debris that one often has go through the DC system.

Trash Can Cyclone Lid - Woodcraft.com $32.99 Part #143290. The mini is for use with a shop vacuum.

Using a metal garbage can with this lid on top might also discharge any static build up into the floor if you are on concrete. Get the 30 gallon metal can from Home Depot or Lowes and then get the lid from Woodcraft. All total around $70.00.

Just wait until you have to replace the DC impellers ... HINT: It would be far cheaper to get the pre-separator and lid by a factor of 1000+.

 

[Chthulhu]

Add a ground wire to the metal lid as well. Ideally, your ducting should be made of metal or a conductive plastic, but you can run a bare wire along the inside of the plastic ducting and connect it to ground to discharge the static continuously.

 

[RDH79]

Thanks everyone for the posts. I wasnt sure if it was going to be a problem. I did make a plastic garbage can seperator. It seems to work
All my stuff is grounded so I think I will wait and see. I will let you know if I get zapped