My Dust Collection System - Ask Matt #7

This time I share all about my dust collection system. I share some information about the collector, the ducting, and I also share what I dislike about the system.
This is the seventh episode of my Ask Matt series where I answer broader topic questions. If you have an idea for a topic for a future episode, please let me know.
Website: mattcremona.com
Instagram: / mattcremona
Twitter: / mattcremona
Facebook: / mattcremonaww
Kencraft (Metal Dust Collection Fittings, Pipe, 6" Blast Gates):
bit.ly/1AMTWj3
4" Blast Gates: bit.ly/1DbrYwz
Dust Collector: amzn.to/1KEWAY2
Dust Collector Bags: ebay.to/1DT9Fe7
Air Filter: amzn.to/1C8YPOJ
Shop Tour: • Shop Tour - Matt Cremo...
My Chainsaw Gear: • My Chainsaw Gear - As...

[@AprilWilkerson]

Cool, I appreciate the overview. I'm in the mist of designing my set up and am going back and forth between metal or PVC as well as using 6" for the main branch or 4".

[@mcremona]

April Wilkerson PVC is generally cheaper but my piping is really close to the cost of PVC. 6" is way better than 4". Twice the air flow potential.

[@AlFurtado]

WOW you have quite a lumberyard, Nice shop tour. I want one LOL

[@harleyhaynes]

Awesome amount of stock! very neat indeed.

[@mcremona]

+nigel williams For the smaller cabinets I used concrete screws (Tapcon) and for the bigger stuff like my lumber rack and clamp rack I used lag bolts with concrete shield anchors

[@tomdoe6399]

Your piping system looks impressive. I have had to change piping configuration several times as my shop has evolved. I agree that a thien baffle or similar cyclone separator would cure your plugged filter issue. My upgrade last year resulted in capturing over 99% of the dust in a trash barrel. My setup really protects the canister filter and eliminates the need to replace the plastic bag.

[@mcremona]

Tom Doe I'm still torn about adding a separator. I really don't want to give up any floor space there since it would be right up next to my bench the way I have the shop laid out. I think a small cyclone is in my future. Thanks Tom!

[@jcorbett63]

I essentially have the same system. I turned two 90s into two 45s for a gradual turn. This arrangement has been efficient and would alleviate your 45 deg pipe.

[@mcremona]

John Corbett Thanks for the tip, John. If I ever get around to reconfiguring the ducting, I'll give that a try.

[@JimCoogan_CoogansWorkshop]

Really nice setup. I ended up taking my single stage apart and adding a garbage can with a Thien baffle in it to try to keep my filter cleaner. Has worked really my. My shop is small and since everything is mobile I have just one long hose that connects to whatever I am working on at the time. It's a pain but being retired and non-production means I have the time to spend 2 minutes moving the hose. It has a quick disconnect. Next shop I will do what you have. I like that setup. Thanks for the great video.

[@mcremona]

Jim Coogan Thanks Jim! I used to do that in my past shop and too many times I just didn't use the collector because it wasn't convenient. My laziness got the best of me :)

[@TheShavingWoodWorkshop]

The angle at the collector makes alot of sence, great set up Matt.

[@stevecollins9450]

Great explanation of your system, Matt! I have several shop vacs, and one DIY vac, that I use for all my needs. It's not 100% efficient, but close enough for me.

[@mcremona]

Steve Collins Thanks, Steve! At least you have something figured out. I could never go back to not having any dust collection. I'm not sure how I survived those days!

[@garychristiansen508]

In detail, what did you do for grounding your metal dust collection system?

[@krtwood]

What I did to get my DC inlet up high was make a stand for it and hang the impeller upside-down from the top, though mine has a hose between the impeller and the filter/bag thingy rather than the solid duct that you have. I've really got to get a better one though because it just doesn't have the airflow to keep the 6" duct to the planer clear, as I discovered when I was planing the lumber for the torus table and I had 6' of 6" pipe completely full of planer shavings. That was fun.

[@mcremona]

krtwood That project was incredibly messy. How long did it take the dust to settle? :)

[@krtwood]

I consider any day that doesn't result in a layer of dust on everything the next day a failure ;)

[@ms0099rg]

Next ask Matt Shop organization what do you do. I know you went over some of it in your shop tour would be great to see more in depth! Great work as always keep it up!!

[@norm1124]

Agree, esp. tool fixations.

[@mcremona]

Matt Sosnowski I wish I had more organization. It's an on going battle for me. lol I'll put the topic on the list. Maybe I can talk a bit about my organization philosophy that I am trying to work towards.

[@kevinbaxter857]

Hey Matt, for repairing the bags you may want to try the red Tuck Tape as it will be cheaper and the glue better able to stick to a dusty bag. Still trying to watch all the videos from beginning to end... getting there.

[@TomHowbridge]

Interesting, also I like that drill charger strapped to the wall .

[@mcremona]

Tom Howbridge Thanks! It's great. Keeps them out of the way and all in one place.

[@phooesnax]

Very interesting. I noticed the slow speed grinder on the end of your lathe. Do you worry about the sparks igniting lathe debris? Has mine on a stand to left and then got to worrying it would start a fire. Thoughts?

[@steverochon1620]

Matt, as I am reconfiguring my shop and DC plumbing configuration, I’m wondering if you know of a way to break the silicone seal commonly used to make PVC joints air tight. Some come apart and others feel more permanent. Any help would be welcome. Thanks!

[@mhaz49]

Matt, consider swapping the plastic collection bags for a 30 gal. garbage can. Much easier to empty and more durable - cheaper in the long run.

[@mcremona]

Mark Hazlewood Good idea!

[@johnconklin9039]

Good info Matt. I go to the Kencraft store about once a month!

[@mcremona]

John Conklin Thanks John! That would be a fun place to visit. Maybe someday :)

[@Theallis1961]

Thanks Matt. Lots of good idea's.

[@mcremona]

David Farris Thank you David!

[@TheDustyDeveloper]

Another good video. The Super Dusy Deputy will solve a lot of you're problems except it will complicate your inlet. I rebuilt mine (seee my video)so I could have the inlet up high but I have the ceiling space for that. A true Cyclone is probably best in your case

[@mcremona]

Not all of us have 14' ceilings :) I'm holding out for a cyclone system and even then I'll have to get a short one due to my 7' ceilings... Thanks Steve!

[@shodmermaid3365]

Have you checked out frank Howarths Dust collection? It's pretty neat and runs underground

[@norm1124]

Great concept, you may soon design a toy collector system for the living room ;-)

[@mcremona]

norm1124 The need is fast approaching :)

[@athiker7209]

"I advise using gloves" lol Will Rogers once said, "Good judgment comes from experience, and that experience mostly comes from bad judgment". Sometimes we tend to learn the hard way. Nice setup you have there.

[@mcremona]

Ron Briz I certainly am no stranger to learning the hard way lol Thanks Ron!

[@Aussie631]

I am so green with envy :) I have a shop-vacuum with a baby cyclone separator that I have to hook up to each piece of equipment in turn ......

[@mcremona]

Aussie631 I used to do that (but without the baby cyclone) so I know how that goes. I ended up not using it and going without dust collection because I didn't feel like moving and hooking it up

[@MattLaneWoodshop]

Awesome, iv'e been hoping you would do a video on your duct work. I was wondering from your other videos if it was just regular ducting or not.

[@GuysShop]

Do you just use a remote to turn the system on and off?

[@mcremona]

GuysWoodshop Yes, this collector comes with a remote

[@dpmeyer4867]

thanks

[@McGinnsWoodShop]

Love your system! Have you ever had a shop vac or smaller setup?

[@DemasShopforEverything]

He used a broom before this set up lol

[@McGinnsWoodShop]

Hah!

[@mcremona]

McGinn's WoodShop In my first shop I did. Too often I didn't use it because it was too much work to be moving the vac around and hooking it up for one cut.

[@mcremona]

***** I still use a broom!

[@tooljunkie555]

Hey u should round over the/those sharp corner(s) a "smidge" maybe tht wood save ur bags from being doctored. .?? Also, I have one more question ;) Is it the bigger the diamerer of hose the more suction? Or...?

[@mcremona]

Joe Walters Naw, that would ruin the look of the bench lol Bigger diameter = more air flow

[@mcremona]

Joe Walters hahahaha!!!

[@tooljunkie555]

Matthew Cremona and your bench is a work of art I wouldnt want to do tht either it was a stupid suggestion..lol I wood rather move the bench a foot away from the dc.. and tht makes sense. About the air flow..somewhat commen sense..lol

[@stephenpduncan]

Upgrade to a two stage would be an awesome follow up video :-)

[@nordyfamily]

Keep up the great work~

[@exotoguy]

Not sure why, but your new videos aren't showing up in my subscription feed 😕 great video Matt thanks for the insight

[@mcremona]

is it because you unsubscribed? lol :) Thanks Aaron!

[@darrenbrewster3345]

Matt I hav a ask Matt for you ive just been watching your live event bud and I'd love a look at the router jig your using and the set up etc etc Thanks Daz

[@SterlingsWoodcrafts]

Nice system and set up Matt, but i think you should paint it Purple

[@mcremona]

***** Thanks Sterling! That would add a lot of color to the shop. Should make it more inviting :)

[@pumpdog28]

What are you using to heat the garage?

[@mfight]

Can you cover what type of automatic / remote vac switch you use. I enjoy your informative posts, thanks.

[@mcremona]

Max Fightmaster Hey Max, Sorry I forgot to mention that. The collector I have comes with a remote. Thanks!

[@dudefacial]

I see that your adjustable 90's aren't sealed. You will get a little better performance if the seams are sealed on then and also on the snap lock round piping.

[@mcremona]

Funny thing about that is I left it unsealed when I installed it because I thought I might change the arrangement. Years later I haven't changed anything. Probably about time I finish the job.

[@dudefacial]

Matthew Cremona. I hope you don't take it as me criticizing. I do duct work for a living and whenever i see it i start analyzing it. I love my work and wood working. The video had both so I enjoyed it even more. Thanks for the videos. You do a great overall job!

[@mcremona]

dudefacial Not at all. I appreciate the feedback. It's nice to have a reminder :)

[@tooljunkie555]

Nice! Set up! As far as prices go isnit cheaper to go wth the metal? Vs pvc or rubber/plastic hoses tht it comes with. I have a h.f dc so obviously its not comparable but it has 4" hoses and set up for 4inch. And the anhle I ha e the hose could be why mone isnt as powerful with 2 machines. Never knew or even thought about tht so thnks for that tip I got some re aranging to do. As always great informative video matt! Til the next episode"

[@mcremona]

Joe Walters Those flex hoses are the cheapest but also the worst for airflow since they don't have smooth walls. The metal ducting I used is about as cheap as you can go with metal and is probably around the same price as PVC. You can get some fancy metal piping for a lot more than I paid for mine. Thanks Joe!

[@dewrus2153]

Joe-I too have a HF collector. I originally used the flex hoses but then switched to PVC. It is a lot better with the PVC. I also bought the Rockler Dust Right Separator Components and put them in the lid of a plain old-fashioned metal trash can. So, I now have my collector joined to the trash can with a short section of flex hose (from Rockler which has a smoother inside than the flex line that came with my collector). I then have another short section of flex hose from the other trash can fitting to the PVC which is my main drop in my shop. I just used 4" PVC. That works pretty well for me. And since I added the trash can set-up, I haven't even had to empty my bag...99% of dust goes into the trash can which is easy to empty. Hope this helps!

[@tooljunkie555]

Dewy Russler nice! Thanks for the fyi" its such a pain in the ass to empty the bag out isnt it! I always tape rhe bag in place when I put the strap back on..lol but did u use 4inch pvc or ..? Cuz the hose is 4 inches ya know what I mean? Or do I need to get fittings for the pvc?&yes that did help ty

[@dewrus2153]

Joe-Yep...I it was a big pain to empty that bag. I used 4" PVC Sewer pipe (go to Home Depot website and search for SKU 120088). It's thinner and cheaper than schedule 40 PVC but plenty thick for DC systems. To transition from 4" flex line to the PVC, I used fittings from Rockler (just go to Rockler and search for "pvc sewer"...it's about $8). I used regular PVC cement for most of my PVC joints but I did use a rubber flex joint (Lowes item 23477) in the middle of my run so that I could take it apart to clean it if it ever got clogged. For the separator, I used the Rockler kit # 34367 (you can search online). My set-up works pretty well for me (I'm definitely an amateur wood worker but this system works well even for my thickness planer and joiner which produces a lot of saw dust and shavings). Good luck!

[@tooljunkie555]

Dewy Russler nice! Thanks for all the info and sku #s!:) makes things easier and im an amateur too got abot a yr amd a half under my belt. But with youtube I learned something or some things new everyday and thanks to the military I am a quick learner so I have learned a lot not to mention books DVD's and just living and learning through my own mistakes trial and error but yes thank you for all of that info and I have my dust collection hooked up to my DW 734 thickness planer I wanted to hook it up to my table saw but lost suction power once both machines were hooked up so now its just hooked up to the one I use a five and a half horsepower craftsman shop vac for my table saw with a 18 inch long hose works good enough the bags are pretty pricey saying that I am down in my shop everyday so hopefully this will help me with my dust collection problem and I'll be able to use it for both tools instead of one I will keep you posted once I get all of those things in order I will do a video and share it with you once again thanks for all your info

[@alverdeja]

My collecter's main connection is only 4". Will making the main trunk increase to 6" benefit the efficiency what-so-ever? I read an article on wood particles and said that 4" ducts choke your system down to 1/3 of the effeciency of 6", but I would imagine that having a 4" main connector would make 6" ducting useless.

[@mcremona]

Most likely but running 6" could make your system a bit more future proof if you decide to upgrade your collector

[@alverdeja]

Thanks for the reply!

[@jakedog1976]

Matt I have a simular shop to yours. I am looking to put in purminant heat. Can you sometime go over your heater . How well it works. What temp you keep things at. And how much propane it uses ?

[@mcremona]

Ross Hastings I talked a bit about the heater in my shop tour: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooHQZ3-Bl56bbc0m49s When I have it running, I keep it at 70 degrees. I shut it off when I'm not out there. It uses natural gas so I'm not sure how much it uses. I don't think my gas bill is much higher when I'm running it.

[@jakedog1976]

Matthew Cremona thanks Matt

[@AndrewR74]

Did you ground the ducting anywhere? I am getting ready to build my duct runs, and have heard conflicting yaes and naes about whether or not it is necessary to use a grounding wire. What are your thoughts?

[@mcremona]

+Andrew R the ducting is in contact with my dust collector which is grounded

[@rodneyhowe4486]

Hey Matt, Your extractor is similar to mine and i wondered if you find it works well with the 6" ducting or weather it would be better with 4"?? Im really needing to get a ducted system fitted and would appreciate your advice. Also have you earthed yours and does it need to be earthed?? Thanks again for a very informative video. Rod

[@mcremona]

Rodney Howe The 6" works a lot better. It is less restrictive so you can get a lot more air flow. The ducting is in contact with the collector which is grounded. So as long as the collector is plugged into an outlet the whole system is grounded. Thanks Rod!

[@General_reader]

good video, but can you answer a question? why does every one use 4" pipe? why cant 3" be just a effective? its cheaper. also, my tools only have 2.25 inch exhaust... my 2" shop vac. hose works? so why not? thanks. no one will answer me!

[@MaybeDave]

+rusty Shackleferd (mirrored eyes) It's less about fitting sawdust, which obviously doesn't need a lot of physical space, and more about getting air to flow quickly over long distances. It's the same reason air ducts for home HVAC systems are huge. Why not just use a garden hose? Air needs no space at all.

[@Brianscadbim]

Hey Matt, I'm just wondering did you give any consideration to grounding your piping system? I've seen it mentioned online a few times and I know my local woodworking shop sells a grounding wire kit for this type of application. Thanks for the great videos.

[@mcremona]

Brian Thompson Hi Brain, Technically it is. The piping is metal and connects to the metal body of the collector which is grounded via the electrical connection. Thanks!

[@TheLevitatingChin]

I don't understand why nearly every maker faire I go to there are people trashing matt and his work. What have you done to these fellow youtubers and makers?

[@wschumpert]

Talk about static? Is it bad? Is PVC better.

[@mcremona]

***** I don't have an issue with static buildup. The ducting is in contact with the body of the collector which is grounded. Generally PVC is going to be cheaper to install. They're both great options. Thanks!

[@KnotheadsCny]

I know what you mean about the edges of the pipe. I've worked with it quite a bit installing chimney liners. They sting like a son of a gun. Dan

[@mcremona]

Knotheads Cny Slice you right open. Thanks Dan!

[@DemasShopforEverything]

Did u use bandaids or that aluminum duct tape to cover your cuts? I have a feeling u used the aluminum tape lol

[@whitewolf8758]

Super glue! Stops and seals off the bleeding!

[@mcremona]

***** Close. I use masking tape with some shop paper towel.

[@mcremona]

whitewolf8758 I've done that too lol

[@mitermikeswoodshop3087]

do you think aluminum ducting is better then pvc?

[@mcremona]

Miter Mike's Woodshop For me it was since it was easier to install. The fitting and pipe were close enough in price too so it wasn't hard to justify going to the metal ducting.

[@mitermikeswoodshop3087]

Matthew Cremona Thanks

[@AndreaArzensek]

very informative!

[@mcremona]

Andrea Arzensek Thank you Andrea!

[@michaeljohnson6963]

Very Helpful..

[@mcremona]

michael johnson Thank you!

[@filmgeek9136]

I thought it was going to be lumber drying next :( great video.

[@mcremona]

Filmgeek913 That is going to be the "main" video this week. Thanks!

[@mfwoodshop]

Lots of hood info in this ask Matt segment

[@mcremona]

Mike Fulton Thanks Mike!

[@BigFatTonys]

I want my air filter to turn on when a power tool is turned on and then turn off 5 minutes after the last power tool is turned off. I often get used to the noise of the air filter and forget to turn it off. I will leave the shop with it still running.

[@mcremona]

I've done that a few times. I'll come out in the morning and hear it running. Always a funny surprise.

[@WestCoastMods]

With all due respect, if you feel it is not as good as it could be, why haven't you modified it to better suit your needs....everything you mentioned that you do not like seems easy to fix and not really breaking the wallet...just my thought

[@mcremona]

WestCoastMods I just haven't been in the mood to change it. It's not big enough of an issue where it affects my work. I'd rather be building projects than fussing with my system. Good thought though. Thanks!

[@Trucker101]

By hook Or by crook I made it here 1st LOL Now I'll watch the vid

[@joe5938]

What's that saying "the beard adds 10 years"

[@mcremona]

David ODell At least that for me

[@TheJimsock]

Nice work...thanks When you WERE young? I own jeans older than you.. :)