Small Shop / Shop Vac Dust Collection / FREE PLAN / Installing main pipe & cyclone separator / EP35

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Link to Free Plans for 2" PVC pipe clamp: rb.gy/etyazv

[@jewdd1989]

I really enjoyed this build of yours because often others leave out details of not only putting together their dust collection but even how to map it out so thank you for sharing with us everything! Hopefully you’ll get to make more videos like this 👍🏼

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback and will try to incorporate it. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and hope it gave you a dust collection tip or two for your setup! I have a few other videos in a dust collection Playlist if you're interested.

[@Lord-Panda2112]

Haha, the only thing missing from your into music: ".... this is CNN!" Very newsreel vibe. Loved it!

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Ha, thank you

[@Normal1855]

I like watching a many videos of dust collection. As a bonus, I see different ways to place tools. In this video, I liked where you placed the joiner. I want to use that idea for my planer. It will be out of the way.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Thanks for checking it out, Bob! I've got a dust collection Playlist if you would like to see some later developments with the setup. Have you seen my planer mount? Similar, with the drawer but a different design to get the bed up higher when pulled out from the bench.

[@paulchristensen7515]

This is a great video, Chris. Your ideas for DIY tube clamps and blast gates will save a fortune in setup costs. I had a similar system for my shop, but I use an army surplus 55 gal barrel with a lid between my dust tubing and the ShopVac. I drilled a hole for the ShopVac tube in the center of the lid and mounted an L-shaped PVC elbow under the lid connecting the tube from the power tools. Only the very finest particles got into the ShopVac filter, and it took a long time to fill up the barrel with sawdust.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Thanks Paul, I really appreciate you watching and your comment. I definitely need a bigger dust bin/have some plans in the works. Planer/jointer fill it up very quickly. Your dust extractor setup sounds very interesting!

[@boltbolter8933]

Looking good man! I've been digging your micro shop project. Keep up the good work!

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+Bolt Bolter, thanks!

[@clairefernandez8250]

I made mine with 1.Shop vac model 2015 2.A scrapped Eureka Cyclonic dirt cup. 3.1 Foam plate 4.Tape,tape,and moar tape 5.Halloween basket 6.Drill and hole driller

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Awesome!

[@larsonbennett5903]

Have you been able to detect any airflow loss (if any) with the PVC piping vs directly connecting a given tool to the dust separator?

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Larson, there is some loss, I have not calculated or measured, but any length of pipe will add some additional friction/loss. Each length of pipe to my machines is very similar to the length of a standard hose, though & I still have very strong flow at each tool. The separator and my collector box are probably the biggest losses in the system. In my opinion, the convenience and overall efficiency of opening a blast gate vs unplugging and moving are big advantages in my workflow. High pressure systems do better with odd shaped or longer tubes than high flow, so that's a benefit when using a shop vac. Thanks for your questions, I hope that helps. Definitely something I should try to test.

[@SEBTECHDIY]

I've just build a dust collector with this adapter, it works very well! 😏 Nice project i subscribed to your channel 😏!!

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+SEB TECH DIY, glad to hear it, thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@InterCity134]

Nice design

[@mikemcfiggus8996]

Have you had any issues with static electricity build-up from the sawdust running through the pvc pipes?

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Mike, I have felt a charge on the exterior of the pipe that sometimes attracts dust, but have never felt or experienced any kind of discharge. Nothing notable or that's caused any kind of issues. I would say no more charge than builds up on my vac hose when using it by itself in a dry environment. Hope that helps, thanks for asking.

[@BigDan1190]

Dude - a note on editing, I turned up the volume loads so i could actually hear you, then you put that intro music in at full pelt, bloody deafened me! Keep an eye on your audio levels

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Dan, thanks for the feedback and sorry about the inconsistency. Taken to heart and will adjust it.

[@bartgiles1068]

Do you know if it would make a difference to go with 2” vs 4” pvc I see both posted?

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+Bart Giles, I recommend you go with the largest/most powerful dust collector and largest diameter pipe that your shop can accommodate. I have no experience coupling a shop vac to a large diameter pipe, but flow velocity would both drop off significantly. I'll have to look into that. Shop vacs are low volume, but high Static pressure. This has been shown to be less ideal for small particulate collection compared to high-volume systems. I'm limited to a shop vac currently, so I chose to have "some form" of dust collection vs none at all. I also chose 2" because I can easily convert to shop vac attachments/hoses at machines and ports for hook up. I hope that helps, please share some examples of what you're referencing.

[@luwk]

If you have the money you could upgrade the filter in your wet/dry vacuum to a hepa filter

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+Luke Dawson, definitely recommend it! I made the switch awhile ago and I noticed a big difference in the dust. Relatively cheap for the difference.

[@andyschlamp6797]

Great vid. Does any of the dust get to the shop vac? Do you routinely still have to clean the vac filter? I've been thinking of doing this in my shop. But have been vaselating between using a shop vac or a smaller dust collector motor.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+andy schlamp, some dust does get through to the vac, but only when I don't pay attention and overfill my bucket up to the cyclone. I need to make a better bin to replace the 5 gallon bucket. Especially when planing, routing, or jointing.. Those large chips really fill it up fast!

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+Andy Schlamp, separately and to your point about small dust collector vs shop vac I'm not sure which would prove better. Probably looking into other's research and experimentation on CFM volume vs static pressure comparison would shed some light on it. I do like the 2" pipe/fittings and the ease of converting back and forth to shop vac hose dimensions. The high Static pressure air flow from the shop vac is great for pulling chips /air through the pipes, but the low air flow rate does allow fine dust and some chips to escape the tools at the source. I think this can be somewhat corrected/optimized with custom shrouds and adjustment at each tool. Once i build the larger collection box, I plan to try a larger motor and fan I have have from a clothes dryer to test a different suction source. Thankfor watching and the feedback, I hope that helps some!

[@daviddavis5689]

I don't see nay gates to eliminate much of other plumbing when using each outlet with specific tool.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

David Davis, most of the ends are blocked with pvc test plugs in this video. At the same time as plumbing this, I was also mass producing my blast Gates (separate video). The test plugs for about 25-50 cents each can save some time/money when first setting up the system. If you look closely you may see them covering the ends of pipe in certain frames. I add other blast Gates for each tool in when I finalize how I plumb in each machine. Thanks for watching!

[@artgarza7167]

David Davis ;

[@stevesiefken6432]

Great design! I’ve been thinking of doing something like this. How has this been working out for you? If you had it to do over again, wheat would you do differently?

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Steve, thanks for the questions. Mostly has been working out well. I'm about to replace/ repair some of the DIY pipe flange clamps that I made & recently broke in a move/ wore out. Here's a few things I would do differently: 1. Make more of the clamps and use them at each junction 2. Maybe use a 4" main trunk or separate trunk direct to planer. It pushes chips into ALL of the other branches. 3. Locate suction source in center and have additional gates to close off branches. 4. Minimize 90s. I of course have some suction loss in the system, but it mostly works. I'm impressed with the suction and chip/fine dust collection considering it's shop-vac powered central DC. 5. Use the best separator and suction source I can afford/ fit in the space. Hope that helps. I'm planning to capture some of these maintenance and updates in an eventual video.

[@stevesiefken6432]

Chris Harpster Awesome, thanks! I have the same planer so I’ll plan on the 4” port for that.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Would love to see what you come up with, Steve!

[@JoshuaJonah]

You're going to want to upgrade this system in your "micro shop". My shop is 10' x 14' with a two stage 2hp DC with 6" piping and i find limitations here and there.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+Joshua Jonah, I definitely wish I could afford or have space for a larger system. This is my best solution to my current stage of life, needs, small tools etc. Definitely not the optimal dust collection solution but a huge improvement over repeatedly hooking my shop vac up to each machine. For those that can, I definitely recommend all to get the best dust collection system they can afford. Thanks for adding to the dialogue and watching!

[@waynemiller6070]

Hey Chris, I'm not the safety police here. But I hope you're not continuing to make cuts like you did at 2:10 I don't understand why you crossed your arms in that way instead of swinging the miter saw the other direction.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Thanks Wayne, I appreciate you reaching out and calling it out. Needs to be in the comments for viewers to read. Please note footage was sped up 12x actual speed (1200%). The angle and cross was strictly to not block camera with my body/arm. Definitely makes it look awkward and I've changed my methods when recording to not do things like this for the sake of visual clarity. The block I was cutting was 9" square, so no worries, my left hand (holding workpiece) was a full 4+ inches away from the blade. My crossed -over right arm remained firmly on the control and above plane of blade and guard. Aside from the cuts looking very awkward and crossing my arms being unnatural, there was no actual safety risk to my arms or hand. I definitely concede that I should not be demonstrating bad form for visual clarity and have made it a point to try to prevent it. Do not do what I did in the video and especially do not hold pieces in unnatural positions when ANY kind of stress or unsupported workpiece are involved. Thanks again, Wayne for making note of this!

[@waynemiller6070]

@@benchtopwoodworks I've certainly done my share of stuff that if it was on a video the "safety nazis" would have been all over me. More often than not, people are running their table saws without the guard and anti kick backs. So do I. It just seemed logical in that instance to swing the saw to the right and cut corners "normally". No skin off my knuckles. 😎

[@benchtopwoodworks]

I very much appreciate you bringing it to light! Better to be out in the open and explained. If I'm to try to educate at all, needs to be transparent and safe. I'm certainly no professional video producer and need a full dose of honest feedback. Thank you very much, Sir and I appreciate you watching!

[@abdulelkhatib2674]

Woah watch out don't hammer the subscribe button I had to spend $300 on another monitor. And you need to talk louder into your mic

[@benchtopwoodworks]

I don't think my video caused you to spend any money on a monitor and this video is before I bought a microphone. I hope you gleaned something of value after upgrading your monitor. I do this as a voluntary service to share my lessons learned. I do strive to improve with feedback and every video I publish. I appreciate the feedback you provided and what I assume is humor. Could you be more specific on the monitor? ...too zoomed out? You're welcome to check out some more recent videos if you like.

[@phuocminhbui]

Bad audio at beginning.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Thanks for pointing it out

[@tomanderson2950]

What the hell you doing young fella?

[@benchtopwoodworks]

+tom anderson, how do you mean? Thanks for stopping by!

[@ivanivonovich9863]

Eye protection? Well duh! Always wear eye protection when working with anything that creates dust or small debris.

[@benchtopwoodworks]

Yep