Upgrading My Dust Collection Ducting | Airflow Analysis of 6" Ducting

[@customgrains]

Finally Super in-depth analytical video!! Thank you!!

[@EigenDesigns]

Thanks for the support Chantz!

[@roofermarc1]

I've recommended Bill Pentz reading on small shop DC. 6'' pipe runs are mandatory in his view! You've done a great job explaining. Thanks.

[@DudeSawdust]

You are a man of science indeed! Great info and I'll definitely be taking into consideration your final thoughts of advice when I upgrade my dust collection system from my right and left lungs to something more like yours

[@EigenDesigns]

Thanks Logan! I hope there are a few people out there that appreciate the analysis. As a co-worker once told me “In God we trust. All others must bring data.”

[@DudeSawdust]

@@EigenDesigns I read this while at work in my office alone and actually laughed out loud.

[@adamduerr1203]

What a great presentation on your dust collection system. This is very good and really helps to understand how similar situations might influence my own dust collection system. Thanks!

[@EigenDesigns]

Thanks Adam - I'm glad you found this helpful!

[@sail4201]

Very helpful, thanks. I’m going thru the process now and was deciding between 6” and 4”

[@juliek1676]

So many slides and numbers! Wow!!! Great analytics

[@EigenDesigns]

Thanks Julie, I hope you found this helpful.

[@ronjenkins5663]

A well thought out design and presentation.

[@SeamlessFab]

I run six inch ducting but I can hear myself whisper with my dust collection on full power. I built a soundproof closet for the DC but I pull air(which is more efficient) instead of a giant blower housed on top of the cyclone blowing air downward, which is an archaic system imo. An obscenely loud DC simply isn’t an option for me personally. Especially with the CNC router where it’s sometimes running all day..

[@thebobloblawshow8832]

Great upload. I’m doing mine soon and this has been very helpful. Thanks. 👍👍

[@EigenDesigns]

Really glad this helped Bob! Good luck on your build.

[@thebobloblawshow8832]

@@EigenDesigns thank you.

[@elkskiutah8204]

wow pretty much the best made video I have watched in 24' sketch up looked so good... your voice and not a wasted word. THat flex to saw stop must be a tripping hazard? I hope you included links so we can get a quick look at 6" spiral pipe costs.

[@EigenDesigns]

I am glad you enjoyed it. Yes, the flex hose is a bit of a hazard, but it's only connected when I am using the sawstop. I use some MagPort quick-connect couplings to easily attach and remove the hose when not in use. The spiral pipe can be found at Rockler.com at search for spiralpipe. It's expensive stuff, be warned. It's not uncommon to have your ducting cost more than your dust collector. I have been operating this for about a year now and think very highly of the ducting, the blast gates, and the elbows. It's a significant step up from PVC, but you pay for it. Have a good day.

[@mark2talk2u]

Nice video. We understand your shop is cramped. Imagine if you could have a straight 10’ run going into the dust collector. No bends; no flex hose. I wonder how much of a CFM increase an ideal layout would add.

[@KathyAndrew]

Just figure the difference in the area of a circle 4" diameter versus 6". My 3hp cyclone with 6"" pipe does fairly well even with my wide belt sander and edge sander. The 15" planer works well even with 2 gates open. Did have to modify the edge sander port to 6". My wide belt sander had a small opening, and had to cut the opening a little bigger to get 6" connected, and it is the hardest machine I have to collect from. Problem now is a 50 gallon barrel fills very quickly.

[@PapaFlammy69]

We should most definitely collab at some point! :D

[@EigenDesigns]

Yes we should! Let’s keep in touch:)

[@tbunton2928]

I have a single stage d/c with 6" to every machine (including at the machine, no 4") and agree that the larger pipe size is the way to go but only if you're a one man shop. You'd need the 4" at each machine if more than one machine runs at a time though

[@EigenDesigns]

That’s a good point. The sum of the areas of the open ports shouldn’t exceed the area of the opening going into the dust collector. Thanks for sharing T Bunton.

[@AlexK07010]

Very informative video. Great job

[@EigenDesigns]

Thanks Alex! :)

[@stevesiefken2696]

Any issue with grounding? I thought metal ducts were prone to static issues.

[@EigenDesigns]

I haven’t had a single issue with the grounding. You can certainly add a grounding wire if that’s a concern

[@wjcraftineer]

Thanks for the excellent videos and thorough analysis. I really appreciate your precise measurements and the detailed graphs and tables comparing the results. However, you forgot one very important tool in your analysis… the “CNC”. I have been planning to purchase a OneFinity CNC, but do not yet have any dust collection. I was looking at the smaller Grizzly G0860 (1 ½ HP) dust collector to reduce cost (about $1000 vs about $2200 for G0862). What do you think is the minimum HP and CFM needed for the CNC? Did you measure the flow at your CNC? What factors compelled you to choose the 3HP G0862? Thanks! (I'm subscribing!)

[@EigenDesigns]

Hey WJ - thanks for your support... it means a lot. Regarding the flowrate at the CNC, I didn't measure it for two reason: (i) the ducting run from the dust collector to the CNC is very short and (ii) my CNC already had way more flowrate than it needed. Looking at the two dust collectors you mentioned, I think either of those would be plenty for a CNC, provided that you have a good dust boot. Beacuse of how close the dust collection hose gets to the CNC router, the CFMs needed for good dust extraction is much lower than something like a table saw. One thing I would highly recommend is a 4" dust collection hose. I used to have a 2-1/2" hose and it just wasnt big enough.

[@autoraiders9520]

For some 2” makes all the difference! 😳

[@EigenDesigns]

Especially when 2” doubles your existing system’s capacity. I hope you found this helpful.

[@johnt3461]

Thank you, this was well done and very well presented. May I ask one question: I want to upgrade to a new 3HP dust collector and I am torn between one like you have, the grizzly 3HP, which is considered a short cyclone design and a longer cyclone like the V-3000 Oneida. I hear comments on the lack of separation capabilities on the more compact units. Are you experiencing any poor separation to where your filter is clogging rapidly with the finer dust particles ? Do the longer cyclones actually work better?? I guess thats two questions, sorry.

[@EigenDesigns]

I personally have never had any issues with poor separation with my shorter cyclone unit. The only time the secondary bag starts to fill up is when the primary bag is full and its time to empty it out. I can see how a taller unit might improve the separation, but it just hasn't been an issue for me. I hope this helps you make your decision.

[@srhagood]

Any recommendations on who to purchase the ducting from?

[@EigenDesigns]

I bought mine from Rockler. They're epensive, but they're high quality.

[@michaelroth5234]

Hi Mr Eigen: I seem to have the same anemometer you have. I have had some challenges using it. In the CFM mode it is 4567 at the end duct the furtherst from the dust collector, and it should be around 440CFM`. And when I put it near the dust collector port it appear to be too strong for a reading. mine is a BT846A.

[@EigenDesigns]

Hey Micheal, I didn't trust the CFM measurements from the device. In order to calcuate a volumetric flow rate, you need to know the diameter of the pipe, which the anemometer does not. Instead, I took air velocity measurements and then used a spreadsheet to calculate the flow rate using the diameter of my ducting. You should give that a shot and see if that fixes your issue.

[@DotaBillfuc]

Increased cfm means decreased pressure…

[@TurdFerguson149]

Not necessarily