Now that I have invested in a new DC, another job begins of hooking things up and closing things in to help collect as much wood dust as possible. Have a General 50-175 contractor saw, I am thinking that a 2 piece cutout configuration would likely work and maybe attach with some earth mags... any tips from others on this one? Also, will start hooking up pipe and flex hose to stations, is pvc plus the flex the best way to go?

Is it clear flex?

 

PVC causes alot of static electricity and you will need to run a wire inside of it to ground it.

 

Shape the collector like a funnel around 8 inches wide behind saw.

Pvc is fine. You can run the ground wire. I don't have it on mine. I get more static on my shop vac than I do on the DC.

On this grounding, to you just screw it in at variable pts along the piping and can it go on the outside rather than in?

Greg, PVC is great, also consider AC metal ducting, it doesn't need to be grounded, is very easy to install, the elbows flex and you can make it go where you want it. Don't worry about CFM loss through the joints or elbows, in my experience it's negligible if any at all. No the ducts don't collapse, I like mine, just another option for you to consider. Plus there are more options available to you in metal ducting, such as floor sweeps, stepped down diameters to the machinery, and it's easy to reconfigure. I don't know what the guys use to fasten the PVC lengths together with. But with the metal ducting, it comes apart quickly and your able to reconfigure it to suit your needs. I know from experience, in a matter of months or a year, your gonna see that your current configuration could be better!

Using PVC will be the inexpensive route. DO NOT glue the pvc joints. Like John says..........you may want to change the configuration later. If it makes you feel better..........wrap duct tape at the joints. Dust does build up on and around PVC, but most folks will tell you grounding is not necessary. The only problem you may run into would be getting fittings to fit the       4" PVC to the 4" tool connections. One other thing..........stay away from "T"s and use double 45's if possible insted of a 90.

this is all helpful, you are right on the $'s, gets expensive up here in Canada, got the flex in US when I picked up the DC, will plan it out with some option of moving things around later. There could be a whole discussion on 'Standards' eh! nobody seems to want to get together and make things works with each others products, then they get so big they can't turn back. tks for your help guys, again.

I agree with the 2 Johns about the grounding. Inside or out makes zero difference. All good info given. Good luck, bob

Hello Greg. Here is a link to a site that could save you alot of money on fittings.

http://www.harderwoods.com/pipetemplate.php

Greg,  I put my PVC together with Silicon. It seals the joint, but it can be taken apart to reconfigure if you want to move them around. Also using the PVC drain pipe it is less expensive so if you need another joint it doesn't cost a lot of money. I will try to get some better pictures of my setup.

 

Of course there is nothing wrong with going metal. It is just a little more expensive but it does have some advantages as John mentioned.

Greg, here are a few pictures of the duct work run to my machines. I used PVC and as I said earlier I put it together with Silicon. I put enough on to cause it to squeeze out and it seals up nicely. You can then take it apart if you need to.

 

I hope this helps you out some.

I'm late to the party here, but I used the 2 cutout pieces on my CS when i hooked it up to the DC. I held mine on with a sheet metal screw in each piece, but the magnets sound like a much better plan. I also put a 3/4" high yellow label with big black letters on the front rail of my rip fence that read "Remove  rear covers before tilt!!!". To be honest, that label didn't help as much as it should have.

John Moody said:

Greg, here are a few pictures of the duct work run to my machines. I used PVC and as I said earlier I put it together with Silicon. I put enough on to cause it to squeeze out and it seals up nicely. You can then take it apart if you need to.=

 

Tks John, finished wiring 220v to the DC and added 220v to Bandsaw while I was at it, can't believe how much space ducting takes up just like all the other stuff in a small shop. Will be well worth it in the long run. tks for the shots, I picked up quite a bit of flex while down in Bellingham, much cheaper than up in Canuckland, so will be going with most of that I think, going to look at either over top then down or like your around then down.

 

 

I hope this helps you out some.

Owe ya! the tilting! will have to rethink. tks

Fred W. Hargis, Jr said:

I'm late to the party here, but I used the 2 cutout pieces on my CS when i hooked it up to the DC. I held mine on with a sheet metal screw in each piece, but the magnets sound like a much better plan. I also put a 3/4" high yellow label with big black letters on the front rail of my rip fence that read "Remove  rear covers before tilt!!!". To be honest, that label didn't help as much as it should have.

It's clear flex

dragon1 said:

Is it clear flex?

 

PVC causes alot of static electricity and you will need to run a wire inside of it to ground it.

 

Shape the collector like a funnel around 8 inches wide behind saw.

That label probably need to be over the slot and tilt scale.

Dan Coleman

Fred W. Hargis, Jr said:

I'm late to the party here, but I used the 2 cutout pieces on my CS when i hooked it up to the

DC

. I held mine on with a sheet metal screw in each piece, but the magnets sound like a much better plan. I also put a 3/4" high yellow label with big black letters on the front rail of my rip fence that read "Remove  rear covers before tilt!!!". To be honest, that label didn't help as much as it should have

.

Well fired the DC up and away we go... I was somewhat surprised at the amount of dust still coming off the blade, now I can see why a dust grabber around the blade is also used. Any other suggestions that in how the rest of you deal with that dust off the blade? But it is a welcome addition being able to suck up all the other dust coming from the bottom cavity of the saw.

greg fee said:

It's clear flex

dragon1 said:

Those chips are moving so fast about the only thing I've ever seen work was a good overarm guard. I went through 3 iterations (shop built to Shark Guard to Excalibur) and get most of the chips. The Shark was about the least expensive purchased, adn quite handy. But I got a fair deal on a used Excalibur and installed it. I understand even the newer saw designs with blade shrouds in the cabinet still throw considerable dust from the blade.the

greg fee said:

Well fired the DC up and away we go... I was somewhat surprised at the amount of dust still coming off the blade, now I can see why a dust grabber around the blade is also used. Any other suggestions that in how the rest of you deal with that dust off the blade? But it is a welcome addition being able to suck up all the other dust coming from the bottom cavity of the saw.

You may want to check your blade alinement. Take a ruler and measure a tooth on the front of your blade  to your miter gauge slot. Mark the tooth with a marker. Rotate the tooth to the back of the slot and measure again. It should be exact. If not, your blade is not square to the slot. That will throw a lot of dust up from the back of the blade. Tilt your blade to 45 degrees and check again also. You have to loosen up the table top to aline the blade. Make sure you use a good blade to measure from also. Hope this helps. bob