# Dust Control



## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 28, 2017)

Hey guys!

I'm looking for some help in getting a small dust collector for a VERY small/crowded shop I run in my backyard. I have been using a shop vac and I recently purchased a Wen 3 speed filter that hangs from the ceiling. I'm tired of the noise generated by the shop vac, but I don't want to break the bank on a collector, either.

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 28, 2017)

There's a bunch of good small dust collectors out there now. Harbor freight one can be had cheap if you watch for salesand it is easy to upgrade with a better filter or better bag. Penstate has good small dust collectors. The one that Rockler has that mounts on the wall is very versatile as well, I think it is called the dust right. Watch craigslist for used ones too! I bought a used but like new harbor freight unit with the wenn filter upgrade, came to find out the guy was a member here, lol. I just did some seam sealing on it and it works excellent. I now have to dust collectors that where both purchased off craigslist, found a big psi cyclone there too. I still might get that dust deputy from rockler because you can get a real long hose for it, tons of attachments, and it would have better suction that a shop vac and be way quieter. Used jets and powermatics are good too, as well as some grizzly's.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Dec 28, 2017)

Another thing to think about, depending on where you live, out a shed outside the shop, put the dust collector in there and run a pipe through the wall. Cut way down on noise in the shop and in a shed or lean to shouldn't be too noisy for the neighbors either.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 28, 2017)

Well that's a mouthful, there. :)

We just got an HF in our small town, and I've spent more money there in the past 2 months than I have in years, and more than I thought I ever would, too. Not a bunch, but a few hundred bucks, I'm sure.

@woodtickgreg Is it your experience that a cheap collector has to be upgraded in some way or do they work just fine as is? I don't want to spend a lot of time either upgrading or fixing equipment, but even some reviews on collectors that are over $300 were saying the filter bag clogged easily with fine dust, which is mostly what I would use it for.

Many thanks!


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## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 28, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Another thing to think about, depending on where you live, out a shed outside the shop, put the dust collector in there and run a pipe through the wall. Cut way down on noise in the shop and in a shed or lean to shouldn't be too noisy for the neighbors either.



I've been pondering that, but I'm in a rental and I'd have to shell out some money for the shed to even happen. That IS my preference, though. I'm done with the ears ringing after a 20 minute sand job.


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 29, 2017)

HuntsvilleTurner said:


> Well that's a mouthful, there. :)
> 
> @woodtickgreg Is it your experience that a cheap collector has to be upgraded in some way or do they work just fine as is? I don't want to spend a lot of time either upgrading or fixing equipment, but even some reviews on collectors that are over $300 were saying the filter bag clogged easily with fine dust, which is mostly what I would use it for.
> Many thanks!


You'll get many mixed answers on this but here is my opinion on upgrades, dust bags, and pleated paper filters like the wenn. If a dust bag plugs easily then it is doing it's job and capturing all the fine dust particles that you don't want to be breathing. Usually if you just bang or slap the bag before and after running it nocks the fine cake off the bag. Pleated filters offer much more surface area and plug slower but are not as easy to clean, they too can be shaken, slapped, and banged around gently to remove the fine cake.
But also keep a couple of things in mind, you get what you pay for, and a dust collector can always be upgraded.
The wenn filter can cost almost as much as the hf dust collector, but is worth it in my opinion. A better dust bag with a finer micron rating will cost less but you loose the surface area. Many guys just buy a used collector or a cheap one and then just put it to use, then they decide what they like or dislike about it and if they want to upgrade it. I like the benefits of a portable dust collector like the hf model, mine is upgraded to a wenn filter and works well. I use it with my planer and jointer and it collects a ton of chips and keeps the air clean. I also run a shop made air cleaner when I'm sanding.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Rich P. (Dec 29, 2017)

I agree with woodtickgreg, many of the dust collectors come with very similar motors and impeller fans but the filters and collection bags can very greatly and that is the important part for health reasons. It is a common practice to buy a HF a dust collector and make upgrades to it. I think they maybe even the same collector as some of the Jets out there. The HF Dust collector comes with a 30 micron bag filter, I think. If you are only using it collecting bigger chips it maybe OK. Anything other than large chips would be a health hazard. The paper filters that woodtickgreg was referring to start around 2 microns and get even better. Some of the Winn filters go down to .3 microns. 

In a nut shell, you do not want to be breathing air from your shop that has been filtered through a 30 micron bag. It is not the wood chips from the planner that will give you lung problems it is the fine dust that will get you. I understand not having the money and not wanting to spend it but if you are doing anything that creates fine dust your future health is worth the couple hundred dollar investment. 

Rich P.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 4


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## TMAC (Dec 29, 2017)

I have the Harbot Freight collector and have had no problems with it. I bought a separator to catch the big chips, cut a hole in my shop wall and vented outside so I don't have to contend with fine dust.


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## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 29, 2017)

Rich P. said:


> In a nut shell, you do not want to be breathing air from your shop that has been filtered through a 30 micron bag. It is not the wood chips from the planner that will give you lung problems it is the fine dust that will get you. I understand not having the money and not wanting to spend it but if you are doing anything that creates fine dust your future health is worth the couple hundred dollar investment.
> 
> Rich P.


I agree about the health risks, I don't want to be cheap and kill myself in the process. I've got a Wen shop filter for the fine particles that float in the air, but it is the sanding on the lathe I want to change, especially since I'm experimenting with pneumatic sanding. Currently use a shop vac and I want to get both the noise and equipment bulk out of the shop.

I may do a lean-to on the backside and pipe it all in. I'll look into a used collector somewhere and see what I come up with. I'm going to have to upgrade electrical at some point though, I think I've maxed out this 'used to be a carport'since the lights kicked off on me last night...

I haven't been on here in a while, but this place sure is great. I love the discussion. Keep up the good work.

Reactions: Like 2


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## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 29, 2017)

TMAC said:


> I have the Harbot Freight collector and have had no problems with it. I bought a separator to catch the big chips, cut a hole in my shop wall and vented outside so I don't have to contend with fine dust.


Do you have a picture I can look at? I'd like a cyclone separator before any filtration happens, but I would think it would need to be quite large.


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## Rich P. (Dec 29, 2017)

Check out Oneida dust deputy. They make a couple of different sizes. Look for one that would match the diameter of of what the dust collector can handle. They are extremely efficient, very little material will end up going through your filters and collect.
Rich P.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Dec 29, 2017)

Or a garbage can sperator


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## Woodworking Vet (Dec 29, 2017)

Bradley, I too have a small shop (12x16). I have both the Harbor Freight dust collector and a shop vac as well as the Wen air filtration unit. Here are my set ups;

The HF Dust collector used to me inside my shop but it took up so much space. I ended up buying a small out door shed made of resin and designed to hold two garbage cans. It is located just outside my shop. I cut a hole in the back of the resin shed and another in my shop, ran a 6" tube and then sealed all the joints. The dust collector is mounted in the resin shed along with a metal garbage can with a separator lid. The exhaust of the dust collector is vented to the outside of the resin shed. The 4" dust collection hose and power cable is routed through the 6" tube into the shop. When I'm in the shop I cannot hear the dust collector and now I have a lot more room. I live with no nearby neighbors so the minimal noise isn't an issue.

My shop vac is a large and rather loud Craftsman unit. I do have the Oneida dust deputy hooked up to it and it works awesome however the shop vac is still pretty loud. Any time I had to run it I would just put on my hearing protection. Its almost a necessity considering how loud it is. Recently, because I finally got tired of the noise, I ended up hooking up a hose to the exhaust port of the shop vac and connected it to a 2.5" port on the side of my shop. The exhaust port is now vented outside which reduces the noise considerably. Again, I have no nearby neighbors which is good because the bulk of the noise that I had inside the shop is now outside. If I'm running the shop vac for a period of time I still wear my hearing protection but if its just for a minute I don't need to anymore.

The Wen is mounted high and works quite well. With all three pieces of equipment I find my shop less dusty and easier to breath in. If I'm making a ton of shavings I still use a broom and dust pan for the bulk of it, its the quietest solution. I understand you live in a rental so drilling holes and the like wouldn't be an option but I wanted to share what my set up was regardless.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 29, 2017)

Woodworking Vet said:


> I understand you live in a rental so drilling holes and the like wouldn't be an option but I wanted to share what my set up was regardless.


Thanks for the tips, I might just vent the shop vac out of a window during daytime hours until I can afford a collection setup. That's a good call, didn't think of that before.


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## Woodworking Vet (Dec 29, 2017)

HuntsvilleTurner said:


> Thanks for the tips, I might just vent the shop vac out of a window during daytime hours until I can afford a collection setup. That's a cool call, didn't think of that before.



You can also try the shop vac exhaust muffler from Home Depot. After I vented outside I added this, there is a slight reduction in noise, not much though. If it doesn't work well enough for you HD has a good return policy. The other benefit of venting the exhaust outside is that you no longer have that stream of air blowing dust all around in the shop. I noticed my Wen filters last much longer now.


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## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 29, 2017)

Woodworking Vet said:


> You can also try the shop vac exhaust muffler from Home Depot.



Yes, I've tried one of these in the past, and while I'm sure that scientifically speaking it reduces some noise, but I couldn't tell a difference at all.


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 29, 2017)

I just had a thought, is it wenn or winn?
Either way they are great filters, lol.


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## HuntsvilleTurner (Dec 29, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> I just had a thought, is it wenn or winn?
> Either way they are great filters, lol.


When you want a Wen for the win, it's just a matter of when...oh, and where.

Reactions: Funny 2


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