How To Inexpensive dust collection

FOG2

FOG2

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Nov 1, 2007
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My girlfriend gave me the ok to set up a shop in the garage. I will be doinf very little work in there but still I need a dust collector. I need something as cheap as possible for a variety of reasons.
Any advise Gentleman ?
 
I use a wet/dry vac. I use the bag AND the hepa filter. The bag catches 95% of the dust so my filter stays clean and efficient. I just use the 3" x 6" rectangular attachment and clamp it- opening up- under my bottom platen wheel. This catches most of the dust. I also have a box fan with an ac filter on the intake side behind my grinder. Sucks a lot of the dust that escapes my vacuum. I have considered making some sort of enclosure around my grinder as well, but I'm pretty tight on space as well as time. I'm sure a dust collector would be better, but for now, at my hobbiest volume, this works pretty well.
 
A shop vac is definitely better than nothing, but if you can ever set up a real dust collector, it's well worth it.
Mine is 1.5hp, vents outside, and has a 6" line running to the grinder. It pulls enough of a vacuum in the shop that if one of the doors closes, it takes noticeably more effort to open it. But I can grind for 6 hours straight with no respirator, and not have a hint of the black boogers. The only downside is it tries to suck my belt up whenever I go to change it.


Looking on Craigslist could be worth it. Might be able to find either a used dust collector with missing bags (set it up to vent outside) or other suitable blower in your price range.
 
I try to do the extra messy jobs like planing or heavy wood sanding outside. I can divide the shop with curtains and keep the 'messy' side as small as possible.
 
The HF 1 hp dust collector is the cheapest step up from just a shop vac. Some sort of square to round intake and vent outside if possible.
 

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I think I going to try a shop vac with a bag in it. It may be enuff for the amout of work I will be doing.
I am guessing a vac with the largest motor woul be good? What do i need to know about bags? I believe the come in different microns?

What would you suggest in a vac and bag purchase?
 
I'd get the largest one you have space for. I don't like changing my bags very often and you will be making plenty of dust. Just be careful if you are using it to collect steel dust while grinding. They can catch fire.
 
The words "inexpensive" and "dust collection" really don't belong in the same sentence unless accompanied by words like "ineffective". I have spent many years and a bunch of money learning what it takes to have effective dust collection. And while it is possible to be frugal, a cheap system usually ends up being a waste of money in the long run and gives a false sense of security in the short run. We really need some more information about what equipment you are trying to collect dust from to give you more specific advice
 
To answer the above question I am a guy basically just filling idle time. I have a decent drill press and the way to fast and most hated 1x30 grinder. Today I was donated a 12gallon 5hp shop vac so imma get a bag and heppa for it. I believe it will be enuff for my needs. When I am grinding steel is the only concern.
Thanks for your suggestions.
 
A shop vac will be fine for use with a drill press, it will be OK or a little small for the 1X30 depending on how you design your hood and deal with the sparks. The HEPA filter is essential, otherwise you are just pumping the fine dust through the vac back into the air. Do your research and figure out how you will trap the sparks though. Sparks in the vac canister are bad, very bad.
 
Mahoney makes a great point about a shop vac not filtering the fine dust(which is the dangerous stuff). If your shop vacs has an actual exhaust port, I would vent that baby outside with a hose. The less you get airborne the better.
 
Rick Marchand said:
Mahoney makes a great point about a shop vac not filtering the fine dust(which is the dangerous stuff). If your shop vacs has an actual exhaust port, I would vent that baby outside with a hose. The less you get airborne the better.
Click to expand...

I use a shop vac with a HEPA filter and a filter bag to keep the hepa from clogging quickly. I also use a spark bong arrester with both steel and handle materials which keeps me from lighting my vac on fire, and catches the biggest handle sanding residue. Though it doesn't catch everything at the grinder, I have no fine particulate exiting the vac.
 
I have a Hepa on it but found out there are no bags that fit the Rigid vac I have. Sans venting the exhaust outside do you think a muffler would suffice? From what I have read they work but to what extent I dont know. I need to do something about sparks. I need to research spark bongs it seems.
 
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