dust collector and separator question

I just got a 2HP, 1550 CFM Fox Shop dust collector. It has a 6" duct. A guy at the store recommended to add a separator but it must be bigger than a regular trash can or dust will be kept airborne because of high turbulence in a small can volume and won't settle at the bottom making separator work only for bigger heavier dust particles and not for smaller particles which are more dangerous. He recommended at least 55 gallon can. The problem is that I don't have that much space available in my shop.

Does any one tried smaller cans for separator? How does it work?

Thanks, Alex

Reply to
Alex
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BTW I'll be using it on 2"x72" belt grinder.

Reply to
Alex

I just got a 2HP, 1550 CFM Fox Shop dust collector. It has a 6" duct. A guy at the store recommended to add a separator but it must be bigger than a regular trash can or dust will be kept airborne because of high turbulence in a small can volume and won't settle at the bottom making separator work only for bigger heavier dust particles and not for smaller particles which are more dangerous. He recommended at least 55 gallon can. The problem is that I don't have that much space available in my shop.

Does any one tried smaller cans for separator? How does it work?

Thanks, Alex

I have that DC and it works great with a separator lid on a 30 gallon trash can.

HOWEVER.....Please tell me that you are planning on using THIS dc for grinding steel/metal/non-wood stuff!!! That is a good way to set your filter bags on fire.

If it is for grinding wood, you may find that the separator doesn't do a lot for dust....chips, yes, dust not so well.

Mike

Reply to
The Davenport's

Mostly carbon steel and some wood occasionally. I'll be cleaning up bags before switching.

Reply to
Alex

Has anyone tried making a home built wet dust collector? Should eliminate setting the bags on fire. What I'm thinking is attaching the duct from the dust collector to (through) the lid of a 30 gal. (metal) drum. Have another duct from the sander also attached to the drum lid, but extending down inside to about 6" from the bottom of the drum (might need a grate or screen a few inches above it to breakup the incoming air). Fill the drum about 2/3 full of water. Would a 2hp dust collector be strong enough to pull enough air through the water to be useful? Paul

Reply to
Paul

Reply to
carl mciver

"carl mciver" wrote in message news:CB86f.3814$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...

Carl, As a matter of fact I do have a Rainbow vacuum, but I think there is a huge difference between how fast things grow in 2 gallons of water in a vacuum (sucking up who know what off your floors) and 20 gallons of water in dust collector for a belt sander. We have a large commercially built wet dust collector (RotoClone) at work that holds about 50 - 60 gallons water that is hooked up to our blasting cabinet and three belt sanders. In the last three years it has only been emptied once to clean out the metal sludge inside and it doesn't smell at all. I think you are missing the point about the water, it is the filter so reducing the volume of the drum isn't an issue. The air from the sander enters below the surface of the water and has to pass through it. The hot sparks get cooled, greatly reducing the risk of setting the filter bags on fire, and most of the dust gets captured by the water and sinks to the bottom instead of going into the cloth filter bags. Cleaning will be a chore as ferrous dust will form into a solid cake at the bottom, but it will take years of home shop use before cleaning is really needed. If it is too much of a hassle to clean, keep the lid, bring the drum to the landfill/recycling center/scrap yard and get a new drum. As for the sawdust sitting on top, the OP said he sands mostly metal so that shouldn't be an issue. He also said he didn't have room for a 55 gal drum. If the OP sands a lot of light metals (like aluminum) a wet dust collector is definitely the way to go since dry dust collectors are not recommended because of the danger of explosions. Paul

Reply to
Paul

You can probably look at your dust collector specs. Most vacuum systems are rated in inches of water for max vacuum and another rating for flow at some lessor inches of water vacuum.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

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