Dust Collection: Talk Me Out of This

[Murray M]

I often build on site so my shop is mostly portable. 

However, I have a few stationary tools that need dust collection:
1) Miter saw with Rousseau Dust Hood 
2) 14" Vintage bandsaw with the miserable tiny dust port
3) 18" modern bandsaw with 2 4" ports

I've gone down the Bill Pentz black hole and considered taking his advice to spend super big money on a very powerful DC system, however:
1) I only have 3 machines  
2) Only one of those machines would effectively leverage the nice DC system
3) Two of my machines would tend to waste the nice DC system. 


SO

Is a shop vac/cyclone separator a bad idea to partner with a modern bs with 2 4" ports?
Is a shop vac/cyclone separator a bad idea to partner with a miter saw?

Y'all talk me out of just buying  shop vacs with cyclone separators. 

[Lumber Yard®]

Just purchase the cheap 2HP HF model to make due until/if you decide you need something better. It's not great but it is serviceable when you upgrade the bag(s) especially if you use it one machine at a time.

[Murray M]

Just purchase the cheap 2HP HF model to make due until/if you decide you need something better. It's not great but it is serviceable when you upgrade the bag(s) especially if you use it one machine at a time.

Interesting. 

But that will be hard for me: I love to keep looking at the thing that's just a little more money but does something a little better until it's twice as expensive. And then quadruple. And so on until I'm back to the $3500 Bill Pentz designed Cyclone. 

But I also know I have this disease. So then I go back to your idea.

[TDKPE]

And so on until I'm back to the $3500 Bill Pentz designed Cyclone. 

Build your own Pentz designed cyclone.  Put a 3 hp or larger blower on top.  I opened up the intake and exhaust ports on my 2 hp HFDC, plopped it on top of the cyclone separator, and blow it out the window, and it sucks a wind storm.  

Not as much as a good 3 hp or larger blower would, but a darn sight better than as-delivered, with bags and a twin 4” ports.

Tin snips, a pop rivet gun, and some duct sealant, plus a little woodworking for the stand, is all it took.  It separates down to wood flour, as witnessed by the layer of wood flour on top of the chips in the bin after doing a lot of sanding on the lathe or fine, dusty cutting on the table saw, like MDF.

[Howard Pollack]

Build your own Pentz designed cyclone.  Put a 3 hp or larger blower on top.  I opened up the intake and exhaust ports on my 2 hp HFDC, plopped it on top of the cyclone separator, and blow it out the window, and it sucks a wind storm.  

Not as much as a good 3 hp or larger blower would, but a darn sight better than as-delivered, with bags and a twin 4” ports.

Tin snips, a pop rivet gun, and some duct sealant, plus a little woodworking for the stand, is all it took.  It separates down to wood flour, as witnessed by the layer of wood flour on top of the chips in the bin after doing a lot of sanding on the lathe or fine, dusty cutting on the table saw, like MDF.

If you are able, would you please post a photo of this?  Thanks- Howard

[Bob10]

I often build on site so my shop is mostly portable. 

However, I have a few stationary tools that need dust collection:
1) Miter saw with Rousseau Dust Hood 
2) 14" Vintage bandsaw with the miserable tiny dust port
3) 18" modern bandsaw with 2 4" ports

I've gone down the Bill Pentz black hole and considered taking his advice to spend super big money on a very powerful DC system, however:
1) I only have 3 machines  
2) Only one of those machines would effectively leverage the nice DC system
3) Two of my machines would tend to waste the nice DC system. 


SO

Is a shop vac/cyclone separator a bad idea to partner with a modern bs with 2 4" ports?
Is a shop vac/cyclone separator a bad idea to partner with a miter saw?

Y'all talk me out of just buying  shop vacs with cyclone separators. 

Watch CL it is going to be flooded with stuff shortly if not already

[Murray M]

Watch CL it is going to be flooded with stuff shortly if not already

darn good point.

[measure once cut remeasure]

Any plans to add more machines ?

[Murray M]

Any plans to add more machines ?

Moderately. But nothing big.

[fredhargis]

I'm real big on good DC, so I guess I think the shop vac/separator idea isn't going to cut it. But I also don't think you need to buy a CV unless you're just looking for ways to spend your stimulus money. So, the advice to get a HF unit and make do may not be a bad one, I think my first choice would be to scale down your "very powerful DC" system to something more realistic and hook it up.