I've been running my own woodworking shop out of my garage for about three years now, and I'm finally at the point where I need to upgrade my dust collection setup. The problem is that I'm working in a fairly small space—about 20 by 25 feet—and I've got a mix of stationary tools and handheld stuff. The fine dust is getting everywhere, and I'm starting to worry less about the mess and more about my lungs.
Right now, I'm running a Harbor Freight 2HP dust collector that I picked up used, and I've got it hooked up to my table saw and planer through a quick-switch setup with some 4-inch flex hose. It works okay for the big chips, but I can tell it's not doing much for the really fine stuff that hangs in the air for hours. I tried adding a Wynn Environmental canister filter a few months back, which helped a little, but the static pressure drops off pretty fast when I run ducting to anything more than ten feet away. I've also considered building a Thien separator lid for the 30-gallon drum I'm using, but I'm not sure if that's going to solve the core problem or just be a band-aid.
My budget is tight—I'd like to keep this under $500 if possible, and I'm willing to do some DIY. I've got a basic set of tools and I'm handy with sheet metal, so I'm not scared of fabrication. The biggest constraint is space: I can't really add a dedicated cyclone or a huge filter stack because the garage is already jammed with lumber racks and workbenches. I've been looking at the ClearVue CV1800 as a dream setup, but that's way out of my price range and size footprint. Well, at least I think so—I haven't actually measured the ceiling height, but I'm guessing 10 feet isn't enough for that kind of thing.
So here's where I'm stuck: should I scrap the Harbor Freight unit entirely and look at a used shop-vac-based system with a HEPA filter and a long hose, or is there a way to make my current collector work better with better ducting and perhaps a smaller, more efficient filter? I've read conflicting opinions on whether a 4-inch main line is enough for a small shop like mine, and I'm honestly getting cross-eyed from all the forum debates. What would you do if you had my setup and budget? Any specific product recommendations or mods that worked for you in a tight space? I'd love to hear what other small-shop guys have done without breaking the bank.
Right now, I'm running a Harbor Freight 2HP dust collector that I picked up used, and I've got it hooked up to my table saw and planer through a quick-switch setup with some 4-inch flex hose. It works okay for the big chips, but I can tell it's not doing much for the really fine stuff that hangs in the air for hours. I tried adding a Wynn Environmental canister filter a few months back, which helped a little, but the static pressure drops off pretty fast when I run ducting to anything more than ten feet away. I've also considered building a Thien separator lid for the 30-gallon drum I'm using, but I'm not sure if that's going to solve the core problem or just be a band-aid.
My budget is tight—I'd like to keep this under $500 if possible, and I'm willing to do some DIY. I've got a basic set of tools and I'm handy with sheet metal, so I'm not scared of fabrication. The biggest constraint is space: I can't really add a dedicated cyclone or a huge filter stack because the garage is already jammed with lumber racks and workbenches. I've been looking at the ClearVue CV1800 as a dream setup, but that's way out of my price range and size footprint. Well, at least I think so—I haven't actually measured the ceiling height, but I'm guessing 10 feet isn't enough for that kind of thing.
So here's where I'm stuck: should I scrap the Harbor Freight unit entirely and look at a used shop-vac-based system with a HEPA filter and a long hose, or is there a way to make my current collector work better with better ducting and perhaps a smaller, more efficient filter? I've read conflicting opinions on whether a 4-inch main line is enough for a small shop like mine, and I'm honestly getting cross-eyed from all the forum debates. What would you do if you had my setup and budget? Any specific product recommendations or mods that worked for you in a tight space? I'd love to hear what other small-shop guys have done without breaking the bank.
