For the past few years, dust collection, or rather the lack of dust collection has been a really big problem in my shop. My work horse tools really haven’t had an efficient way for me to remove debris from them. I’m excited to have this setup with blast gates and all my machines hooked into one system. It’s goanna make my shop much more efficient and product. Not to mention much cleaner and safer for me to work in.
Step 1: map out where you want all tools and hook ups to be
The first step is to map out where you want all your tools that require dust collection to be. If you are familiar with the Poor man’s Workshop, It’s in a two car garage like most non-commercial shops and space is at a premium so being strategic how I run the piping is important.
Step 2: install all horizontal piping and fitting
The Second step is to get all the horizontal piping setup and running across to the different tools in your shop. I chose to use PVC because I felt like there were a lot more fitting options that were available at the big box store. I also felt like PVC was much easier to trim. It only take a simple jig saw or Sawzall to make the cuts. Metal HVAC ducting is a common choice as well Though
Pro tip: Whatever you decide to use, It’s important to keep the diameter of the piping as large as you can for the majority of your system. By reducing the diameter you are reducing the CFM’s which is essential the volume of air that can be pulled through the piping. Which in returns reduces the amount of dust it can pull at once.
Step 3: Install vertical drop down piping
With all the Horizontal ducting installed it's time to work on the vertical drop downs. Map out where you want the PVC to end and your blast gate to go. Cut the PVC to Length and then install. Pretty easy to make sure that the fitting and piping are sealed tight I found this PVC tap at Home depot that works great! It’s very durable and has a high PSI rating, so it will hold up to any small leaks you might encounter.
Pro Tip: When it comes to any of your pipe fitting, especially the 90 degree fittings, you want to avoid any sharp turns. If you have to many sharp turns in your system, it will reduce the CFMs and the efficiency of your dust collector. Not to mention dust could collect in the those sharp corners, and it would be a pain to have to pull it all apart to find where the clog is. The larger the turn the better it is for your dust collection system.
Step 4: install blast gates
Blast gates are these awesome little gate that allows you to shut off the air flow to the tool it’s hooked up to, allowing you to concentrate all the CFM’s on one tool, giving it the best suction and dust collection while in use. These blast gates I got from wood craft are great and they work with the 4” PVC and flex hose I used. Blast gates really help with productivity as well. Instead of taking time hooking up your dust collector or shop-vac to each tool any time you use it, you just open the gate on the tool you are using then shut all the other gates, and boom your ready to go!
Pro Tip: Make sure your blast gates are solid and stable. f that means having to screw them into the wall or on the bottom of your table saw table, (that's what I did for my table saw blast gate) then do it. The last thing you want is a weak blast gates that moves when you are needing to open or shut it in a hurry. That's how they get broken.
Step 5: Connect dust collector
Now it’s time to move the dust collector back into place and get it connected. Attach a 45 Degree fitting to the connection on your dust port and then attached and then attach some flex hose to connect the dust collection system. You could run some solid PVC all the way down to the dust collector itself, but you want a little flexibility to move the dust collector around if needed.
Pro tip: limit your use of flex hose because the thinness of the hose wall will reduce your CFM’s as well. You really should only use it where the system attaches to your tools.
Step 6: Attach tools to blast gates
Now It's time to attach your tools to the blast gates using flex hose. this is another spot I would recommend using flex hose, that way you have the ability to adjust the position of your tools if needed. The flex hose attaches to the blast gates with some simple Keyed hose clamps. There are some other wire hose clamps That much better and stay much tighter too.
And that is the complete setup of my dust collection system for right now. I’m sure I’ll add a bit to it later on, but for right now it works great! It runs to both walls of my garage and has a drop down right where my table saw is and will be staying. I’m super excited to finally be able to collect dust efficiently in my shop and not have to sweep as much of it into a dust pan. Oh and no more dust boogers is always a plus.
Something to consider: Now there is a thought that static electricity can build up in the system causing a spark and ultimately starting the dust and dust system on fire if you don’t find a way to ground it. This is usually done by adding a copper wire throughout the piping that is grounded on one end. While this idea seems valid, I have yet to find an actual case where not grounding a system lead to a static fire, which leads me to ask if this is one of those tall tales in the wood working world, or if there are actual cases of that happening. Now I will probably go back and add a grounding wire at some point to put my mind at ese for my own system but I'm not so sure it's necessary. I encourage you to always take the safer route. If that means adding a grounding wire, do it. I encourage you to do your own research, and I take no responsibility for your burnt down shop. Those are just my own thoughts!
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