# HF Dust Collector - Ported Outside



## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

I have viewed a thread where Gene Howe had a picture of his Harbor Freight Dust Collector set up inside his shop and the out take/exhaust hose went throught the wall and the debris was ported outside. This is what I plan on doing and am looking for Gene or anyone else for that matter to offer any advice, things to do, things not to do and or tips on having the dust collected outside. Thanks in advance.


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## Dr Neon (Apr 15, 2010)

Howdy. I too, am planning on setting up my Reliant 1 hp dust collector outside. First I have to build the outside...It will be a small (6' X 9') add-on to the side of my shop, doubling as a material storage area. My thought was to use 4" PVC as the main tube. With ground straps installed. Use 4 X 2-1/2" 'Y' connectors at each pick-up place (4) and blast gates at each pick-up place. Total run approx 20'. Have that empty into a 15 gal barrel on the inside, and out again through the wall to the two-bag collector. The 15 gal barrel will pick up all the big stuff. Rockler has some plastic hose fitting kits for this purpose. About $50. I haven't priced the whole thing, but I doubt I'll go over $150-200.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

*Thoughts on putting dust collection outside shopl*

I'm thinking of doing the same thing and working out exactly how to do it. I have a large shed and at the moment the collection gear (30 gal chip separator, blower, filter bag) are located on one wall, mounted to the studs. 

My plan is to build a square mini shed on the back side of the shed to house all the gear, using a Rockler through the wall tube to mount the hose inside and to lead to the chip collector outside. I have a scrap louvered door that I'll put on the outside box to allow the air and any dust escape. I'm debating whether to put a door inside just big enough to access the chip collector, since it fills up fairly fast and I don't want to walk outside during winter to check. I am also considering just installing a strip of clear plastic on the chip drum so I can see the sawdust level without having to open the drum itself every time. There is a small amount of ultra fine sawdust that escapes through the filter bag, so I'm thinking of making a wire shelf about a foot above the mini-shed floor so I can clean it out from time to time. Will put a slanted roof on top of this 2' x2' square add on to handle rain and snow. I figure I'll gain another 4 sqft inside the shop, which in a 12x24 space will free up just enough critical space for my band saw, which I now have to move to cut anything long on my table saw. I also just finished a 20" by 20" fan and filter box to pull fine sawdust out of the air. Works nicely.

Now all I need to do is find a way to store sheet goods out of the weather, they take up an inordinate amount of space inside the shop right now. Thinking of adding an 8' by 16 ft covered deck attached to the shed door. Maybe I can put a cabinet for wood storage out there, vented to the shed? I will be rolling my sliding miter saw out there when I need it since it seems impossible to control its massive dust output inside. Any ideas about that? Hope this helps.

Attached pictures are of a metal Water Heater cabinet from HD, a wood do it yourself mini shed and something like what I have in mind for storing wood.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

I was looking at physically having the collector inside and the dust and chips blown outside into a drum or box or can or bag. The picture Gene had was just of the dust collector against the shops wall with the exhaust hose going through the wall outside. The filter bag and collection bag were not connected to the dust collector just the exhaust hose.

I see the benefits of having the DC outside or in another room but for now am looking at having it inside with the collection outside


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Jim, unless you are using one of the collecters with a pleated filter cartridge you are better off placing the unit outside. I have one of the older HF units and at start up it spews a large amount of dust through the bag.


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## MorrisonCharles (Feb 13, 2009)

I strongly suggest that you put the collector outside also to lower the noise level and make the whole DC system together and easy to service.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Hi Marco,
Of course, the first thing I did was get rid of the bags and the wheels.
A 30 gal. separator was already in line.
I cut a hole in 2 pieces of 1/2" ply that would allow a 4" double wall flue pipe to fit through. I got the pipe at ACE. Took in a section of hose and found the pipe that it fit snugly.
Then I cut holes with a 4" hole saw in both the out side and inside walls.
After screwing the ply on to both walls the flue pipe was inserted and the exhaust hose was connected. That is all there is to it.
I live in a VERY rural area with no neighbors. I wasn't worried about complaints. But, no matter what tool is used, (planer, drum sander, table saw, router table) only minuscule amounts of dust escapes. The separator with the cyclone lid collects almost all of it. I can't scientifically verify it but, the DC seems to have more suck. In addition, There is very little noise outside at the exhaust. Finally, you'll be very pleasantly surprised at how much quieter the DC is inside, too. 
Any other questions, just ask. It's really quite a simple and easy mod.
Good luck.


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## jcummins (Aug 5, 2012)

I bought a used Grizzly dust collector, and tested it...as is...inside my work area.










Then I built a Thien separator, and exhausted outside, like this.










I do not have this completed....but I can already tell there is a huge noise reduction in the working area, and what little testing I've done, I don't think much at all is going past the separator. So far I see nothing exhausted outside.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Thanks guys for your replys to porting the exhaust out the wall. It seemed like it wasn't a major task but wanted to ask for any tips before I went down that path. I am glad to hear about the positive's as in better suction, less noise and good results at collecting dust.

I am embarrased to say but it looks like I am going to be putting the adding of the dust collector on hold. After I assembled the HF DC I turned it on to see how loud it was hooked up with the bags.... blew a fuse. Plugged it in to a different recept on a different fuse.... blew that fuse. So I got a reasonable price on adding a seperate line for the DC and then started to work on rigging tools for the addition of hoses and fittings. I realized only then the additional fitttings I would need (Already spent a $100) plus money to build or buy a seperator and the time it would take just wasn't worth doing it right now. I will add a DC later (ported outside) but I will have the time and money scheduled.

A $200 DC turned into an easy $600 plus time to get it set up correctly...So now I have the hassle (embarrasment) of returning the DC plus Fittings from two different companies.


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## bigrigger61 (Jan 24, 2012)

Doesthe new hf dust collector of several posts on this forum; does it now have a plastic impeller instead of the older style metal? I downloaded a pdf and it does not show an impeller at all. Maybe I was loking at the wrong diagram. Any info would be appreciated.


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