# Dust collector to big?



## JudgeMike (Feb 27, 2012)

I am picking up a nice steel city deluxe band saw tomorrow morning and have an opportunity to also get a Steel City 65200 1.5 HP Dust Collector for $243. I believe it will come with a six month warranty. It would be like new, as it was used only 5 days as a working demonstration model at a trade show along with the band saw. The Steel City website claims it to be 1200 cfm. 

I have a 1000 sq ft shop and am just getting into hobby woodworking. Will probably only run one machine at a time and then not to often, but who knows. I am ok with the price.

Question is; is it too big. Overkill? Swallowed a lot of mdf dust yesterday working on my router table. I have NO dust control now. Yesterday filled my shop with dust. Guessing I better do something. Any advice or comments welcomed...Thanks 

JudgeMike


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## giradman (Jul 23, 2012)

Hi *Mike* - appears that you REALLY need to address the issue of DUST in your workshop - critical importance to your health and those in your house.

First, I would suggest obtaining the book below (left) - I have both editions and is an excellent guide to dust control in your shop from collecting @ the source (first best option), to machine oriented collection (as you are considering), to AFD (air filtration devices), and finally to personal protection (i.e. dust masks of various types).

Second, visit Bill Pentz's Website - a LOT of good information on 'dust & health' and control of the problem - will get you to thinking of the importance of the topic!

For myself, I have a Penn State 1HP DC connector to my TS; the 4" ports are setup to connect to several other machines - this is pretty good for 'single' machine collection, but I am thinking of updating to a 1.5HP unit myself - this DC is a bargain @ $300 on their website - SO, if the DC offered you by Steel City is indeed 'new', then a good deal and a strong recommendation IMHO.

I also have an older Penn State AFD and have just replaced the inner bag and outer filter w/ more efficient ones - review this as an additional option.

Plenty of other suggestions in the book pictured for the other options that I mentioned - good luck and please post back w/ further questions - Dave


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## Big Steve (Feb 12, 2012)

$243 sounds like a good price, and I m not sure what too big would be.

I agree with upgrading bags/filters to no more than 1 mil.


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

The problem I would have with it is the size. For one machine at a time you would either have to have a very long hose or you would have to move it around the shop. I would go for a smaller unit that is meant to be rolled around. In addition I would look into a dust handler that hangs on the ceiling to catch the airborne stuff that always seems to escape the dust collectors.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I suggest you buy the collector.

That collector is about double the air flow that is required for a single machine of almost any type in a home workshop. Here is a link to information on airflow where you can download a pdf on requirements per machine. Dust Collection System Design - Air Handling Systems. I put my system together in pieces, but the deal they offered is really good...Amazon has it for $450, so I'd personally grab it. It is mobile so if you need to you can just move it next to any machine. I have a 21 ft long expandable Rockler 4 inch hose on my collector so I can reach every machine easily (Rockler item # 24719). You could get their 14 foot hose, but its easier to move a longer hose than your dust collector plus wiring. They also have a "Dust Right" handle that goes on the hose (item #22642) that makes attachment to machines easy. I have put their Dust Right Quick Connect 4'' Elbow (Item 34432) on many of my machines, which makes it really easy to connect the handle. I connect to one machine at a time since I have to move equipment around in my small shop. 

I have several machines with 2.5 inch dust ports, and on those, I run a 2.5 hose to a 2.5 to 4 inch reducer. I use mainly the Rockler reducer (item # 89195) which has a flat surface that i mount through ply using screws. You will need to use a variety of dust ports for different machines. It took me awhile to find all the most useful connectors since there seems to be no ID or OD standard for ports and connectors. My Makita planer, for example, says they have a 2.5 port, but it is more like 2.75 so I had to use a conical connector to get to 4 inches, and even that isn't quite 4. Some machine dust ports are off as well, and on these I wrapped painters tape around the ports to bring them up to 2.5 or 4 inches. Don't use duct tape, after awhile it fails and you have a nasty residue to clean off. Rockler has some non adhesive connector tape, but the painters tape has worked well for several years. Dust collection ports are something of an adventure. Plan for an extra $ 125 or so bucks for connectors and hose. 

Dust control is very important for health reasons since many varieties of wood make carcinogenic dust. As a throat cancer survivor, I promise you, you don't want to take the risk. 

The Steel City unit is rated pretty noisy so you should ALWAYS use hearing protection. My hearing is marginal so I use shooters ear plugs, plus a noise canceling pair of earmuffs. About 25 db protection each. The loud dust collector motor and a machine running at the same time is barely audible. 

A final suggestion. Keep your floor area as open as possible so you can easily collect the 10-15 percent of dust your collector will miss. The shelves in my shop have a foot below where I don't keep anything and that makes it much easier to clean up. 

Happy wood working, you'll like the dust collection, far less cleanup to do.


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## Gerry Kiernan (Jul 19, 2007)

JudgeMike said:


> I am picking up a nice steel city deluxe band saw tomorrow morning and have an opportunity to also get a Steel City 65200 1.5 HP Dust Collector for $243. I believe it will come with a six month warranty. It would be like new, as it was used only 5 days as a working demonstration model at a trade show along with the band saw. The Steel City website claims it to be 1200 cfm.
> 
> I have a 1000 sq ft shop and am just getting into hobby woodworking. Will probably only run one machine at a time and then not to often, but who knows. I am ok with the price.
> 
> ...


While this dust collector may seem like overkill, the price sounds pretty decent to me. Having the extra capacity never hurts, as you may add equipment along the way. If the issue is floor space you could build an small attached shed, and house the dust collector outside of your shop. This will not only solve the floor space issue, but also reduce the noise level. In my experience though, dust collectors aren't too bad for noise. If you opt for a smaller unit now you will probably regret it in the future. I would suggest you purchase the unit.


Gerry


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Mike, having a larger dust collection system is not a bad thing. There is precious little difference between the floor space required for a shop vac and a dust collecter. Most are on wheels and easy to move about the shop. Here is the important thing to consider: Capacity. If you are only building a couple projects a month you do not need a lot of capacity. Filtration levels do not differ much since optional filters or bags are available. Using a seperator like the unit from Oneida makes it easy to empty the dust and also protects both shop vacs and dust collecters from solids that could damage parts. For less money you could purchase an industrial ShopVac and the Oneida Dust Deputy. Members have posted carts they have built to make it easy to move these around. In the end only you can decide what is right for you.


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## JudgeMike (Feb 27, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your collective thoughts and help with this buying decision. I did leave early this morning to pick up the Steel City 50130 band saw and decided to buy the Steel City DC as well. As I was loading up the DC I noticed there was a small hole in the units metal housing that appeared to be cut from the inside. A piece of steel was peeled out. Only 1/8w by 3/8" long. Upon further inspection, the whole center of the housing was dented. My guess is that whatever is inside, (Impeller, propeller, squirrel cage?) came loose at some point and did the damage. I pointed this out to the seller, (Steel City rep) and was assured I could claim it on the warranty, (Six month) if it was necessary. I decided to keep it. I'll open it up to inspect before operating. Got the damage noted in writing from the rep.

Won't get a chance to reassemble the units till next week. Hope I can recall how everything goes back together. Had to disassemble everything to fit in my pickup.

Thanks again...Mike


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Mike; _how_ did it get damaged?! Was it not a new machine? Sounds like it was a demo, or returned by a customer. Weren't there other units of the same model available?
No way would I have accepted a defective impeller; at the very least they should order you a replacement motor/impeller module. The selling price is irrelevant, unless it clearly stated that it was being sold as damaged goods.

On a different note, My d.c. is _not_ universally piped yet, and I _hate_ having to connect-disconnect every time I need to use a different machine! It's a colossal p.i.t.a. Huge time waster, and the inclination to _not_ stop and switch for maybe a single cut is overwhelming. 
The point about the HP being overkill just isn't valid. I'd _love_ to have the extra suction and capacity of a 2HP motor~impeller...I'd also love to have a Jag convertible.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Dan, both the saw and the DC were demo units. The most likely cause of the damage was a solid. This is why I suggest making your system into a two stage, it protects the machine and is easier to clean.


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## jody495 (Sep 11, 2011)

i have acked up grizzly 1029z dc that im very happy with. I have it hooked up to a 4" pipeing system in my shop,hooked up to ts planer,sander,ra saw. just watch picking up floor debris as paper and trash will plug up the inlet screen. also any metal that might get picked up could cause a spark and a fire in the dc.


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## JudgeMike (Feb 27, 2012)

*Cudos for Steel City*

This is a follow up on my purchase of the band saw and dust collector I bought from steel city. They were demo units. I made a list of every little thing I found wrong with the two units I bought. The person who sold me the units, (Chilline) said I could turn in anything that was wrong and it would be covered under warranty. I had my doubts. 

When I called the warranty department and explained everything that was amiss, they said it was a holiday weekend and it may be a couple days out. Wow...I got everything they promised in less than a week. No questions, no hassles, no nothing. Just excellent service. Much better than expected. Totally surprised, totally happy. Thanks for the tip on Steel City Mike. Thanks everyone for the encouragement to buy these units...Mike



JudgeMike said:


> Thanks everyone for your collective thoughts and help with this buying decision. I did leave early this morning to pick up the Steel City 50130 band saw and decided to buy the Steel City DC as well. As I was loading up the DC I noticed there was a small hole in the units metal housing that appeared to be cut from the inside. A piece of steel was peeled out. Only 1/8w by 3/8" long. Upon further inspection, the whole center of the housing was dented. My guess is that whatever is inside, (Impeller, propeller, squirrel cage?) came loose at some point and did the damage. I pointed this out to the seller, (Steel City rep) and was assured I could claim it on the warranty, (Six month) if it was necessary. I decided to keep it. I'll open it up to inspect before operating. Got the damage noted in writing from the rep.
> 
> Won't get a chance to reassemble the units till next week. Hope I can recall how everything goes back together. Had to disassemble everything to fit in my pickup.
> 
> Thanks again...Mike


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Not 1 mil*



Big Steve said:


> $243 sounds like a good price, and I m not sure what too big would be.
> 
> "I agree with upgrading bags/filters to no more than 1 mil.


"
Steve, just to quickly note that it's measured in microns, not mils. Probably just an oversight.
I'm leaving _myself_ wide open here, but I believe 25.4 µm = 0.001" = 1 mil
so 1 micron is about 1/25th of a mil(?).


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## Big Steve (Feb 12, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> "
> Steve, just to quickly note that it's measured in microns, not mils. Probably just an oversight.
> I'm leaving _myself_ wide open here, but I believe 25.4 µm = 0.001" = 1 mil
> so 1 micron is about 1/25th of a mil(?).


 Absolutely right Dan. I just misspoke.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

I'm glad this is working out for you Mike. I really like my Steel City bandsaw.


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