Unconventional dust collection and lighting

[email protected] wrote:
> These are some ideas to work around my situation... which is defined by
> A) lack of money, and B) lack of power to supply even a 2HP material
> handling blower and my tools simultaneously.
>
> Idea #1
>
> Dust collection, comes off the tool (table saw, router, etc) and slope
> down slightly then into a garbage bin collector. Then go straight up a
> large 10" duct and gently curve into a smaller 6" duct which goes
> straight horizontally outside and to the squirrel cage blower. Large
> particulate shouldn't make it up the 10" duct but instead drop into the
> bin. This is good because the squirrel cage isn't so good at generating
> the suction to carry particulate up vertical ducting, and also likes to
> clog if it could anyway. Ducting between tools and bin shouldn't clog
> if it's sloped down only, and a slightly smaller diameter to speed the
> air up a bit. Likewise the air speed would be balanced to keep the 6"
> horizontal duct clear of dust. Maybe a cyclone at the blower if enough
> dust makes it that far and clogs it. Or I'll just clean it every day if
> I have to. I'm guessing at duct sizes, I'd actually build the blower
> and test air speed and suction through different diameters to make sure
> the horizontal ducts stay clear.
>
You don't tell us much about your squirrel cage blower. I suspect that
it won't generate enough flow to keep things moving in the horizontal
pipes, even with a down-slope.

If you reduce the pipe diameter like you said, friction losses will
probably rob too much static pressure and you'll be worse off instead
of better.

Testing under conditions other than actual running conditions won't
tell you much because every foot of pipe you add changes the flow.

Sorry to be so negative, but I don't see a good chance of success here.


DonkeyHody
"A bulldog can whip a skunk, but it's probably not worth it."

[email protected] wrote:
> These are some ideas to work around my situation... which is defined by
> A) lack of money, and B) lack of power to supply even a 2HP material
> handling blower and my tools simultaneously.
>
> Idea #1
>
> Dust collection, comes off the tool (table saw, router, etc) and slope
> down slightly then into a garbage bin collector. Then go straight up a
> large 10" duct and gently curve into a smaller 6" duct which goes
> straight horizontally outside and to the squirrel cage blower.
<snip>

One of the major causes of house fires in this area is clogged return
filters and /or dusty squirrel cage blowers. With the humidity in this
area, a squirrel cage would form a crust O' dust pretty quickly. Then
you lose efficiency and start overheating inside the motor. Maybe this
humidity is not an issue for your area. But dust and air flow = good
potential for fire. Better get a new electrical circuit run to a
regular DC system. Also, in this area, a squirrel cage blower
exhausting to the great outdoors will freeze your jewels off by sucking
out any heat and creating a wind chill. DAMHINT, just say, I know now
that the dust collector needs to be inside to recycle the air within
the shop at that time of the year.

>
> Idea #2
>
> 15 fluorescent lighting ballasts mounted in a box with a handle and a
> heavy duty cord to power them (mobile remote ballast). Carry it around
> and plug it into an area (connecting ballasts to lamps) to cut down on
> the considerable cost of buying almost 100 ballasts and fixtures (I
> have 6 areas to light, many of which need a lot of light for painting
> and photography). The obvious problem is a convenient plug for the huge
> amount of wiring between 15 ballasts and 30 lamps (60 wires minimum).
> To buy 6 plugs like that would pricy I think, if I could find them.

If you put 15 ballasts in a fairly big-a$$ed box, you might consider
some wheels for it. It won't be too entirely light. Why don't you put
the ballasts all in one central location and run them to multi-position
routing switches? then you could use lights in different parts of the
shop simultaneously. Although, if you have an electrician come in and
do the wiring it will cost as much as the ballasts would have cost.

There are plugs and receptacles available with multiple contact pins.
Yes, they are pricey. That is a cool idea if it works. Make sure
everything is grounded. Flourescent lighting requires a good grounding
plane to keep static electricity from messing with the ballasts.

Tom in KY

DonkeyHody wrote:
> You don't tell us much about your squirrel cage blower. I suspect that
> it won't generate enough flow to keep things moving in the horizontal
> pipes, even with a down-slope.

Yeah, I didn't think it was all that ideal. Now I'm leaning towards a
fan. My dust extraction is all needed within maybe 15 feet of the
exhaust fromt he wall, so I might be better to use a large fan in a
large diameter duct. Belt driven, it could exhaust wood chips without
problem, I'm rural so the layout means I could throw unfiltered dust
outside with no filter. ANd the volume of air would be bigger so it
would work better. It would be such a short duct system I could clean
it out easily and often.

All I know is I can't afford a "normal" dust extraction set up.

SS

Toller wrote:
> When you are doing a common activitiy, but find yourself in uncharted
> territory, you are probably lost.

I understand how to build a dust extraction system very well thanks, I
can't afford it. The territory is uncharted because I'm trying to do it
as best I can with the budget I have.

> Your ideas sound squirrelly, thouhgh I confess I didn't make too much effort
> to follow them. Lighting is pretty cheap; it is hard to imagine how you
> could afford a workshop that was so large you couldn't afford to light it
> properly.

Part of it is in a different building for one, I also explained that I
have areas for painting and photography that need extremely good
lighting. This isn't just a "workshop" I need more light than a normal
shop 20 times my size.

SS

[email protected] wrote:
> One of the major causes of house fires in this area is clogged return
> filters and /or dusty squirrel cage blowers. With the humidity in this
> area, a squirrel cage would form a crust O' dust pretty quickly. Then
> you lose efficiency and start overheating inside the motor. Maybe this
> humidity is not an issue for your area. But dust and air flow = good
> potential for fire. Better get a new electrical circuit run to a
> regular DC system. Also, in this area, a squirrel cage blower
> exhausting to the great outdoors will freeze your jewels off by sucking
> out any heat and creating a wind chill. DAMHINT, just say, I know now
> that the dust collector needs to be inside to recycle the air within
> the shop at that time of the year.

I think you're right, I'm looking at using a normal fan in large
diameter ducts now, and making it accessable for cleaning, so it
wouldn't be hard to clean the short ducts after every time it sees
heavy use. An idea I have now is to run a compressed air hose through
the bottom of the duct with perforations in it, put 125PSI in it and
shake it around to clean the duct. From what I know this is how HVAC
ducts are normally cleaned. Should make "cleaning the ducts" a 10
second job so I can do it whenever I produce dust.

> If you put 15 ballasts in a fairly big-a$$ed box, you might consider
> some wheels for it. It won't be too entirely light.

Shouldn't too much more than 60lbs? I need more excercise, I'd prefer
heavier.

> the ballasts all in one central location and run them to multi-position
> routing switches?

Cost of wiring, theres just so many wires the cost per foot is pretty
big.

> shop simultaneously. Although, if you have an electrician come in and
> do the wiring it will cost as much as the ballasts would have cost.

Yep, have to do it all myself. I've had some training and experience so
I'm not too worried about safe electrical connections.

> There are plugs and receptacles available with multiple contact pins.
> Yes, they are pricey. That is a cool idea if it works. Make sure
> everything is grounded. Flourescent lighting requires a good grounding
> plane to keep static electricity from messing with the ballasts.

Yes, everything including the dust extraction ducts will be well
grounded. Thanks,

SS

> Comments welcome, I'm in uncharted territory as usual.

When you are doing a common activitiy, but find yourself in uncharted
territory, you are probably lost.

Your ideas sound squirrelly, thouhgh I confess I didn't make too much effort
to follow them. Lighting is pretty cheap; it is hard to imagine how you
could afford a workshop that was so large you couldn't afford to light it
properly. Maybe you don't want to light it all at once if you don't use
parts, but to move the lighting around?!