Dust collection????

[Canadabowyer]

I've got it all. 2 hp Onida Dust Gorilla cyclone, 4" tubing and blast gates to all machines. Celing hung airborne dust collector. Sanding downdraft table connected to the cyclone and I still wear a dust mask at all times in the shop. I also make it a practice to shower right after my work day is over. You can become sensitised to wood dust, epoxy etc. and I believe that leaving it on your skin etc. overnight is not good. Bob

[Cootling]

Main unit outside would be ideal, but the inside/outside temperature gradient and shop volume are important considerations. Would work best for a large shop and low temperature gradient.

My shop is worst-case: about 2100 cubic feet with temperature differentials of up to 80 degrees (-20 outside, 60 inside).  Under those conditions it is pretty hard to make up for losing 800 to 1000 cubic feet of air per minute!  I'm pretty much stuck returning filtered air to the shop.

[Canadabowyer]

I have my unit inside my shop and the big paper filter works real good. I have the  warm inside cold outside problem here in BC. 700 square foot shop. Bob

[canopyboy]

Ahh, you made me do the calculation, I'm only about 4000 ft^3 in my shop.  Temp differential is usually within 30 degrees, but still I think I don't want to imagine all my warm air being cycled out of my shop in mere minutes the last couple of evenings.

[Ranger44]

You can make a "closet" for the dust collector.  Just make sure you have a way for the air to flow between the closet and the shop.  That will also give you a place for another filter.

[nleroux2]

We use evaporative cooling units (swamp coolers) as make-up air units. They are easy to size for the cfm loss created by the filter system,and easy to install. If you live in an arid climate it can double as a cooling unit. If not, don't hook up the water. You really do need to provide some make up air system matching the cfm loss or you'll create an imbalance that can cause you problems.

Good luck

[Cootling]

I took the plunge and hooked up an Oneida V-3000 (3hp, HEPA filter).  After using it for awhile, I'm tickled with the choice.  I'd do it again.

It makes quite a bit of noise in my small shop, but it gets almost everything from my table saw, band saw, and thickness planer.  I need to come up with a better hood for my edge sander, but that's due to sander design, not the collector.

Fit and finish are excellent.  Assembly was easy, with good instructions.

One thing I notice is that even when it was undisturbed, my shop smelled dusty.  Not so much that you really noticed... but when I run the collector, the place smells noticeably fresh, more like outdoor air than indoor air.

[BigJim]

When I built a new shop (really an additon on my old shop) I purchased an oneida 5 hp dust gorilla. I loved it, but If I were to do it again, I would get a bigger one.
Originally I had it inside the shop so as not to suck all the AC out. This was so noisy that I just hated to turn on the collector. I have since moved it into a closet with the return blowing in to the wood room (adjoining the main shop and cooled by the same AC). What a relief! I still have issues with collection at many machines, but none more than two of my edge sanders. My wide belt sander could use some help too. Really, I could correct some of this, but there never seems to be time.

When there is time to fix, I would rather go hunting!
BigJIm