Really good Audio, with great content. The 90 degree drop will hurt you’re flow more than you think. And yes the ribbing in the flex hose… although necessary kills flow.
Thanks for doing this video. Your workshop is just like mine and I have about half that system in place, I hope to finish it in a week or so. Cheers 👍🏾👍🏾
Regarding static electricity and dust, it is a very real concern in industrial facilities. Examples include grain elevators and sugar mills, as well as production woodworking shops, cabinet makers, etc - all of which produce VAST amounts of very fine, highly flammable or explosive dust particles. Like you, I run one tool at a time. I also work with the main garage door and a side door open, and at least one, usually two, fans running, so there is plenty of ventilation - ie, there is never a high density buildup of fine dust in the air. Yes, you can get some static from pvc pipe, as well as metal pipe, but the risk of fire or explosion in my garage is very, very low. Yet to come, a filter box for the mini-split and an oversized air cleaner.
I’m in the camp of believing it’s just a rumor being passed around. I used to work in a grain elevator and dust explosions were always something we had in mind. They can be catastrophic but I’m not sure that there is actually a high enough concentration of dust in the system to actually cause an explosion.
The story on grounding comes from explosions in flower mills. The dust concentration in those instances was much higher than you will ever get in your dust system. according to stumpy nubs there are no documented cases of home dust collection systems causing fires from static electric discharges.
In the US in 2023 there were 1,600 fires due to lithium ion batteries in the US with 115 fatalities, could not find any fires related to home dust collection due to static discharge in any year. I am sure someone in the US is worried about static discharge with there PVC ducting all the while plugging in the EV car or ? into there home charging system.
Haha, yeah that is a good point. I left the stove running the other day while we went out for two hours. I think me being dumb is more of a threat than static build up in my dust collection. Thanks!
Video is informative and well presented. Just a couple of comments, constructive, of course. Had you used EMT to run the wiring using proper box offsets and connectors, your shop wiring would be more aesthetically pleasing and you wouldn't be having to dodge the MC while working on you dust system. The other is, by using 2 45's with a short piece od PVC between them, you could accomplish your 90 degree bends with less air flow restriction.
The best reason to add a grounding wire is so it doesnt zap you when opening and closing blast gates. Outside of industrial levels of dust I doubt it would ever start on fire.
The ground on pvc pipe is useless as pvc is an excellent insulator, so to discharge the static from it you would have to cover the entire pipe with a conductive material. Furthermore a small dust collector will not build enough charge to start a fire, the worst thing that can happen is you get a little zap. Great video.
Coil a copper wire around a small section of pipe and ground it. You can rub in between the coils and generate enough static charge to pick up little pieces of paper right next to the wire. PVC is an insulator, it does give up its charge very easily even right next to a grounded source.
What causes the static that we're worried about? Is it dust and chips rubbing on the inside of the pipe? In which case the copper grounding wire needs to be inside the pipe as PVC pipe is an insulator and static generated inside will not "leak through" to the outside, and I don't know how to get it past blast gates anyway.
Tip... after cutting the pipe, use a knife, file or better yet, a dedicated plumbers pipe deburring tool to knock back the rough inside edges. You don't want the edges catching anything and it also reduces turbulence. IMHO, I would only ground the outside of the pipe if you have a large static buildup that annoys you as you work in the shop. I agree with most others in that the chances you'd have any explosion are nearly zero and you'd have to ground the *inside* of the pipe, not the outside.
I have the same dust collector. I've been trying to figure out how to set it up I'm in the space of about a garage and half space with a wall between the garage space and half space. So thank you for sharing. I'm curious though why did you go with the 4 inch instead of the 6 inch?
Originally I was going to use the other side of the 4” splitter to go to a floor sweep, but I decided not to do that. Plus it’s easier to get 4” fittings, and they are easier to manipulate around corners and such.
Hi, first let me say that I really liked your video. It gave me a lot to think about, it was pretty instructive. But I have a couple of questions. One is ask about the piping! PVC vs the flexible hoses. Now I know that the ridges of the flexhose affect the pressurized suction. But let's just say, I have a very small shop "a bedroom turned into a shop, small shop to be exact", and I have a fair amount of flexible hose, and I want to build my dust collection system. It Would be for about 6 tools, or 6 hoses, 4 tools, and 2 loose hoses for hand tools and clean up. So meaning 6 Blast-Gates. Now here's the first question. If I would cut the flexible hoses, so they would reach each separate connector, to each Y connector "precisely" fairly tight, no bending of the hoses. They would fit pretty much to the exact length. Could it do as good OR close to as good as the PVC "as a some-what substitute" OR even as tight as possible the ridges would still cause a certain amount of loss of suction? And 2nd. My Shop-Vac is a 2 1/2" hose 6.5HP. Now, Should I use 2 1/2" PVC piping all around? Or should I use a widener and use 4" pipping? Should I get better suction with the 4" or it would be the exact same with the 2 1/2"? Please give me your professional opinion! I have 1 shot, so I need to do this right. Thanks for your time and great video. Thumbs Up!
Hey Stephan, Thanks for watching, and thanks for the feedback! Before I answer your questions I want to say that I am in no way a professional, but I'll do the best I can to give you some guidance from the my experiences. 1. for a shop that small I would say it would be totally fine using flex hose instead of a PVC, given that you have a good dust collector on the other end. 2. with how I imagine you are setting it up, the blast gates and y connectors sound fine, just put the blast gate for the tool that requires the most suction closet to the dust collector. the further on down the line you get the more suction you lose. 3. I always recommend using as large of piping/flex hose as you can(4" or 6" is standard) . I just feel like the 2 1/2" gets clogged more when using a jointer or planer or tools that take larger bits of saw dust. BUT if your shop vac reduces it down 2 1/2 opening the air flow will be reduced to that diameter anyways, it doesn't matter if the rest of the system is 4", it will still bottle neck and the CFM's will be reduced before going into the shop vac. my recommendation is to see if there is a way use a 4" attachment with your shop vac instead of the 2 1/2". either that or get you a dust collector that uses a 4" opening even if the HP's are less. Like this Grizzly Hanging dust collector amzn.to/3FKVZYX. Check it out on amazon. I had this exact same unit for a while and it worked amazingly. Even though it is only 1HP, because of the diameter of the opening, it will allow the dust to go through the piping with little resistance. It doesn't matter of a shop vac is 6+HP, if the opening isn't big enough for the dust to flow through at a high rate, it's useless HP's. Well I hope this helps you! Again, this is all from my non-professional, personal experience. Let me know how it goes, and if I can be of any other help!
@@SaltCityWorkshop I really appreciate your reply. It will give much to think about. Most was exactly as I thought, but I needed reassurance, cause I never put up a dust collection system. So thanks a lot, I'll check this out with eyes open wider. Thanks again and Happy New Year to you and your family!
I have the Dust Right 650 from Rockler with a 4 inch port. I would love to put in a PVC pipe system like yours . I mainly use my dust collector for my Dewalt Jobsite table saw that has a 2 1/2 port, So i put a 4 to 2 1/2 reducer with the quick connect. but I’m concerned that my dust collector not powerful enough if did that pvc setup cuz I also have a miter saw with small dust port.
I would say it depends on how far away the tools are from the dust right. The further away they are the more reduction in suction you are going to get. if uou are in a small 2 car garage i would say you would be fine! That dust right is definitely powerful enough to use on each tool individually. Just add some blast gates to focus the dust on one tool at a time and it should work!
@@SaltCityWorkshop I seen a really cool setup on Katz-Moses channel to make each port it’s own connect it to a selector then use one connection hose from the dust collector that way you’re using hose at a time with no loss of suction
How do you like your dust collector? I am putting together a wood shop in my basement. I will be purchasing a dust collection system. Would you purchase that unit again and is it sufficient for your shop? Thanks
Im putting in my dust collection soon and I have one question, Were you concerned about your 90 degree corners? Its been said 2 45 degree connectors is much better for maintaining max air flow? Does this fall in the same category as grounding, which I do not believe in... Thanks...
Great question! I have not seen that my dust collector’s suction is reduced with the 90 degrees fittings. The fitting I purchased are 90 degree wide turn fitting from Home Depot. I would guess it depends on what HP your dust collector is, and how long your pipes are from the dust collector. For a 1.75 HP DC in a 2 car garage, The 90 degree fitting work great! Otherwise if you are concerned, yes I would use two 45’s to create a smoother corner fitting. Thanks for the comment!
Y fittings are the best. Two 45’s are better than a 90’. It also depends on how much air your dust collector actually moves. Don’t believe what the box tells you. Ribbed flex hose is a killer when they are brand new. As time goes the dust builds along ridges and it becomes even worse. Flex hose is necessary. Just limit it as much as possible.
Check out Stumpy Nubs, he did a TH-cam video on grounding pvc pipe for a home dust collection system. Basically, it is impossible for the average home shop dust collector to pull in enough dust to cause an explosion. Wrapping the outside of the pvc will do nothing to prevent a so called dust explosion in the ducting as pvc is an insulator. The only thing that will be grounded is what is right next to the wire; the rest of the pvc can still potentially build a charge. Although you can get those irritating static shocks when touching the pvc and then grounded metal on you shop tools as the static charge will pass to your body depending on the relative humidity or lack there of in your shop.
Awesome info! Yeah I have gotten those pesky small shocks every once in a while ( you get them even when you touch the pvc while it’s on the racks at the hardware store) but I still feel like it’s an old wives’ tale that has been passed around. Still, you can’t be mad at anyone who takes the extra precaution to stay safe. That’s just not me. Thanks for the comment!
You definitely could, but if you ever have to take it apart to reposition it for a new tool, or if you move the shop around, or if you have clog somewhere you would have to destroy the piping to pull it apart.
@@SaltCityWorkshop I thought about that after I posted it. Looks like a nice setup. I'm about to do the same to mine this weekend. ... but being a plumber by trade I'll have to glue it up for some peace of mind.
Riverton Hockey Alumini...! I served in SLCS brother! Thanks for the video found it while prepping for a dust collection video. Cheers from Canada.
Haha. That’s awesome! Where in Canada are you from?
Edmonton AB! Haha yup, I spent some time in Riverton and Herriman. Miss the valley.
Riverton and Herriman are the best. I love living here. Are you an Oilers fan? I love all things hockey.
Great t-shirt(s). Thanks also for the video on dust collection and the tip on PVC tape
Really good Audio, with great content. The 90 degree drop will hurt you’re flow more than you think. And yes the ribbing in the flex hose… although necessary kills flow.
Thanks! I appreciate all the input.
Thanks for doing this video. Your workshop is just like mine and I have about half that system in place, I hope to finish it in a week or so. Cheers 👍🏾👍🏾
Awesome! Good luck with it all. Let me know how it all works out.
Dang! I went to Riverton High School.
Looking forward to more of your content.
I did too! What year did you graduate?
@@SaltCityWorkshop moved over to Herriman High when it opened. Graduated 2012.
You?
Regarding static electricity and dust, it is a very real concern in industrial facilities. Examples include grain elevators and sugar mills, as well as production woodworking shops, cabinet makers, etc - all of which produce VAST amounts of very fine, highly flammable or explosive dust particles.
Like you, I run one tool at a time. I also work with the main garage door and a side door open, and at least one, usually two, fans running, so there is plenty of ventilation - ie, there is never a high density buildup of fine dust in the air.
Yes, you can get some static from pvc pipe, as well as metal pipe, but the risk of fire or explosion in my garage is very, very low.
Yet to come, a filter box for the mini-split and an oversized air cleaner.
I’m in the camp of believing it’s just a rumor being passed around. I used to work in a grain elevator and dust explosions were always something we had in mind. They can be catastrophic but I’m not sure that there is actually a high enough concentration of dust in the system to actually cause an explosion.
That’s very good insight! I haven’t found an actual case where someone’s dust collection actually lit on fire because of static electricity.
The story on grounding comes from explosions in flower mills. The dust concentration in those instances was much higher than you will ever get in your dust system. according to stumpy nubs there are no documented cases of home dust collection systems causing fires from static electric discharges.
Awesome! Thanks.
In the US in 2023 there were 1,600 fires due to lithium ion batteries in the US with 115 fatalities, could not find any fires related to home dust collection due to static discharge in any year. I am sure someone in the US is worried about static discharge with there PVC ducting all the while plugging in the EV car or ? into there home charging system.
Haha, yeah that is a good point. I left the stove running the other day while we went out for two hours. I think me being dumb is more of a threat than static build up in my dust collection. Thanks!
Video is informative and well presented. Just a couple of comments, constructive, of course. Had you used EMT to run the wiring using proper box offsets and connectors, your shop wiring would be more aesthetically pleasing and you wouldn't be having to dodge the MC while working on you dust system.
The other is, by using 2 45's with a short piece od PVC between them, you could accomplish your 90 degree bends with less air flow restriction.
Thanks for the imput
Great quality content. You deserve more views and likes.
Thanks! I really appreciate that compliment.
The best reason to add a grounding wire is so it doesnt zap you when opening and closing blast gates. Outside of industrial levels of dust I doubt it would ever start on fire.
Yeah that is true. The shocking you does become annoying.
The ground on pvc pipe is useless as pvc is an excellent insulator, so to discharge the static from it you would have to cover the entire pipe with a conductive material. Furthermore a small dust collector will not build enough charge to start a fire, the worst thing that can happen is you get a little zap. Great video.
I agree whole heartedly. Thanks for the input.
Coil a copper wire around a small section of pipe and ground it. You can rub in between the coils and generate enough static charge to pick up little pieces of paper right next to the wire. PVC is an insulator, it does give up its charge very easily even right next to a grounded source.
What causes the static that we're worried about? Is it dust and chips rubbing on the inside of the pipe? In which case the copper grounding wire needs to be inside the pipe as PVC pipe is an insulator and static generated inside will not "leak through" to the outside, and I don't know how to get it past blast gates anyway.
@@Loosehead to mount the copper wire you would drill a hole through the pipe so the thread is actually on the interior picking up the static.
Tip... after cutting the pipe, use a knife, file or better yet, a dedicated plumbers pipe deburring tool to knock back the rough inside edges. You don't want the edges catching anything and it also reduces turbulence. IMHO, I would only ground the outside of the pipe if you have a large static buildup that annoys you as you work in the shop. I agree with most others in that the chances you'd have any explosion are nearly zero and you'd have to ground the *inside* of the pipe, not the outside.
Great Tip thanks!
I have the same dust collector. I've been trying to figure out how to set it up I'm in the space of about a garage and half space with a wall between the garage space and half space. So thank you for sharing. I'm curious though why did you go with the 4 inch instead of the 6 inch?
Originally I was going to use the other side of the 4” splitter to go to a floor sweep, but I decided not to do that. Plus it’s easier to get 4” fittings, and they are easier to manipulate around corners and such.
Hi, first let me say that I really liked your video. It gave me a lot to think about, it was pretty instructive.
But I have a couple of questions. One is ask about the piping! PVC vs the flexible hoses. Now I know that the ridges of the flexhose affect the pressurized suction.
But let's just say, I have a very small shop "a bedroom turned into a shop, small shop to be exact", and I have a fair amount of flexible hose, and I want to build my dust collection system. It Would be for about 6 tools, or 6 hoses, 4 tools, and 2 loose hoses for hand tools and clean up.
So meaning 6 Blast-Gates.
Now here's the first question. If I would cut the flexible hoses, so they would reach each separate connector, to each Y connector "precisely" fairly tight, no bending of the hoses. They would fit pretty much to the exact length. Could it do as good OR close to as good as the PVC "as a some-what substitute" OR even as tight as possible the ridges would still cause a certain amount of loss of suction?
And 2nd. My Shop-Vac is a 2 1/2" hose 6.5HP. Now, Should I use 2 1/2" PVC piping all around? Or should I use a widener and use 4" pipping? Should I get better suction with the 4" or it would be the exact same with the 2 1/2"?
Please give me your professional opinion! I have 1 shot, so I need to do this right.
Thanks for your time and great video. Thumbs Up!
Hey Stephan, Thanks for watching, and thanks for the feedback! Before I answer your questions I want to say that I am in no way a professional, but I'll do the best I can to give you some guidance from the my experiences.
1. for a shop that small I would say it would be totally fine using flex hose instead of a PVC, given that you have a good dust collector on the other end.
2. with how I imagine you are setting it up, the blast gates and y connectors sound fine, just put the blast gate for the tool that requires the most suction closet to the dust collector. the further on down the line you get the more suction you lose.
3. I always recommend using as large of piping/flex hose as you can(4" or 6" is standard) . I just feel like the 2 1/2" gets clogged more when using a jointer or planer or tools that take larger bits of saw dust. BUT if your shop vac reduces it down 2 1/2 opening the air flow will be reduced to that diameter anyways, it doesn't matter if the rest of the system is 4", it will still bottle neck and the CFM's will be reduced before going into the shop vac.
my recommendation is to see if there is a way use a 4" attachment with your shop vac instead of the 2 1/2". either that or get you a dust collector that uses a 4" opening even if the HP's are less. Like this Grizzly Hanging dust collector amzn.to/3FKVZYX. Check it out on amazon. I had this exact same unit for a while and it worked amazingly. Even though it is only 1HP, because of the diameter of the opening, it will allow the dust to go through the piping with little resistance. It doesn't matter of a shop vac is 6+HP, if the opening isn't big enough for the dust to flow through at a high rate, it's useless HP's.
Well I hope this helps you! Again, this is all from my non-professional, personal experience. Let me know how it goes, and if I can be of any other help!
@@SaltCityWorkshop I really appreciate your reply. It will give much to think about. Most was exactly as I thought, but I needed reassurance, cause I never put up a dust collection system. So thanks a lot, I'll check this out with eyes open wider. Thanks again and Happy New Year to you and your family!
I have the Dust Right 650 from Rockler with a 4 inch port. I would love to put in a PVC pipe system like yours . I mainly use my dust collector for my Dewalt Jobsite table saw that has a 2 1/2 port, So i put a 4 to 2 1/2 reducer with the quick connect. but I’m concerned that my dust collector not powerful enough if did that pvc setup cuz I also have a miter saw with small dust port.
I would say it depends on how far away the tools are from the dust right. The further away they are the more reduction in suction you are going to get. if uou are in a small 2 car garage i would say you would be fine! That dust right is definitely powerful enough to use on each tool individually. Just add some blast gates to focus the dust on one tool at a time and it should work!
@@SaltCityWorkshop I seen a really cool setup on Katz-Moses channel to make each port it’s own connect it to a selector then use one connection hose from the dust collector that way you’re using hose at a time with no loss of suction
@@shockjock35 yeah that’s a great idea!
How do you like your dust collector? I am putting together a wood shop in my basement. I will be purchasing a dust collection system. Would you purchase that unit again and is it sufficient for your shop? Thanks
I love my dust collector. For my small two car garage shop it does great and is very efficient in my shop!i definitely would purchase this unit again.
@@SaltCityWorkshop thanks for your reply.
Thanks,
Im putting in my dust collection soon and I have one question, Were you concerned about your 90 degree corners? Its been said 2 45 degree connectors is much better for maintaining max air flow? Does this fall in the same category as grounding, which I do not believe in... Thanks...
Great question! I have not seen that my dust collector’s suction is reduced with the 90 degrees fittings. The fitting I purchased are 90 degree wide turn fitting from Home Depot. I would guess it depends on what HP your dust collector is, and how long your pipes are from the dust collector. For a 1.75 HP DC in a 2 car garage, The 90 degree fitting work great! Otherwise if you are concerned, yes I would use two 45’s to create a smoother corner fitting. Thanks for the comment!
Y fittings are the best. Two 45’s are better than a 90’. It also depends on how much air your dust collector actually moves. Don’t believe what the box tells you. Ribbed flex hose is a killer when they are brand new. As time goes the dust builds along ridges and it becomes even worse. Flex hose is necessary. Just limit it as much as possible.
did you ever test the cfm loss from a short piece of 4" vs a long piece? I bet its the same. Talking about on a 6" system.
I have the same dust collector. Do you think it’s big enough to pipe a small shop? Or do you find that you’d prefer a bigger dust collector?
I think it is perfect for a small shop. I never feel like I need more.
I tend to agree that grounding is not necessary - I’d be open to hearing anything solid to the contrary.
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one.
Hey I counted 2 90 degree fittings 😅
Check out Stumpy Nubs, he did a TH-cam video on grounding pvc pipe for a home dust collection system. Basically, it is impossible for the average home shop dust collector to pull in enough dust to cause an explosion. Wrapping the outside of the pvc will do nothing to prevent a so called dust explosion in the ducting as pvc is an insulator. The only thing that will be grounded is what is right next to the wire; the rest of the pvc can still potentially build a charge. Although you can get those irritating static shocks when touching the pvc and then grounded metal on you shop tools as the static charge will pass to your body depending on the relative humidity or lack there of in your shop.
Awesome info! Yeah I have gotten those pesky small shocks every once in a while ( you get them even when you touch the pvc while it’s on the racks at the hardware store) but I still feel like it’s an old wives’ tale that has been passed around. Still, you can’t be mad at anyone who takes the extra precaution to stay safe. That’s just not me. Thanks for the comment!
I used white gorilla duct tape just to make it look better
Why would you not just glue the pipe together?
You definitely could, but if you ever have to take it apart to reposition it for a new tool, or if you move the shop around, or if you have clog somewhere you would have to destroy the piping to pull it apart.
@@SaltCityWorkshop I thought about that after I posted it. Looks like a nice setup. I'm about to do the same to mine this weekend. ... but being a plumber by trade I'll have to glue it up for some peace of mind.