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Harbor Frieght dust collector upgrade ideas?

Started by azmtnman, November 26, 2022, 07:14:37 PM

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azmtnman

   I have the Harbor Frieght 2HP dust collector for my Powermatic 209. It has a 55 gallon trash bag (the original one was clear) for the bin. Arizona sun + wind = didn't last long. I went to heavier mil bags but they're black and it's hard to tell when it's getting full. Also, they fill up every 200 or so bdft.
  I have thought about using a 55 gal drum but can't think of a good way to attach it to the barrel lid (a removable lid, of course.)
   Anybody got design you use or an idea?
1983 LT 30, 1990 Kubota L3750DT, 2006 Polaris 500 EFI, '03 Dodge D2500 Cummins powered 4X4 long-bed crew cab, 1961 Ford backhoe, Stihl MS250, MS311 and MS661--I cut trees for my boss who was a Jewish carpenter!

customsawyer

I have 2 of these dust collectors. I have tried the clear 55 gallon trash bags but they are to big. Will try some smaller ones one day but haven't yet.
Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
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firefighter ontheside

I used to have my HF dust collector sitting on top of a 55 gallon drum.  I made a lid that was attached sort of permanently to the original separator part of the DC.  I made the lid with MDF and had it hinged on the wall and then it would sit down on the drum.  When I wanted to empty it I could lift it up and had a hook made to hold it up so that I could roll the drum out.  There was a rubber seal to seal the dc to the drum.  It worked well and the rest of the air would exhaust outside thru a dryer vent.  I finally got rid of the drum and just exhausted dust and all outside onto the ground behind my shop.  I scoop it up when the pile gets too big.  I may still have the lid and can take a picture of it tomorrow.
Woodmizer LT15
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peakbagger

Are you using a two stage dust collector setup?. Something like this? WOODTEK<SUP>®</SUP> TWO STAGE DUST COLLECTION TRASH CAN LID | Woodworker's Supply Not that hard to build your own. The amount of carryover to the actual collector is pretty minimal except when the barrel is full (which is quite noticeable when the barrel fills up) . I can fill several barrels before I even need to think about emptying the collector. 

69bronco

Quote from: firefighter ontheside on November 27, 2022, 12:28:34 AM
I used to have my HF dust collector sitting on top of a 55 gallon drum.  I made a lid that was attached sort of permanently to the original separator part of the DC.  I made the lid with MDF and had it hinged on the wall and then it would sit down on the drum.  When I wanted to empty it I could lift it up and had a hook made to hold it up so that I could roll the drum out.  There was a rubber seal to seal the dc to the drum.  It worked well and the rest of the air would exhaust outside thru a dryer vent.  I finally got rid of the drum and just exhausted dust and all outside onto the ground behind my shop.  I scoop it up when the pile gets too big.  I may still have the lid and can take a picture of it tomorrow.
ffots, been thinking of doing same (exhaust through wall). Seems like performance would increase some? How do you keep critters/cold out? Waste gate, louver vent?

doc henderson

I have one to exhaust for my paint booth and engraver.  I used metal flex dryer hose and use a dryer louver on the outside.
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firefighter ontheside

Just like Doc mentioned, I have a dryer vent with louvers.  It's about 7' up on the outside wall, so nothing can get to it to slither inside.  The DC itself is located in a closet that is off of the shop.  There is definitely heat lost with this system, especially when it is running because essentially the DC is blowing heated air out and pulling cold air in.  Nothing you can really do about that.  It's what has to happen if you want to vent outside.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
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2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

azmtnman

This is what I have:
Dust Collector - Great Deals on Dust Collectors at Harbor Freight
Right now, my planer is on a heavy duty 6'x6' pallet that I mounted it to and the dust collector is mounted to a standard pallet because I don't have a shop big enough for the whole operation. 
FFOT, I would very much appreciate a picture of what you had if that is an option.
1983 LT 30, 1990 Kubota L3750DT, 2006 Polaris 500 EFI, '03 Dodge D2500 Cummins powered 4X4 long-bed crew cab, 1961 Ford backhoe, Stihl MS250, MS311 and MS661--I cut trees for my boss who was a Jewish carpenter!

21incher

I put a dust deputy under mine with 55 gallon drums.Used a 8 inch material hose with a stiff spring made for vacuum to hold the lid down and a simple over center cam to change drums. Also built a level alarm because the drums are not see through.  Here's  an old video about  it
Went With Plastic Barrels For My Super Dust Deputy 5 Inch - YouTube
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

firefighter ontheside

You can see the duct I put out the top that went to the outdoor vent.  I put a little bit of a tube inside to try and separate the chips and the exhaust air.  The wood apparatus was the system for lifting the separator off the drum.  It worked pretty well and only fine dust went out of the building before I made it all go out.  The other pic is what I have now.


 

 

 
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

azmtnman

I have an idea now. I'm going to incorporate ideas from both of your set-ups.
Thanks! I hope to start on this in the next couple weeks, but who knows? It'll probably be spring! :D :D :D
1983 LT 30, 1990 Kubota L3750DT, 2006 Polaris 500 EFI, '03 Dodge D2500 Cummins powered 4X4 long-bed crew cab, 1961 Ford backhoe, Stihl MS250, MS311 and MS661--I cut trees for my boss who was a Jewish carpenter!

aigheadish

Thanks for wording this question as you did azmtnman. I've been thinking about the same thing but haven't come up with a solution. I don't use mine a lot (yet) but I don't like the bag option. I also like that mine is mobile, so I need to consider that, at least until I can find a permanent home for it. I like the idea of mounting it high up on the wall...
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

21incher

Here is the first part about setting  up the blower with a dust deputy.  If your shop is in or anywhere near your home dust removal from the air before  exhausting the air is required.  Blowing  it outside  will clog your window screens, coat the vegetation and make a nasty mess. If it's  a business local codes will most likely require it not be dispersed in the air. A simple low cost dust deputy will catch 99% of it and make filter maintenance easy or dumping outside without a mess easy. The 55 gallon  drums fill fast and a simple level sensor can be built to keep the drums from overfilling and just Blowing the sawdust  through.  A thickness sander is the worst case scenario and dust deputies work great for fine dust if sized properly 
Changing Over To A 5 Inch Super Dust Deputy Cyclone - YouTube
I tried the Grizzly growler first and that was a total waste of money for fine dust. They put the vacuum port to hold the bag down through  the cyclone  airflow causing internal turbulence that let fine dust right through it into your filter. Old plastic barrels are cheap and don't  forget a ground lug poking through  the top tied to the blower ground to discharge any static. Steel drums were just to heavy for me to handle and dump full. Have fun.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Old Greenhorn

Been meaning to check in here. I use a garbage can adaptor made by Woodstock [something or other] co.. Works really good. Most of my machines are up in the loft. So the system pulls dust off the machines, it travels along the ducts to the can downstairs, then the clear(er) air goes back upstairs and into the dust bag directly above it.


 

This is the upstiars setup. 





 I like having the main can on the ground floor, it is a simple trip out the door on a hand truck. The dust bag upstairs gets emptied maybe once every year or so because it doesn't get much dust. You purchase the can adaptor form any of several places (I think grizzly sells them) and the garbage can has to be a certain size, but I know some Lowes stores stock them. It's a bit larger than the normal household can. I am quite happy with it. I should tape up some more joints, like on the can adaptor, for better efficacy, but it is working quite well.

 I do wish I had taken the time to make the 'full sensor' setup that 21 incher designed, but frankly, since I don't have the planer hooked up to this, it's not an issue. I only use this on my saws and table router. When the planer gets linked in, it will be a different deal. I have a stand alone DC for the planer down on the ground floor and I empty that very frequently.
 Best of luck with whatever path you take.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

azmtnman

Quote from: 21incher on November 28, 2022, 06:20:55 PM
Here is the first part about setting  up the blower with a dust deputy.  If your shop is in or anywhere near your home dust removal from the air before  exhausting the air is required.  Blowing  it outside  will clog your window screens, coat the vegetation and make a nasty mess. If it's  a business local codes will most likely require it not be dispersed in the air. 
I live in rural mountain Arizona so none of that is a concern. I'm not filtering fine particles as this will probably never be hooked up to anything besides the planer and it will probably never be in an enclosed building. 
   Your videos are very well done, sir.
1983 LT 30, 1990 Kubota L3750DT, 2006 Polaris 500 EFI, '03 Dodge D2500 Cummins powered 4X4 long-bed crew cab, 1961 Ford backhoe, Stihl MS250, MS311 and MS661--I cut trees for my boss who was a Jewish carpenter!

aigheadish

Can someone help explain the benefit of the Dust Deputy/cyclone things on the standalone collectors? I have a small one connected to a 5 gallon bucket for when my collector was the shop vac and my understanding was that it was there to basically filter out all the dust from getting to the shop vac. I don't understand the need on standalone collectors, but the physics of them kind of throw me for a loop anyway.
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

bigblockyeti

Quote from: aigheadish on December 01, 2022, 08:23:29 AM
Can someone help explain the benefit of the Dust Deputy/cyclone things on the standalone collectors? I have a small one connected to a 5 gallon bucket for when my collector was the shop vac and my understanding was that it was there to basically filter out all the dust from getting to the shop vac. I don't understand the need on standalone collectors, but the physics of them kind of throw me for a loop anyway.
They drop the air velocity low enough that the chips and larger dust fall out of suspension and into the container below the cyclone.  Only the air and fine dust makes it's way to the blower and then either outside or into a filter that hopefully needs cleaning infrequently.

21incher

Quote from: aigheadish on December 01, 2022, 08:23:29 AM
Can someone help explain the benefit of the Dust Deputy/cyclone things on the standalone collectors? I have a small one connected to a 5 gallon bucket for when my collector was the shop vac and my understanding was that it was there to basically filter out all the dust from getting to the shop vac. I don't understand the need on standalone collectors, but the physics of them kind of throw me for a loop anyway.
You will find out quickly once you get a thickness sander. A standard filter cartridge will plug up solid in less then 15 minutes of sanding wider boards. I used one of those trash can lid seperators first and they are useless for fine dust with the filter still plugging quickly. Then I tried a poorly designed Grizzly cyclone next and still got a couple cups of dust in the filter in a couple minutes. Now that I finally invested in the Oneida cyclone I can go days and only get a couple cups in the bucket. Remember when the filter plugs pressure builds in the bag causing fine dust to leak from any crevice and the plastic bag can explode in the worst case. Also vacuum goes to basically zero. Another plus is the chips do not travel past the blower impeller supposedly giving the blower motor bearings longer life. It all really depends on how much you like dealing with plugged filters once the micron dust fills the pores in the filter without one. Oneida offers the lowest cost options that work if properly sized.
  I just upgraded to the new 2.5 cyclone for a 5 gallon bucket and that actually has enough flow to work great for standalond machines like disc and belt sanders.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

aigheadish

Maybe it's not the same but there isn't a filter on these HF collectors is there? I understand what you say about the motor bearings and stuff but...? The HF collector appears to be just motor and fins.
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

Machinebuilder

How do y'all clean your filter bags?

I have the HF dust collector connected through a Oneida super dust deputy on a cardboard barrel.
I empty the barrel pretty regularly, and only have a very small amount of dust in the clear plastic bag.
I noticed tracks of very fine dust leaking around the cloth bag and it was caked with very fine dust.

I shook it out the best I could but it seems clogged still. 

I like the idea of just venting it outside but I don't have the whole basement piped and after reading about plastic pipe hazards it may be a while before i do.
Dave, Woodmizer LT15, Husqvarna 460 and Stihl 180, Bobcat 751, David Brown 770, New Holland TN60A

21incher

Quote from: Machinebuilder on December 01, 2022, 02:55:04 PM
How do y'all clean your filter bags?

I have the HF dust collector connected through a Oneida super dust deputy on a cardboard barrel.
I empty the barrel pretty regularly, and only have a very small amount of dust in the clear plastic bag.
I noticed tracks of very fine dust leaking around the cloth bag and it was caked with very fine dust.

I shook it out the best I could but it seems clogged still.  

I like the idea of just venting it outside but I don't have the whole basement piped and after reading about plastic pipe hazards it may be a while before i do.
You don't.  Toss them in the garbage and get a good collector with a cartridge filter.  The HF dust collectors are really one tool collectors and don't pull enough  static pressure for proper airflow in a piped system.
 I have been using  plastic  in my shop for 20 years with grounding run through the pipes that is terminated at the machines and dust collector.  I tensioned the grounds in the main lines and have not had any problems. I keep updating machines and moving  lines so it may not be perfect but I can catch most dust that's required when you have a wife  that keeps a spotless house. My blower pulls 1600 cfm and can deal with static pressure up to 16 inches that gets me in the 400cfm ballpark at any drop so it really does the job. My planer is only a couple  feet from the blower because originally I had a belsaw with straight knives that made really big chips. With my spiral head it doesn't matter.  I heat with a woodstove so exhausting outside would require a fresh air intake that would freeze me out at 10 below zero. My system is not perfect and could possibly kill me but I also buy lottery tickets. The only vent I have is for my lasers and that is just a very low flow from Infinity ac fans running on the 3 or 4 setting.  The barometric damper on my furnace I don't use has no problem with that. No dust in the house and happy wife. Happy wife happy life. If it blows me up someday she will be a rich woman.
If you are in a warmer climate and blow what little dust that escapes from the dust deputy outside is a good option. Spiral pipe is the way to go if you have a 10 ft ceiling and a bucket full of money with minimal changes in the future.

Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

davch00

I built a plywood box that separates the larger shavings and chips. It's big enough that a plastic tote will slide in to catch the shavings. The hose from the dust collector goes in one corner and then the diagonal corner is where the hose that goes to the planer is. I can get pics if you would like. 

I almost put a bigger impeller from wen in it too, but I haven't use it enough to tell how much improvement there is.  

rusticretreater

What you want to build is a Thien Baffle.  There are multiple vids on youtube showing you how they work and how to build one.  I have one and it separates the heavy stuff from the dust.  

It is a marvel of physics.  I have never had to change the bag on my dust collector and have had buckets full of wood chips and shavings collected.

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Machinebuilder

I already have the cyclone separator, the bag is catching the very fine dust after the seperator.

The Thien baffle is just another form of cyclone separator.

Oneida does sell a cartridge filter upgrade kit that is $479.

If I can clean the filter bag better I would be happy.
Dave, Woodmizer LT15, Husqvarna 460 and Stihl 180, Bobcat 751, David Brown 770, New Holland TN60A

Machinebuilder

I've done a bit of research.

Aside from the filter bag clogging and reducing the airflow considerably, it passes a lot of really fine dust.

There are an incredible number of video's on Youtube about upgrading the HF dust collector.

I already had the Oneida super dust deputy cyclone, it does a wonderful job at keeping most of the chips out of the collector bags.
I decided to rework things and used some PVC pipe with a bare copper wire taped to the outside to get the dust collector out of the way.
Then I moved the blower and mounted it to the wall above the cyclone and collection barrel, and put the bag setup on the opposite side of the wall.



 

I was still not happy with the extremely fine dust coming through the filter bag.
Many of the youtube video's refer to Wynn Environmental, They make cartridge filters for dust collectors.
I ordered one and did a quick job installing it in place of the filter bag.

WOW what a difference, the clear bag is not inflated now and i do not see any fine dust in the air.
Judging the air flow with my hand in the duct I think I have much more.



 

My next step will be to mount the filter to the wall (turned over) and put a 5 gallon bucket with a screw top Gamma lid.
This will get rid if the clear plastic bag.

I have also built a air filter, I had a furnace blower laying around so I built a plywood box around it that holds 2 furnace filters stacked.
 this way I can put the higher rated filter inside and put a less expensive one outside to catch the bigger particles.
Dave, Woodmizer LT15, Husqvarna 460 and Stihl 180, Bobcat 751, David Brown 770, New Holland TN60A

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