I'm looking to free up some floor space in my shop by moving my dust collector outside. Anyone mount theirs up a bit higher to drop into a standard 55 gal barrel instead of the included ones? Aside from making it weather tight against snow/rain, I was thinking of tossing in some rigid foam insulation so neighbors won't hear it if I'm working odd hours some time. It has a remote control, so turning it on/off from the outside won't be an issue. I built my garage with 8" cmu and brick and will likely just punch a hole for the hose to go through instead of a full access pass through. Any insights/advice are appreciated, thanks!
While visiting a FF member in '18 I noticed that his dust collector was outside and emptying into a hopper that he could grab with forks and go and dump.
It was a neat setup.
GAB
having insulation will also help retain heat, make it easier to start up the motor. will have to allow for dissipation of heat in the summer.
I believe you will need two ducts, one going out and one into the shop. If you are pulling air out you need to put an amount back.
Quote from: GAB on December 31, 2020, 09:34:30 AM
While visiting a FF member in '18 I noticed that his dust collector was outside and emptying into a hopper that he could grab with forks and go and dump.
It was a neat setup.
GAB
That's was me, I believe. Yes, an outside hopper is the the way to go, no bags, mess, etc, the ultimate in HEPA filtration is to simply not recirculate the air back inside, filtered or not.
Mine was a special build where I was operating in the pressure side and didn't even need a vacuum hopper, just an open bin.
I would consider building a lean-to on the outside of your shop to mount the cyclone in, better than getting your sawdust wet when it rains. My cyclone is vented outside, about doubles the suction to your machines over running with a filter. Can't get too much suction if you have big sanders. I use a 50 gallon drum to collect sawdust, still fills pretty often when
surfacing boards. Need an alarm of some kind to let you know when it is full, or you will have a pile of dust next to your shop.