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DC 300 question

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 3:43 pm
by chris jay
Is there an instruction manual on line for that dust collector? My question is, If I'm only using one line, can I plug up the others to increase the suction of the one being used, or will is make the motor work to hard?

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 3:57 pm
by algale
chris jay wrote:Is there an instruction manual on line for that dust collector? My question is, If I'm only using one line, can I plug up the others to increase the suction of the one being used, or will is make the motor work to hard?
Here's a link to the manual from the mother ship. http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/manu ... lector.pdf

You can and should close the other two inlets when not in use. When new, the dust collector comes with two plugs for this purposes. Some have claimed to get better collection through one hose by leaving one other inlet open and, indeed, the upper bag filter will inflate more. But Shopsmith does not support the claim that you get better collection this way. In fact, somwhere in the documentation is a chart that plainly shows a slight decrease in CFM at the inlet end for each additional hose you attach.

My own non scientific experimentation supports this. I had a pile of dust on the floor. Attached a hose and left one other plug open. Snuck up on the dust pile until I started to get some dust sucked up. Soon, all dust within range of that hose was sucked up and there was still a pile. Left the hose in place and closed the open inlet. Additional dust immediately was sucked up. My conclusion: you get greater collection with one hose and both unused inlets closed.

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 3:58 pm
by dusty
chris jay wrote:Is there an instruction manual on line for that dust collector? My question is, If I'm only using one line, can I plug up the others to increase the suction of the one being used, or will is make the motor work to hard?
You can run with the ports either open or blocked. If you do some research here on the forum you will find that there is a difference of opinions as to whether you get the best dust collection with the ports open or does it work better with them closed.

I have all three ports connected to something which means that they are all running open. I get good dust collection and have not bothered to verify what would happen if I closed the unused ones.

I don't do that because of what I consider a hassle when I change equipment configurations.

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 4:59 pm
by chris jay
I love a good Pepsi challenge. I bought this one used and it had a small amount of dust in it. When I blocked off two of the ports, the dust didn't swirl as much as it did when all three were open. I took the filter sock off and blew it out slightly. I replaced it and it got caked again with the fine dust which I think impedes the performance. So I'm washing it and will put a new empty bag on and see how well it works. Honestly, it didn't feel as strong as my shopvac, but hose on the shopvac is a smaller diameter which give a bit more power

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 5:21 pm
by JPG
chris jay wrote:I love a good Pepsi challenge. I bought this one used and it had a small amount of dust in it. When I blocked off two of the ports, the dust didn't swirl as much as it did when all three were open. I took the filter sock off and blew it out slightly. I replaced it and it got caked again with the fine dust which I think impedes the performance. So I'm washing it and will put a new empty bag on and see how well it works. Honestly, it didn't feel as strong as my shopvac, but hose on the shopvac is a smaller diameter which give a bit more power

'Apparent' suction is essentially static pressure.

Greater suction does not equal better dust collection.

More cubic feet per minute(cfm) equals better dust/debris collection.

More open ports equals greater cfm(total).

Fewer open ports equals greater static pressure at the open port.

'Shop vacs' have high static pressure.

Keeping debris air born requires sufficient cfm.

The cake buildup in the dc3300 bags increases effective filtering of smaller particles at the expense of cfm and static pressure.

Hose/intake pipes with bends decrease static pressure.



Point being many things are interdependent.

The dc3300 is not a vacuum cleaner like a shop vac.

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 5:49 pm
by chris jay
JPG40504 wrote:'Apparent' suction is essentially static pressure.

Greater suction does not equal better dust collection.

More cubic feet per minute(cfm) equals better dust/debris collection.

More open ports equals greater cfm(total).

Fewer open ports equals greater static pressure at the open port.

'Shop vacs' have high static pressure.

Keeping debris air born requires sufficient cfm.

The cake buildup in the dc3300 bags increases effective filtering of smaller particles at the expense of cfm and static pressure.

Hose/intake pipes with bends decrease static pressure.



Point being many things are interdependent.

The dc3300 is not a vacuum cleaner like a shop vac.

So would it not be a good idea to store the unit in the upper area in the garage? meaning longer run and some elevation?

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 6:04 pm
by beeg
chris jay wrote:So would it not be a good idea to store the unit in the upper area in the garage? meaning longer run and some elevation?
Keep the runs as short as possible.

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:00 pm
by chris jay
Seems to work much better withe filter clean. Thanks as always for the info

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 12:32 am
by skou
Chris, you'll get better flow, (read that as suction) with the filter bag clean, but the tiny stuff will pass through.

However, you'll get cleaner air, with cake buildup on the bag.

Make sense?

steve

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 12:40 am
by skou
JPG40504 wrote:'Apparent' suction is essentially static pressure.

Yes.

Greater suction does not equal better dust collection.

More cubic feet per minute(cfm) equals better dust/debris collection.

More open ports equals greater cfm(total).

Fewer open ports equals greater static pressure at the open port.

'Shop vacs' have high static pressure.

No, they have LOWER static pressure, and the stronger the vacuum, the lower the pressure is.

Keeping debris air born requires sufficient cfm.

The cake buildup in the dc3300 bags increases effective filtering of smaller particles at the expense of cfm and static pressure.

Hose/intake pipes with bends decrease static pressure.



Point being many things are interdependent.

The dc3300 is not a vacuum cleaner like a shop vac.
Static pressure increases from zero (a perfect vacuum) to 14.7 pounds PSI (standard sea level) or WAY above. (Like your compressor.)

The DC3300 has higher static pressure (less of a vacuum) than the shop vac.
(A shop vac will pick up heavier stuff, which is how it's designed. The DC3300 was NOT designed to do that.)

I used to adjust altimeters and airspeed indicators in helicopters.

steve