Shopsmith Forums

I did do a search, and while I found a LOT of threads, I didn't find anything that addressed my questions. Sorry if I missed them.

I am looking at getting a dust collector. Price is always an issue, but making a good purchase is better than making bad decision on a cheap item in my opinion.

So, I am looking at the Shopsmith units at 1/2 hp. Made an offer on a used one, but he must not have liked my offer. CL typical no response.

I have access to a delta unit, for $150.00, it is a one hp unit. I see a lot of units seem to run 1 1/2 hp.

Then there is the harbor freight for $209.00 which is a 2 hp. (I don't know if I like needing a dedicated circuit for this one tool)

So, I am wondering, how well the SS unit works at 1/2 hp? How much effect hp has on the quality of the tool.

I will probably be putting this outside of my actual work area and piping it in making a central vac system?

Seems like some are recommending a 1 micron filter, but most are a 30 micron, a few 5 micron. Why aren't they all a 1 micron.

Just seems the more I read, the more confused that I am!

I'll throw a reply.

HP don't mean much, it's cfm you need.

The Harbor Freight unit I've read is actually 1.5 hp, should be called false advertising, but with discounts and sales that's what you get for less than 150 bucks.

The reason they come with 30 micron is so they can sell you the correct ones you need.

If your going to duct your shop you will need more cfm and blast gates for ones lines not being used.

My plan with a little Grizzly I got for 25 bucks is run to one hose long enough to move between tools only adapting at the tool as needed. I can only use one machine at a time myself.

You might read some online stuff like this: http://www.woodshopnews.com/news/featur ... on-systems

Thanks,
that is a link I hadn't seen.

The reason I am thinking of going to a central system is just to get the noise out of the area that I am working.

Only one tool at a time still as I am only one person also.

I believe the "over rating" of the HF unit, but it still requires 20 amps according to their website compared to 10 amps for the delta. I didn't look at the amps of the shopsmith.

Heres a discussion I read on the hf machine.

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/62847

In my opinion, HP doesn't mean much in collecting sawdust. Suppose it is a major factor where there is a lot of drag to pull through. But the truest factor is speed of air movement through the system.

charlese wrote:In my opinion, HP doesn't mean much in collecting sawdust. Suppose it is a major factor where there is a lot of drag to pull through. But the truest factor is speed of air movement through the system.

Which 'translates' to CFM/hose cross sectional area and the third 'variable' is static pressure(suction so to speak;)).

Work is required to make it work, so HP may be relevant. Air pump efficiency is another factor.

So indeed HP alone is not a reliable indicator.

Last but not least is filter effectiveness.

And yes it ALL interacts.

As usual JPG has it right!!!
BUT AS a 20 year veteran of a fossil fueled PP/a Professional engineer/ Grad from MSOE , with honors!! For JPG, Milwaukee School of Engineering, then control operator/then the manager of a coal/fossil fuel PP, Oak Creek PP, largerest fossil PP East of the Mississippi River. total Mega Watts was at 1850!! We had all kinds of "collectors" cyclonic, bag, electro static, ect to collect "fly ash"!! At full load 350 Mega Watts off of 1/one steam powered turbine/generator "unit" everything was measured in weight!!! Air, water, coal, steam!!! Depending on humidity, at full load it was a million of each, minus the coal BTU factor.
Now to dust collection, air flow, receptacles micron bag factor, tighter thr less outlet flow/more resistance to air flow from the filter media. So they size the Hp to the Micron collecting bag and CFM they have on the unit. The good ones figure that in, Jet ect for there air flow/Micron ratings.
Yes if you put in a pre separating unit, it takes some of the larger particles out, BUT, decreases the air flow/static pressure to the main unit. The main requires/factors in/ that air flow/static pressure without that $70.00 precanister you bought from WoodCraft or Rockler, that pressure to get the final dust particles separated and the air out of the final filter media, if it does not have that force do to the pre separator using it, that you added, you are F%@Ked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lost site on your post, damn Denature Alcohol, without Olives taste like shit, and then have to ware my glasses the next day, which I cant find after a night with Denatured Alcohol. Why is it called "Denatured", it comes from nature, 'ITS GREEN', get on the GREEN band wagon!!!

Got it now, Micron ratings!!!!! Going blind here with the Denatured Alcohol, seeing green here. Good thing Olives are green, and Olive Oil too, then when you put them together, THEN, by nature , which are both acidic by nature, WA La, you have Green Olives, in Green Olive Oil, you have, when mixed with Denatured Alcohol, Natural Alcohol!!!! A GREAT MARTINI!!!!
Seriously now, B4 I go blind, and the Bible Belt SS owners ban me here, a 30 Microm bag is useless unless you have a separate "Air Filtration System" in place and running, which only helps!!! You want to get the finer particulates at the source, so you need a 5 Micron dust collector system, not a 30!!! Think of it this way, 5 microns is 600% times more efficient then 30 Microns!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then run an air filtration one too, even if it is a 20" box fan with a $20.00 high allergen/dust furnace filter on the suction side of the fan. Once you get a wood dust allergy, it does NOT get better with time, it gets worse!!!
A good read!!!!
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-artic ... -toxicity/

Too many "denatured alcohol" martinis?

Watch out, Bob. They have methanol in the mix!:D

(But I still love you, bro. {in a manly, non homo way.})

steve