I am finally getting around to setting up a permanent dust collection system using my DC3300. When I tried to order the 4" inlet assembly (300003), I saw that the item has now been discontinued. Customer service told me that it was due to the fact that so few have been ordered.
Does anyone know where I might acquire one, or what I might use as an alternative?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Dust collector 4" inlet assembly
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tigris1997
- Gold Member
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- Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:30 pm
- Location: Leesburg,FL
I have one on my dust collector which I connected to a PCV pipe and run outlets off it. I'm not happy with the performance of it. I also think the Shopsmith Dust collector is under powered and over priced.forestden wrote:I am finally getting around to setting up a permanent dust collection system using my DC3300. When I tried to order the 4" inlet assembly (300003), I saw that the item has now been discontinued. Customer service told me that it was due to the fact that so few have been ordered.
Does anyone know where I might acquire one, or what I might use as an alternative?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I have more dust in my shop than when I used a shopvac on my power tools.
Just my opinon.
Paul
I can build a little off Paul's comments. I too believe the SS dust collector is underpowered for a hard-piped arrangement. After several years, I upgraded to a 1 1/2 HP model with 1100 CFM. This capacity is about 3X the SS capacity. Even then I only used it on one machine at a time due to using flexible rubber hoses. I recently hard-piped mine (metal duct) with 6" main line and 5" branches. It's like a new world. It works wonders. Even at this capacity, I don't go more than two machines at a time.
Within the limitations of its capacity, the SS dust collector does fine. It is more suited to chip collection due to its air volume. In doing the research, I learned that air volume is the key feature for dust collection. That's why I upgraded. In reality, I wish I had gone to a larger 2 HP system with cyclone.
Within the limitations of its capacity, the SS dust collector does fine. It is more suited to chip collection due to its air volume. In doing the research, I learned that air volume is the key feature for dust collection. That's why I upgraded. In reality, I wish I had gone to a larger 2 HP system with cyclone.
Tom Woods
A little science may help to clear the air here, folks. (Pun intended.)
The statement that the Shopsmith Dust Collector cannot be "hard-piped" or that it is limited to "chip collection" is incorrect. The fact is that almost any dust collector can be connected to a hard-pipe run, provided you understand the engineering science behind dust collection. Yes, you can take a machine that moves a buh-zillion cubic feet per minute (CFM), hook it to a fat pipe and pick up sawdust. In a small shop, however, you may not have room for 6" pipes and humongous air-moving machines. You may also want to be able to hear yourself think -- there is nothing so stressfull as spending a few hours in a small room, soaked to the gills in the decibels of a high-volume dust sucker. To use something smaller and quieter for dust removal, you need to do a little math.
At the heart of dust collection is this simple fact: To suspend sawdust and wood chips in an air stream and take them somewhere, that stream must be moving at at least 3500 feet per minute (FPM). And as Dan The Man Bernoulli found just a few short centuries ago, the speed of your air stream is linked to the diameter of your pipe. The smaller the pipe, the faster the air moves. So you can move saw dust with a small dust sucker, you just have to use a small pipe.
How small do you make the pipe? Well, here's where we lose the math-o-phobics and continue with a smaller, heartier crew. The equation to figure the largest useful pipe diameter for a given dust collector is this: (CFM/FPM) x 144 = Area of the pipe (cross-section, in square inches). The Shopsmith Dust Sucker moves air at 330 CFM. We want the resulting air stream to move at least 3500 FPM. So, (330/3500) x 144 = 13.58. The cross section of a 4" pipe is about 12.5" (pi x 2 squared = 12.56). So the largest useful pipe the Shopsmith machine can be hooked to and still pick up sawdust is 4". Or is it?
Something else enters the picture. Dynamic pressure (or total pressure), the kinetic energy with which the dust collector moves the air, decreases over the length of the run due to friction and turbulence. It also decreases with bends of pipes and ridges of flexible hoses. Remember, the largest possible cross section for the Shopsmith is 13.58 square inches. The cross section of a 4"-diameter pipe is 12.56 square inches. The two measurements are way too close. The pressure will drop too much over the length of the run, the FPM will suffer, and the sawdust will drop out of the air stream. This is where I have to be honest and say that you are all fortunate that the 4" hook-up for the Shopsmith Dust Collector is no longer available. It was useless for anything but the shortest of runs.
However, you can make a very serviceable run for a small shop using 3" PVC pipe. This pipe has a cross section of about 7" and is more than large enough to move the type of waste you will create when woodworking. With the Shopsmith machine attached , it will sustain a robust air stream at or above the magic FPM for a good twenty to thirty feet, depending on the number of bends. We've built two such runs in the National Woodworking Academy, each run servicing up to five woodworking tools. And they work very well.
Drew and I have had to build some specialized connections, the most important of which is shown below. This is what we call the "octopus" for obvious reasons. This is where the Shopsmith Dust Collection hooks into the run, and the air stream is distributed to the tools. The 3" pipe runs overhead for about 21 feet with several T's and elbows along the length. A 2" pipe descends about 4 feet from each of the Ts and elbows, terminating in a shut-off valve. From the valve, the tool is hooked to the air stream with flexible plastic 2-1/4" hose. A copper wire running through the plastic pipes is connected to the metal chassis of the dust collector and eliminates the dangers of the static electricity that would otherwise build up in the PVC pipes.
[ATTACH]502[/ATTACH]
With all good wishes,
The statement that the Shopsmith Dust Collector cannot be "hard-piped" or that it is limited to "chip collection" is incorrect. The fact is that almost any dust collector can be connected to a hard-pipe run, provided you understand the engineering science behind dust collection. Yes, you can take a machine that moves a buh-zillion cubic feet per minute (CFM), hook it to a fat pipe and pick up sawdust. In a small shop, however, you may not have room for 6" pipes and humongous air-moving machines. You may also want to be able to hear yourself think -- there is nothing so stressfull as spending a few hours in a small room, soaked to the gills in the decibels of a high-volume dust sucker. To use something smaller and quieter for dust removal, you need to do a little math.
At the heart of dust collection is this simple fact: To suspend sawdust and wood chips in an air stream and take them somewhere, that stream must be moving at at least 3500 feet per minute (FPM). And as Dan The Man Bernoulli found just a few short centuries ago, the speed of your air stream is linked to the diameter of your pipe. The smaller the pipe, the faster the air moves. So you can move saw dust with a small dust sucker, you just have to use a small pipe.
How small do you make the pipe? Well, here's where we lose the math-o-phobics and continue with a smaller, heartier crew. The equation to figure the largest useful pipe diameter for a given dust collector is this: (CFM/FPM) x 144 = Area of the pipe (cross-section, in square inches). The Shopsmith Dust Sucker moves air at 330 CFM. We want the resulting air stream to move at least 3500 FPM. So, (330/3500) x 144 = 13.58. The cross section of a 4" pipe is about 12.5" (pi x 2 squared = 12.56). So the largest useful pipe the Shopsmith machine can be hooked to and still pick up sawdust is 4". Or is it?
Something else enters the picture. Dynamic pressure (or total pressure), the kinetic energy with which the dust collector moves the air, decreases over the length of the run due to friction and turbulence. It also decreases with bends of pipes and ridges of flexible hoses. Remember, the largest possible cross section for the Shopsmith is 13.58 square inches. The cross section of a 4"-diameter pipe is 12.56 square inches. The two measurements are way too close. The pressure will drop too much over the length of the run, the FPM will suffer, and the sawdust will drop out of the air stream. This is where I have to be honest and say that you are all fortunate that the 4" hook-up for the Shopsmith Dust Collector is no longer available. It was useless for anything but the shortest of runs.
However, you can make a very serviceable run for a small shop using 3" PVC pipe. This pipe has a cross section of about 7" and is more than large enough to move the type of waste you will create when woodworking. With the Shopsmith machine attached , it will sustain a robust air stream at or above the magic FPM for a good twenty to thirty feet, depending on the number of bends. We've built two such runs in the National Woodworking Academy, each run servicing up to five woodworking tools. And they work very well.
Drew and I have had to build some specialized connections, the most important of which is shown below. This is what we call the "octopus" for obvious reasons. This is where the Shopsmith Dust Collection hooks into the run, and the air stream is distributed to the tools. The 3" pipe runs overhead for about 21 feet with several T's and elbows along the length. A 2" pipe descends about 4 feet from each of the Ts and elbows, terminating in a shut-off valve. From the valve, the tool is hooked to the air stream with flexible plastic 2-1/4" hose. A copper wire running through the plastic pipes is connected to the metal chassis of the dust collector and eliminates the dangers of the static electricity that would otherwise build up in the PVC pipes.
[ATTACH]502[/ATTACH]
With all good wishes,
- Attachments
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- Distributor_s.jpg (76.71 KiB) Viewed 18669 times
Nick Engler
http://www.workshopcompanion.com
http://www.workshopcompanion.com
Hi Nick,
Thank you for the information you provided. Let me ask a couple of questions:
1. Does the 'distributor', with the 3 hoses attached, allow for better air-flow than if the 3" pipe were connected to just one hose without the distributor?
2. Does the SS gate valve fit into (or vise-versa) the 2" pipe coming from the "T"?
3. Is there a schematic, or plans, available for the "octopus"?
I have my bandsaw w/power station, beltsander, Shopsmith, drill press and router table along one wall, and want to position the DC3300 next, in the corner. So, the run is only about 12 feet that the pipe with T's would have to extend.
Any additional suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks, Forestden (aka Paul Ehrlich)
Thank you for the information you provided. Let me ask a couple of questions:
1. Does the 'distributor', with the 3 hoses attached, allow for better air-flow than if the 3" pipe were connected to just one hose without the distributor?
2. Does the SS gate valve fit into (or vise-versa) the 2" pipe coming from the "T"?
3. Is there a schematic, or plans, available for the "octopus"?
I have my bandsaw w/power station, beltsander, Shopsmith, drill press and router table along one wall, and want to position the DC3300 next, in the corner. So, the run is only about 12 feet that the pipe with T's would have to extend.
Any additional suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks, Forestden (aka Paul Ehrlich)
1. Does the 'distributor', with the 3 hoses attached, allow for better air-flow than if the 3" pipe were connected to just one hose without the distributor?
The airflow (CFM) is more than adequate. The three pipes have a combined cross section of 12", so the flow is far from restricted. On the other hand, the setup is far from optimum. Inside the distrubutor are flat surfaces and blind corners where large chips can lodge. Once you have one chip lodged in the distrubutor, another piles on. This happens once or twice a week, on the average. Fortunately, the chip jams take only a few minutes to clear. I have a redesign for the distributor that should eliminate most of the jams, but I haven't had time to build it and test it. Note: One of the features tht makes this setup attractive and worth your while to clear a few jams is that the Shopsmith Dust Sucker remains unmodified and can be quickly detached should you need to use it in its portable capacity.
2. Does the SS gate valve fit into (or vise-versa) the 2" pipe coming from the "T"?
No. That's the other fitting we had to make. A simple terminal (made from three layers of plywood) fits and seals the end of the 2" pipe and provides a mount for the valve.
3. Is there a schematic, or plans, available for the "octopus"?
Not yet. But if there is some interest out there, designing a sawdust collection system around our dust collector would make a good Sawdust Session. I could draw up the plans for both fittings and post them on the Blackboard.
I have my bandsaw w/power station, beltsander, Shopsmith, drill press and router table along one wall, and want to position the DC3300 next, in the corner. So, the run is only about 12 feet that the pipe with T's would have to extend.
Sounds like the dust collection needs of your shop are well within the capacity of the Shopsmith Dust Sucker. If you don't need to run the pipe overhead as we did here at the Academy, I'd just attach it to the wall at a height you can reach comfortably with Ts and elbows where you need them.
[ATTACH]506[/ATTACH]
Here's a shot of the Academy that shows how I set up our dust collection system. Maybe this will give you some ideas.
With all good wishes,
The airflow (CFM) is more than adequate. The three pipes have a combined cross section of 12", so the flow is far from restricted. On the other hand, the setup is far from optimum. Inside the distrubutor are flat surfaces and blind corners where large chips can lodge. Once you have one chip lodged in the distrubutor, another piles on. This happens once or twice a week, on the average. Fortunately, the chip jams take only a few minutes to clear. I have a redesign for the distributor that should eliminate most of the jams, but I haven't had time to build it and test it. Note: One of the features tht makes this setup attractive and worth your while to clear a few jams is that the Shopsmith Dust Sucker remains unmodified and can be quickly detached should you need to use it in its portable capacity.
2. Does the SS gate valve fit into (or vise-versa) the 2" pipe coming from the "T"?
No. That's the other fitting we had to make. A simple terminal (made from three layers of plywood) fits and seals the end of the 2" pipe and provides a mount for the valve.
3. Is there a schematic, or plans, available for the "octopus"?
Not yet. But if there is some interest out there, designing a sawdust collection system around our dust collector would make a good Sawdust Session. I could draw up the plans for both fittings and post them on the Blackboard.
I have my bandsaw w/power station, beltsander, Shopsmith, drill press and router table along one wall, and want to position the DC3300 next, in the corner. So, the run is only about 12 feet that the pipe with T's would have to extend.
Sounds like the dust collection needs of your shop are well within the capacity of the Shopsmith Dust Sucker. If you don't need to run the pipe overhead as we did here at the Academy, I'd just attach it to the wall at a height you can reach comfortably with Ts and elbows where you need them.
[ATTACH]506[/ATTACH]
Here's a shot of the Academy that shows how I set up our dust collection system. Maybe this will give you some ideas.
With all good wishes,
- Attachments
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- Dust collection.jpg (121.88 KiB) Viewed 18640 times
Nick Engler
http://www.workshopcompanion.com
http://www.workshopcompanion.com
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tigris1997
- Gold Member
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:30 pm
- Location: Leesburg,FL
My system has a 4" PCV pipe anond the back wall. It's about 8' long. I have a short flex hose to connect the unit to the pipe. I would like to see a plan that I could use to make it more efficient.
I set it up so I could run the Mark 5 , bandsaw and other tools off it. I have 4 gates on the run.
Paul
I set it up so I could run the Mark 5 , bandsaw and other tools off it. I have 4 gates on the run.
Paul
I think it would be a good sawdust session to create for the "octopus". Also nice shot of what the Shopsmith Academy Classroom looks like.3. Is there a schematic, or plans, available for the "octopus"?
Not yet. But if there is some interest out there, designing a sawdust collection system around our dust collector would make a good Sawdust Session. I could draw up the plans for both fittings and post them on the Blackboard.
Ron from Lewisburg, TN
Octopus alternative
I just joined the forum and this is my first post. Hopefully it will come out ok.
When I had a DC3300 (this is another story) I considered hooking it up to a 4" line via the Shopsmith adapter. Being as cheap as I am, I thought I could make an adapter similar to the Shopsmith 4" inlet. Remove the existing 3 way inlet and measure the circumference of the metal housing. Calculate the radius needed to fit a block of wood to the outside of the DC3300. After making that piece, drill or cut a 4" dia hole in it and attach a flanged piece of 4" pipe. Attach this assebly to the DC3300 and you have a 4" inlet. If you want a 3" inlet, drill or cut a 3" hole and attach the appropriate size flanged pipe.
This sounds like it would work, but I never did get the chance to try it out.
When I had a DC3300 (this is another story) I considered hooking it up to a 4" line via the Shopsmith adapter. Being as cheap as I am, I thought I could make an adapter similar to the Shopsmith 4" inlet. Remove the existing 3 way inlet and measure the circumference of the metal housing. Calculate the radius needed to fit a block of wood to the outside of the DC3300. After making that piece, drill or cut a 4" dia hole in it and attach a flanged piece of 4" pipe. Attach this assebly to the DC3300 and you have a 4" inlet. If you want a 3" inlet, drill or cut a 3" hole and attach the appropriate size flanged pipe.
This sounds like it would work, but I never did get the chance to try it out.
I hate to create muddy waters but, this is something I'm thinking about just for my thickness planer:
http://www.steelcitytoolworks.com/produ ... tool=65115
The planner makes chips and lots of them and very little dust and this would make it a lot more portable.
Just a different way to look at things.
Ed
http://www.steelcitytoolworks.com/produ ... tool=65115
The planner makes chips and lots of them and very little dust and this would make it a lot more portable.
Just a different way to look at things.
Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]