dust stopper vs dust deputy vs dust collector: I'm out of room and can only have one. Thoughts?

[BTL-A4]

I am out of room in my garage. A bigger garage or moving is not an option.

I have a full-size dust collector I don't use very much, a 6-gallon Craftsman shop vacuum that just died, and a 2.5 gallon, 2HP Craftsman shop vacuum that I really like, but the motor is getting ready to die (it's making a higher-pitched noise than normal; I think I sucked up some "bad dust" from a grinding or cement job).

I use the smaller C-man all the time since it's easy to carry around and is usually all I need to clean up a mess. But, I have a planer and a table saw I use and I need some sort of dust collection for those two tools. The full-size dust collector works well, but it's a bit overkill for the amount I use it and it takes up too much room.

Based on my initial research, I'm leaning toward getting some sort of smaller Ridgid vacuum with either a Dust Deputy or something similar. I like the Dustopper at HD because it fits on a 5-gallon bucket. Anyone have any thoughts, comments, and more importantly, experience with any of these?

Questions in bold.

Dustopper:
This appeals to me because it just fits over a bucket out of the box. Does it work the same way as a Dust Deputy?


Dust Deputy:
I'd get the smaller one, I think. The 2.5 is taller.
My issue with this is I'd need to make an adapter for whatever I fit this on.
How tight does the seal need to be? Do I need to clamp it down, or can the adapter sit on top of the container?


This looks like the Dust Deputy version of the Home Depot Dustopper:
Anyone have any experience with this one?


Thanks!

 

[sparky 1971]

I am out of room in my garage. A bigger garage or moving is not an option.

I have a full-size dust collector I don't use very much, a 6-gallon Craftsman shop vacuum that just died, and a 2.5 gallon, 2HP Craftsman shop vacuum that I really like, but the motor is getting ready to die (it's making a higher-pitched noise than normal; I think I sucked up some "bad dust" from a grinding or cement job).

I use the smaller C-man all the time since it's easy to carry around and is usually all I need to clean up a mess. But, I have a planer and a table saw I use and I need some sort of dust collection for those two tools. The full-size dust collector works well, but it's a bit overkill for the amount I use it and it takes up too much room.

Based on my initial research, I'm leaning toward getting some sort of smaller Ridgid vacuum with either a Dust Deputy or something similar. I like the Dustopper at HD because it fits on a 5-gallon bucket. Anyone have any thoughts, comments, and more importantly, experience with any of these?

Questions in bold.

Dustopper:
This appeals to me because it just fits over a bucket out of the box. Does it work the same way as a Dust Deputy?


Dust Deputy:
I'd get the smaller one, I think. The 2.5 is taller.
My issue with this is I'd need to make an adapter for whatever I fit this on.
How tight does the seal need to be? Do I need to clamp it down, or can the adapter sit on top of the container?


This looks like the Dust Deputy version of the Home Depot Dustopper:
Anyone have any experience with this one?


Thanks!

The only thing I have input on is the duststopper. It works great, but whether or not it works as well as the Dust Deputy, I can't comment. I do know that I use it for cleaning out my pellet stove every Saturday from November to March/April and I've gone from having to clean the ash out of the shop vac filter every week to once about every six weeks.

 

[alfadan]

I've got the name-brand dust deputy on a setup for my sandblaster cabinet and it works very well.

 

[dnschmidt]

Dust Deputy. I've got the one that's all metal which is how they were originally made. Both the cyclone and the barrel are metal. Used it for sanding MDF and I'm sure it saved me from emphysema.

 

[david3921]

You might be able to save space (and money) by mounting your existing dust collector motor to the wall. You would need to order a new bag, though. I sold my 2HP dust collector from HF and just use my 1HP portable when needed. Below is what Grizzly sells (along with others). Here's a YT of someone mounting the 2HP on the wall.

 

[Voi]

I have a full-size dust collector...

I have a planer and a table saw I use and I need some sort of dust collection for those two tools. The full-size dust collector works well, but it's a bit overkill for the amount I use it and it takes up too much room.

Questions in bold.

Dustopper:
This appeals to me because it just fits over a bucket out of the box. Does it work the same way as a Dust Deputy?

Dust Deputy:
I'd get the smaller one, I think. The 2.5 is taller.
My issue with this is I'd need to make an adapter for whatever I fit this on.
How tight does the seal need to be? Do I need to clamp it down, or can the adapter sit on top of the container?

There are many videos on YouTube comparing the Dust Deputy to various competitors. I am unaware of a comparison to the Dust Stopper specifically but I would look.

As far as your second question, do you mean the seal between the bottom flange of the Dust Deputy and the container it attaches to? Mine bolts on and comes with a seal and I think the instructions emphasize the importance of the seal.

Here is what I did to save space. This mounts on a shelf above head height. I can slide the clear tray out while standing on the floor. I have the intake hose attached to a swinging boom arm that is higher than any of my vehicles. I mainly built the arm for track saw use but I believe I could rig up something for stationary tools fairly easily.






My understanding is that you'll get better collection from a dust collector vs an extractor when used with tools like a planer or table saw. Is there a possibility of placing the DC in a small outdoor shed and piping from the garage to that shed?

 

[Max]

I have to agree with @Voi - a vacuum is not going to keep up with a table saw or particularly a planer. That may be a trade-off that you're willing to make for the space gained - it's up to you. If you have the space, I'd keep the DC and one vacuum for mobile stuff. Note that you can get things like a floor sweep for your DC so you can sweep stuff into it as well.

FWIW I have a 2 HP DC and it's awesome with my router and bandsaw. It's good but not great for my Unisaw - I think that 3 HP would be better. My planer is just 13" and has no port, so I just use it outside. It generates a ton of shavings very quickly...

 

[Voi]

A couple of things about my setup...

I have wide weather stripping around the underside of the plywood where the clear tote meets. I rarely use the small clamps as the suction pulls the tote tight.

My DeWalt extractor turns on automatically when I pull the trigger on whatever tool is being used & runs for 15 seconds after trigger is released. This is what allows me to mount it up high.

I have not yet rigged up a remote switch to allow me to use it as a vacuum. Need to get that done.

 

[dnschmidt]

A dust deputy is NOT an extractor and an extractor is not a dust deputy. One is for collecting large chips from table saws, planers, jointers and the other is for collecting very fine dust from sanders. Neither does the job of the other. TOO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOOLS.

 

[mike93lx]

A dust deputy is NOT an extractor and an extractor is not a dust deputy. One is for collecting large chips from table saws, planers, jointers and the other is for collecting very fine dust from sanders. Neither does the job of the other. TOO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOOLS.

This. Separators keep bulk out of the tool providing suction.

I just run a bag in my shop vac. Filter lasts forever and the bags keep things clean. Bonus that filtration is way better

 

[Voi]

Need to apologize for my wording. Will edit my post later.

 

[BTL-A4]

Looks like I might need to rethink this, then. I may just not replace the larger vacuum, and keep the smaller one and the DC. I was using the large vacuum on the planer, and it fills up fast. I thought I might need a larger wet/dry vac around the house, but haven't needed one in awhile. When I did, the smaller one sufficed. I might even add a drain on the smaller one so I can **** up water and have it drain out thru a hose or something.

The DC with a Dust Deputy might be the way to go. The DD gets the chunks and the DC gets everything else. Am I on the right track?

 

[BTL-A4]

It occurs to me that adding a drain on a vacuum might not work because the suction would draw fluid thru the hose, not drain out, UNLESS I kept the hole closed while vacuuming and opened it when I shut the vacuum off. So, close the hole, vacuum up whatever, then turn off the vacuum and open the valve and let the fluid drain out, repeat.

 

[BTL-A4]

Thanks for all the suggestions, etc. I don't have room on my walls or ceiling at all, and I cannot add anything outside because I don't have room. Whatever I do has to occupy floor space that is currently taken up with the large vacuum and the DC. The small vac sits on a shelf. I could maybe get a slightly larger one that still fits on the shelf. I could store the DD bucket with the DC.

 

[mike93lx]

It occurs to me that adding a drain on a vacuum might not work because the suction would draw fluid thru the hose, not drain out, UNLESS I kept the hole closed while vacuuming and opened it when I shut the vacuum off. So, close the hole, vacuum up whatever, then turn off the vacuum and open the valve and let the fluid drain out, repeat.

I used to have a vac with a built in pump. Came in very handy when cleaning out a flooded basement. It was a 16 gal, shop vac brand

 

[rancherbill]

......., a 6-gallon Craftsman shop vacuum that just died, and a 2.5 gallon, 2HP Craftsman shop vacuum that I really like, but the motor is getting ready to die (it's making a higher-pitched noise than normal; I think I sucked up some "bad dust" from a grinding or cement job).

Buy a Ridgid. They have a lifetime replacement warranty. Both those would have been covered. Mine is the one you can take and use as a blower. Until you use it the first time, you never realized there was always a hole in you DIY life.

I am following to see how the other part of your problem is solved.

 

[tarbellb]

You might be able to save space (and money) by mounting your existing dust collector motor to the wall. You would need to order a new bag, though. I sold my 2HP dust collector from HF and just use my 1HP portable when needed. Below is what Grizzly sells (along with others). Here's a YT of someone mounting the 2HP on the wall.

I know you said you dont have room on the wall..... but look again.

Ive also wall mounted a HF portable DC and it was a big space saver. Combo that with any smaller shop vac (check out Ridgids little 5hp/4g WD4070) and cyclone and you are set for most small to medium jobs.

No shop vac will keep up with a 12" planer or bigger

RIDGID 4 Gal. 5.0 Peak HP Portable Shop Vacuum Wet Dry Vac with Fine Dust Filter, Locking Hose and Attachments WD4070 WD4070 - The Home Depot

Offer powerful performance necessary to tackle even the messiest projects with this RIDGID Portable Wet Dry Vac. Lightweight design and very portable.

www.homedepot.com

 

[BTL-A4]

I really don't have any room on the walls. I'd have to rebuild cupboards at least. And, I'm not sure I want this permanently mounted inside; I wheel it outside to use it.

Here's a photo of my 1HP DC:


Right now, it's stored under the table saw outfeed table (the top filter is collapsed). I wheel it out a nearby door when I use it.
Here it is:

To the left is a walkway from the door I'm standing in to take the photo from outside. There are cupboards on the wall left of that.

Here it is wheeled out partway to the door I'm standing in to take the photo.


I use my larger vacuum for the 12" planer. It gets real full real quick, but keep the chips mostly corralled.

I think I might do this:
Buy the Dust Deputy that has a small pail. I will hook that up to the TS or planer and DC. I'll need some adapter fittings. I'm considering a smaller diameter hose as well. I checked and there is enough room under the TS to store the DC and the DD.

Buy a Ridgid vacuum like the one in post #17. Several people have recommended that one. I like the lifetime warranty, too. My last vacuum lasted 15 years or so, the C-man that replaced it lasted about 3. I need a vacuum.

Remember, I'm trying to save room by having 1 or 2 machines instead of 3.

QUESTION:
Can I use a smaller diameter hose on the DC? The cyclone has smaller fittings, so it seems like it would be better to use smaller hose from the TS to the cyclone, then from the cyclone to the DC. The smaller hose would fit the planer as well.

 

[mike93lx]

When my current vac eventually bites it, my top priority will be noise. Loud vacs ****

 

[u3b3rg33k]

When my current vac eventually bites it, my top priority will be noise. Loud vacs ****

I've got a Harvey dust collector at work (the smallest one, 220v 1ø), it's VS and has 3 stage separation (two bins, plus two giant filters). much better (easier to empty, doesn't rapidly drop airflow, quieter) than the HF dust collector that it replaced.

another great noise filter is to get a duct silencer (giant muffler) and route the exhaust through it.

 

[BTL-A4]

I took the bigger vacuum that died apart. I blew it out with compressed air and it works now. IT didn't even look that dusty inside. The motor showed no outward signs of any damage. I was able to rotate it by hand easily.

I may sell it and the smaller one and use the money towards the Ridgid vac and DD.

 

[BTL-A4]

When my current vac eventually bites it, my top priority will be noise. Loud vacs ****

another great noise filter is to get a duct silencer (giant muffler) and route the exhaust through it.

I got one of those noise mufflers for the exhaust on the big vac. Makes a huge difference in noise and dust blowing out. I'll be keeping that for any new vac.

 

[RTM]

Just a thought on how much you use your planer. I've surfaced stacks of boards before, and filled up the lower bag on my Jet DC1100 twice. For me, a cyclone would need to fit on a 30g trash can, or be very easy to swap out if only a 5g bucket, if I got one.

Might be something to test, how many typical boards do you run, and what is the chip output?

My DC joins all my tools in the driveway when I need it, it's all collapsed into a rectangle right now. Big hoses are best for big chip producers. I have 4" on the planer, & Contractor TS, and 2 smaller fittings w adapter to 4" on my BS. Only run one at a time typically, but it can handle two easily.

 

[BukitCase]

My shop space currently is about 525 SF, a bit more including the side area the DC lives in - main lines are all 4" DWV tubing with a few "Y's" down to 2-1/2" - I added a "super dust deputy" metal cyclone to the Jet 1100 and welded a bracket to support the impeller and motor above the cyclone - works pretty well, any place I needed a 90 I used 2 45's separated by a few inches of straight - it's supposed to improve cavitation, seems to do a pretty good job.

I bought the kit from DD that includes the 35 gallon barrel, and built a pedal lift that seals the barrel to the lid. makes for quick empty. I also minimised the use of flex anywhere possible.

Nearly everything in my shop is on casters, and every position is marked with blue painters tape - when things are on their marks, I have a minimum of 10' in AND outfeed for everything. If I need to do something different, the casters make it easy to cram all the "bench warmers" into a snug row out of the way.

The PM66 is still waiting for a "tuit" to improve dust collection, it's barely tolerable right now even WITH the small cyclone on the overarm on it... Steve

 

[mike93lx]

I got one of those noise mufflers for the exhaust on the big vac. Makes a huge difference in noise and dust blowing out. I'll be keeping that for any new vac.

They definitely help, but hepa dust extractors are a whole different level

 

[WAID]

I'm somewhat tempted by the high suction offerings from Oneida like the Dust Cobra or Supercell for the shop but that may be more space and money than I can swing.

I use a shop vac and dust deputy on my small table saw, sander, drill press, and track saw. The table saw is just a small contractor model. The planer is a Dewalt 735 and that is currently just routed into a filter bag. The dedicated blower works for that. The tablesaw is just a small jobsite model so it works well enough with a shopvac.

 

[BTL-A4]

QUESTION:
Can I use a smaller diameter hose on the DC? The cyclone has smaller fittings, so it seems like it would be better to use smaller hose from the TS to the cyclone, then from the cyclone to the DC. The smaller hose would fit the planer as well.

I think I found a few answers:

CFM loss when reducing hose sizes.

Got 2 650 CFM Dust Collectors. One is the Jet the other is the pretty much the same model but it is a Sears Craftsman. Never used the Sears Dust Collector . It's just been sitting in the corner of the shop. Now, I have that old Sears Craftsman Whole...

sawmillcreek.org

Your CFM (air volume) drops and your water lift (suction power) increases. Suction power is what gets debris moving while CFM keeps it going. So if you want to pick up slightly larger debris and can give up a little on the effective suction area side, going to a smaller diameter hose makes sense.

 

[tak1313]

If I recall (take it for what it's worth cuz I'm 61 now), when I was researching cyclone dust collection, the conical shape of collectors such as the Deputy is more efficient at separating smaller particles than "straight" versions like what would be created with the Stopper on a bucket (and similar designs).

It had something to do with the fact that as the particles swirled, the tapering shape of the a cone allowed the particles to maintain it's speed as it traveled around and down the perimeter. This, in turn, kept the particles away from the out flowing air to the vacuum source.

In a straight sided container, the particles would slow down as it traveled down the sides, which allowed them to more readily get sucked up with the out flowing air. The smaller the particle was, the more likely this would occur.

Some people have constructed "barriers" of sorts for straight sided collectors so the particles would flow past the barrier soon after getting caught up in the cyclone and get "trapped" in a lower chamber before it could slow down enough to get sucked back up.

Edit. Forgot to mention. The smaller the cone, the more efficient it was at collecting smaller particles, but of course there is a practical limit depending on what particles you are trying to capture.

 

[tak1313]

Example of the barrier/baffle:

Centrifugal dust separator

 

[1cargarage]

My handle (1cargarage) is actually a bit misleading. Cars of today are bigger than they used to be. As such, my "garage" is more of a 1mopedgarage, but that doesn't have the same ring to it.

Here is my setup:

Ridgid vac & included 2-1/2" hose to:
Top of Dust Deputy atop a 5-gal bucket:
No adapter needed: hose fits over the dust deputy (loosely), but snugs right down when vac is turned on.

Dust Deputy side inlet to Mr. Nozzle hose via PVC coupler (2" IIRC).
Black hose fitting (seen below) is removed and exposed/cut end of orange hose fits snugly in PVC coupler.

Mr. Nozzle hose to tools:
Table saw: flex coupling

The flex coupling lives on the table saw via tightening the hose clamp. The grey end of the Mr. Nozzle easily goes in & out. Fit was adjusted when I first installed it via hose clamp and I haven't touched it since

Track saw:
the grey end of Mr. Nozzle hose fits over the dust outlet of my TS75, so no adapters needed

From Rockler's I got their Dust Right Flexi Port hose kit

Mr. Nozzle fits in the all black fitting seen above, and any of the adapters fit any handheld power tools I run (domino xl, RO sanders, etc)

The setup I have has worked great for me for years. It is not IDEAL, but unless you have a dozen 240V 3ph circuits and 5,000 sq.ft of polished concrete & high ceilings, nothing is IDEAL.

My dust collection setup keeps up NO PROBLEM with:
Ripping baltic birch ply with full kerf blades
Ripping 4/4 - 8/4 stock with full kerf blades
Edge sanding with 8" EdgeTech2 sanding disc
TS75 Tracksaw
DominoXL
Biscuit Jointer
6" Rotex-style sander
Router table running <1" dado bits

It does NOT keep up with a 12" thickness planer planing even 2x4s. Don't even bother.

This setup I've been fine tuning for YEARS and I'm fairly confident that I have maximized the suction out of a 15A 120V wall outlet

Take the Ridgid Vac filter out back with the air hose once/month or keep a couple on hand, and you'll be happy. I've found that I swap/clean filters every 3-5 buckets (15-25gallons of dust/chips). Your mileage may vary.

Note: I avoid MDF like the plague (The fine dust that **** creates is miserable to be wearing and breathing all day, and is second only to drywall dust in terms of clogging vac filters)

 

[foghorn1966]

Does not help with your space problem. But does not tip over like a 5 gal bucket. Sounds like you have a dead vac already.

 

[BTL-A4]

My handle (1cargarage) is actually a bit misleading. Cars of today are bigger than they used to be. As such, my "garage" is more of a 1mopedgarage, but that doesn't have the same ring to it.

Here is my setup:

Ridgid vac & included 2-1/2" hose to:
Top of Dust Deputy atop a 5-gal bucket:
No adapter needed: hose fits over the dust deputy (loosely), but snugs right down when vac is turned on.

Dust Deputy side inlet to Mr. Nozzle hose via PVC coupler (2" IIRC).
Black hose fitting (seen below) is removed and exposed/cut end of orange hose fits snugly in PVC coupler.

Mr. Nozzle hose to tools:
Table saw: flex coupling

The flex coupling lives on the table saw via tightening the hose clamp. The grey end of the Mr. Nozzle easily goes in & out. Fit was adjusted when I first installed it via hose clamp and I haven't touched it since

Track saw:
the grey end of Mr. Nozzle hose fits over the dust outlet of my TS75, so no adapters needed

From Rockler's I got their Dust Right Flexi Port hose kit

Mr. Nozzle fits in the all black fitting seen above, and any of the adapters fit any handheld power tools I run (domino xl, RO sanders, etc)

The setup I have has worked great for me for years. It is not IDEAL, but unless you have a dozen 240V 3ph circuits and 5,000 sq.ft of polished concrete & high ceilings, nothing is IDEAL.

My dust collection setup keeps up NO PROBLEM with:
Ripping baltic birch ply with full kerf blades
Ripping 4/4 - 8/4 stock with full kerf blades
Edge sanding with 8" EdgeTech2 sanding disc
TS75 Tracksaw
DominoXL
Biscuit Jointer
6" Rotex-style sander
Router table running <1" dado bits

It does NOT keep up with a 12" thickness planer planing even 2x4s. Don't even bother.

This setup I've been fine tuning for YEARS and I'm fairly confident that I have maximized the suction out of a 15A 120V wall outlet

Take the Ridgid Vac filter out back with the air hose once/month or keep a couple on hand, and you'll be happy. I've found that I swap/clean filters every 3-5 buckets (15-25gallons of dust/chips). Your mileage may vary.

Note: I avoid MDF like the plague (The fine dust that **** creates is miserable to be wearing and breathing all day, and is second only to drywall dust in terms of clogging vac filters)

Thanks for the info! Sounds like this works really well for you. I think something like this might work for me.

Are you saying this setup keeps up with a table saw? If I got a vacuum with 2.5" diameter hose, I could use it with a DD on my TS?

Sounds like the only thing that will keep up with a 12" planer is my big DC. But, I've been fine with using the bigger shop vac I currently have with 1-7/8" hose. The tank fills up quick, but I'm not planing that many boards; a bigger vac (my big one is 6 ga) might work just fine for my needs.

 

[BTL-A4]

Does not help with your space problem. But does not tip over like a 5 gal bucket. Sounds like you have a dead vac already.

I got it running again. Just needed a good ******** from the air gun. Your idea would be a good use of a dead vacuum, though.

 

[BTL-A4]

If I find that @1cargarage 's idea works, I may go with that and sell the DC. As much as I like having it, it takes up space, I don't use it much and it look like there are alternatives that will work for my needs.

Right now I have a small vacuum, a larger vacuum and a DC. I need floor space and I can't put anything on the wall or ceiling. So, I gotta get rid of something. The DD with a large vac would take up the space occupied by the DC now, freeing the space where just the large vac sits now.

Selling the Cman shop vac might not net much; used vacs don't sell for much.

I need to try some of your suggestions and see what actually works and stop obsessing over this.

 

[yhprum]

I found that my straight blade thickness planer makes long stringy shavings that plug up my homemade dust collector but it works great for tablesaw sawdust and sanding dust. So I think what you’re going to use it for is important. I like the dust deputy and would try one for that, but they don’t sell them here.

Here is a link to my diy dust collector

MY DIY Dust Separator - HomemadeTools.net

Here is a dust separator I put together because I was doing some drywall repairs in the house and I wanted to capture the dust. It probably gets about

www.homemadetools.net

 

[BukitCase]

yhprum makes a good point - from my experience you probably won't like NOT having your DC, at least for the planer and table saw - a shop vac just doesn't flow enough to work well with those 2 tools. Stringy shavings like a bigger pipe and more flow in order NOT to plug up. And depending on how successful you are at maxing the pickup from the table saw you may find you're using the DC for the main saw cabinet AND an overarm pickup with the DD - I know my PM66 is older and needs me to finish fabbing the missing covers, but even after that I'm not holding my breath that I won't want even more.

First pic is what shavings from my DW735 look like (that's a 35 gallon barrel) - they would likely get stuck thru a 2" vacuum hose.

Second pic doesn't show the 4" DC connect that I moved from the rear of the saw to the corner under the table extension. I'm hoping the new covers will help, but tending to be a bit pessimistic due to 35 years working in industrial instrumentation... Steve

 

[BukitCase]

Oh, forgot to mention - if you can post a few pics showing your current layout, the impressive "brain trust" that is the GJ membership might come up with something so far outside the box that it just might work ... Steve

 

[Jgaz]

I’m using the dustopper with a shop vac at my miter saw. The space under the saw was too short to use the Dust Deputy.

The setup above hooks to this cabinet. The dustopper very works well in this set up as far as keeping the shop vac filter cleaner, longer. The vac really doesn’t have the flow to collect the miter saw dust real well but the cabinet keeps the dust contained.


I use this duct work to connect my 1hp dust collector to my bandsaw, table saw, and drill press. I remove the reducer fitting to the bandsaw and hook up a full 4” flex hose to connect to my planer.

This is an old picture but shows the dust collector hooked to my Shopsmith table saw and also a small bench top jointer. I also use this set up to connect to a strip sander.
Drill press not shown in this picture and I now use more DWV 4” pipe and less flex hose.

 

[BTL-A4]

Oh, forgot to mention - if you can post a few pics showing your current layout, the impressive "brain trust" that is the GJ membership might come up with something so far outside the box that it just might work ... Steve

Excellent idea!

Here is a panoramic I stitched together. I'm standing in the middle of the main garage door. On the left is my '72 914, with the mill and table saw. On the middle right are my bandsaws, grinder and lathe. On the far right is my workbench area. There is a 41" tool box, workbench and storage. Good thing I'm skinny; there's about 24" of space for me to move.:


Here are a few supplemental pictures of areas that are hard to see.
On the left is a view from the garage door to the house looking at the area in front of the car that is on the left in the panoramic image.
On the right is the same area seen from the door to the yard, looking in the opposite direction.


I did not tidy the garage at all.

The ceilings are 9'-4" high, but there are either lights of space for the roll-up doors to open.

The grey shelving unit by the sheet metal machine and the bike by the mill are going to be sold at some point.

I can store something under the TS where the gray shelf is now. I can also store something under the sheet metal machine, but it has to be easily movable.

 

[BukitCase]

If you look at the way I converted my DC1100, I just copied the original base (gave the old one to a friend) - I'll check what size it is later today. the new pics may take a bit to mull over, also will get to 'em later.

What are the actual dimensions of the floor space your DC takes up? I'm wondering if you could pull off a version of what I did for your DC - I built mine to be portable, then changed horses in midstream and went with hard piping (see my earlier pics for a better look)
The DC1100 is only 1-1/2 horse, but the 2 micron filter takes its toll (still works fine for my shop tho) - the cyclone mod/35 gallon barrel has done just fine so far... Steve