Minimum specs for shop vac? See usage below...

[gfr92y]

The primary purpose of this shop vac is to have multiple workshop tools piped to the vacuum with ball joints isolating each piece of equipment.

Since this workshop has only one worker, me, and I really don't see it expanding to two or more, the need will be to collect sawdust, metal dust, and metal shavings.

The following tools on the vacuum line will be working with soft and hardwood doing rough and fine cuts, aluminum and weldable steel, and plexiglass.
A 10-in miter and 12-in radial saw with 2 vacuum ports; 2 inches and 3 inches. (These two work stations have the largest diameter vacuum ports.)
A 7.25" table saw with a DIY vacuum port; 1 inch x 6 inches.
An 8-in table saw with 1 vacuum ports; 3 in.
A small tabletop drill press, a large drill press , and various electric hand tools including sanders, drills and grinders with a DIY vacuum port; 1 inch x 4 inches.
A large drill press
An electric rotary sander
A disc sander

 

[rlitman]

Collecting saw dust and grinding dust into the same machine is a recipe for trouble.

 

[mike93lx]

A shop vac may get by for much of the usage, but it's not the best answer.

High pressure, low volume suction works poorly for fine dust when you aren't very close to it. They are perfect when you can hookup right to a handheld tool, but they are a significant compromost otherwise

 

[gfr92y]

Collecting saw dust and grinding dust into the same machine is a recipe for trouble.

rlitman,

Is your concern hot metal embers or chips could ignite the saw dust?

Is this your only concern?

Thanks!

gfr92y

 

[gfr92y]

A shop vac may get by for much of the usage, but it's not the best answer.

OK. You have told me what not to do. How about telling me what to do?

What piece or pieces of equipment will collect the wood and metal dust described aove?

Thanks!

gfr92y

 

[mike93lx]

OK. You have told me what not to do. How about telling me what to do?

What piece or pieces of equipment will collect the wood and metal dust described aove?

Thanks!

gfr92y

You need separate systems. Sucking hot metal into a dust collector full of sawdust is not a great idea.

Light dust needs high volume, meaning a real dust collector. Even a small portable one is better than a vac.

When possible, keeping all metal grinding separate is the best move. covering all of your gear in metal dust won't help it last

 

[nadogail]

I also use a vacuum to empty Toilet Bowls and Sinks.

 

[PCustoms]

I also use a vacuum to empty Toilet Bowls and Sinks.

I use mine to clean the car, but that's also completely irrelevant to this thread.

@gfr92y needs to get 2 systems:

A dedicated dust collector for wood. If piped this needs some cfm, if they are going to move it machine to machine a vacuum works but is not ideal. I'd add a cyclone.

A dedicated, METAL ducted collector for the metalwork. As noted sawdust and hot chips don't mix, but hot chips can also collect and metal plastic piping (i.e. vacuum fittings)

 

[rlitman]

rlitman,

Is your concern hot metal embers or chips could ignite the saw dust?

That's it. Dust in all forms (even grinding dust) is quite flammable. And sawdust, tends to accumulate everywhere within a dust collection system in pockets that love to smolder and are easily ignited by the embers that grinding creates.

If there's every a chance of collecting grinding dust, you'll want at a minimum all metal pipes with a metal collection container. I have a small metal trash can under a cheap cyclone separator that I use with my metal bodied shop vac around my grinders. The shop vac comes off the separator and gets used directly for shop cleanup, but I have a separate system for sawdust collection.

 

[dnschmidt]

What is your duty cycle? A half hour a day can be handled with a Dust Deputy and any available shop vac. 6 hours a day the the shop vac will not last a month. The Dust Deputy in mandatory or you're going to cleaning out your filters every 30 minutes.

 

[RTM]

And don't forget about static grounding to prevent other issues.

I have a Jet DC 1100 because of my planer, and have gotten zapped once. I've never seen a shop vac powered central system, but without a planer or jointer it might work.

 

[mbatarga]

This is my dust collector with the cyclone separator behind it. I use 6" metal ductwork for the long runs and drop down to 4" diameter on the branches to the tools. I've got a 38' x 60' shop.

 

[Ohio Andy]

With ducting you lose much of your throughout. This is why I have a dedicated dust collector. It is probably a jet 1100, but that is an old model. These are also better for longer duty cycles than a vacuum... And not as loud.

You can do things to minimize air flow loss in ducting if you see a problem.

I cannot comment on dealing with metal chips.

Newer collectors usually use something like a cyclone and they make a huge difference to separate things. When I do use my vacuum, I do use a cyclone to separate things before they get to the filters and plug them up. And yes, the cyclone does reduce airflow.

 

[Ohio Andy]

One final thought, if you are going to attach a vacuum to a sander, it's nice to have adjustable air flow on your vacuum... If you have your vacuum on high that suction will pull the sander down onto the wood and you want to adjust the suction.

 

[tarbellb]

If you are looking for models and type I would think the following could fit your needs:

2hp+ common dust collection machine for your plumbed connections- HF, Grizzly, JET, Delta, etc...

Nicer euro style vacuum for your mobile operations- Fein, Festool, Nilfisk, Dewalt
_ the real beauty to these models is the trigger plug that turns the vac on with the tool
+ all the benefits of a euro duct collector

Metal dust collection- dedicated metal piping and canisters using gravity or step up to full blown separate vac system