Grizzly's 2HP cyclone was chosen for many features: long cone, square inlet, air ramp, and generous impeller. Matching our Grizzly color scheme was a bonus. One major drawback to Grizzly's cyclones are the severely undersized filters. For this reason the filter stack was modified in favor of a pair of Penn State's 225 sq.ft. nano filters (MERV 15). Finally, Grizzly's plastic bag and auger "system" was replaced with a more efficient recirculating cleanout.
To learn more about how to size your own cyclone, Bill Pentz's site is indispensible. For other tricks, like our hinged collection bin lid, the Wood Nerd's site is a great read.
Like the mitersaw, the bandsaw's dust collection splits into three lines - (2) 4" fixed connections and (1) 2-1/2" Stay-Put hose for positioning above the cut. This setup seems to work extremely well with the below-table port doing most of the work. With a tall auxillary fence, careful setup, and a 3-4 tpi resawing blade, the bandsaw effortlessly resaws large ski core blocks.
Blast gates are simple, DIY, MDF gates (1/2" MDF with Masonite faces and 1/4" MDF slide). These were built with an open rear slit, making them self-cleaning. Because integral hubs could be customized for each machine's case, they saved both considerable cost and critical space. If you opt for a similar SDR35 PVC system, Clear Vue's gates come highly recommended as an alternative to the popular DIY gates.
The 3HP shaper regularly cuts our least lung-friendly materials (carbon fiber, epoxy, exotic woods, etc). Minimizing its distance from the cyclone and attaching an efficient hood keeps the cutting dust-free. By attaching an MDF manifold to the back of the stock fence body, we created a generous Euro-style hood. The manifold has a takeoff for a 4" line below the table.
Dust collection from the 3HP cabinet saw splits into a 4" (above) and 5" (below) duct. Assuring that the airflow was sufficient both above and below was the most calculation-intense part of the project. Finding a guard that allows sufficient airflow (4") and blocks dust from shooting out the front (seems obvious) leaves only the Shark Guard. It is a great tool that is worth every penny. The last addition to the tablesaw will be a shop-built blade shroud that mounts inside the cabinet. Collecting dust as close to the source as possible is critical, but stock (or even aftermarket) shrouds are rare on splitter-style saws.
Collecting dust from a sliding mitersaw is by far the most difficult. There are many different hood styles out there and this is a mixture of our favorites. The 6" main splits into (2) 4" lines with mini-gulps and (1) 1-1/4" line that connects to the stock port. With a compact shop generous outfeeds require creativity. Our mitersaw hood not only does a great job at collecting dust but also as the bandsaw's outfeed support.
The Dewalt DW735 has a unique, built-in chip blower that controls the dust collecting capacity of the planer. Luckily the blower is decently effective and attaching the 4" Dust-Right system is fast and easy.
Rockler's 4" Dust Right system branches off of the 6" line. Collapsable and suspended out of the way, the hose is great for general wood cleanup, connecting to our filter's cleanout bin, and collecting dust from some 4"-only tools (like the DW735 planer).
