Replies

1. 
   timberrattler | Jan 15, 2003 11:51pm | #1

   I just read an article from the archives of FWW on Home Dust Collectors. Forget about explosions. They just don't happen in such small systems period. There is simply just not enough airborne material to explode. At least thats how I understood it. What do you think of the Dustboy I'm 2 seconds away from ordering one. Would love to hear what you think.

   Mark

1. 
   adambede | Jan 16, 2003 01:30am | #2

   Thanks for the reply. Do you know what issue of FWW had the article you're referring to? I had had the impression that my DustBoy shouldn't present an explosion hazard until I saw the warning on the new Jet, which made me think either that opinion has shifted on this matter or that my impression was simply false.

   I've had my 1 hp DustBoy for about 3 years. I bought it shortly after buying my first - and still current - tablesaw, a contractor model that cost me about $500. I was determined to make two safety purchases as soon as possible after buying the saw: a dust collector and a good aftermarket guard.

   I had seen the DustBoy in Sandor Nagyszalanczy's WOODSHOP DUST CONTROL; I knew I wanted a two-stage collector, and the book seemed to speak highly of it. I had a number of questions, though, so I emailed DustBoy through their website and got very good answers. I give them high marks generally for customer service; after I placed my order, the unit arrived quickly via UPS, and it came packed with good instructions. Assembly was very quick.

   I think the DustBoy does a good job collecting the dust from my table saw. I suspect that the reason it collects well under 100% of the dust, though, is the open back on the saw. I have closed in the back partially following the plan in a recent FWW, and that's improved collection, but there's still a good deal of open space back there reducing the collector's effectiveness. A blade shroud would improve efficiency, too, but who knows if I'll ever get around to constructing one.

   If I had the purchase to make over again, I'd seriously consider the Oneida. Everyone raves about it. I looked into it at the time, but as I was already spending about as much on a collector as I'd spent on my saw, and I knew I'd be spending almost as much again on a blade guard (the Brett guard, which is superb), I couldn't bring myself to spend what Oneida wanted. I did speak to someone at Oneida and was impressed with their customer service, too.

   Given the saw's open back, I don't know if the Oneida would collect more dust. Its cartridge-style filter seems better than the felted bag on my collector, though, and if you're planning to run ductwork and connect to a number of machines, the Oneida might be easier to work with. Oneida advertises that they'll plan the ductwork for you at no charge, I believe.

   One drawback of the felted bag is that it occasionally pops off while the collector is running. If I emptied it more often, that wouldn't happen, though.

   Emptying the bag is not fun; dust tends to hang up in the shoulders of the bag. (I put the bag inside a large leaf bag, close the top, and shake and massage until I seem to have gotten almost all of it out.

   The drum holds a lot; I empty it only rarely. The top, which contains motor and fan, is heavy, but I haven't found it hard to deal with.

   Good luck with your purchase.

1. 
   timberrattler | Jan 16, 2003 05:05pm | #3

   thanks for the info. I'm going for the Dustboy. I found the article and there was a website at the end http://gis.net/~dheaton/woodworking/woodworking.shtml let me know if it was any help.

1. 
   adambede | Jan 16, 2003 10:59pm | #4

   The website was very interesting - put the whole matter in useful perspective. Thanks for pointing me to it, and enjoy working with the DustBoy.

1. 
   timberrattler | Jan 16, 2003 11:43pm | #5

   Anytime, and thankyou.