[RTR]

... with a new shop vac.

You're invited to the wedding. Gifts are not needed. Just bring ideas.

You see, this love story started when I finally broke down and bought a Dust Deputy.

(Quick DD Review: The heavens opened, melodious harpsichord music accompanied angelic cherubs singing harmonious melodies, and the Pearly Gates sparkled in the brightness of the dust free shop vac filter when held to the light, while an entire bucket full of sawdust was sent down to Hades for kindling. The DD is THAT good.)


So the first question is... what took me so long? Why the heck did I keep putting off buying an Oneida Dust Deputy?

I can answer this question, so as to free you up to answer the more difficult questions further below.

I put off buying the DD because I was put off by the price. $100 bucks for a plastic funnel and a paint bucket? Not gonna happen. Then YouTube sent my head spinning like a cyclone with all the "How I made a dust deputy for $1.98" type of diy videos. Naturally, just seeing the titles of those videos, whether actually watching them or not, makes a person feel like a sucker for ecxhanging their shop card for a credit card and caving into the commercially produced solution. A few years rolled by in that dilemna, but somehow I never got around to making my own 2 bit version of dust can do.

In the meantime, over the course of these years of procrastination, cylindrical pleated shop vac filters were getting pricer and pricer... and cheaper and cheaper at the same time.

Whereas I used to wait until the filters were on sale if they were priced at $6.99 each, they are now $35.99 each (30 years later).

Whereas I used to get 10 rinse out and air dry cleaning cycles out of a filter, they now fall apart after only 3 cleaning cycles.

So in the time that transpired between first learning about the Dust Deputy, to finally breaking down and buying one, I had spent over $115 in new shop vac filters. Had I just bought the DD in the first place, I'd have only spent $100, and still be using the same filter from a decade ago. Instead, I spent $215, and will have to live with a cheaper built filter that will now last the rest of my life. Dam, the DD is effective!

Now... questions for YOU to answer:

1. What is the highest CFM, highest vacuum suction shop vac on the market today that can run on single phase 120v 15 amp circuit?

The DD changes everything. I no longer need a "16 gallon" shop vac (I have three of these R2D2 tubs of plastic) and no longer need the volume capacity in the shop vac itself. Dirt goes in the DD bucket, not the shop vac. So why have a giant shop vac?

I'm looking for a 12 to 15 amp power house motor housed in a small, tall container, sized only for holding a hepa filter having the largest available surface area, so as not to restrict CFM.

Bosch just recently introduced a 300 CFM dust extractor vac, but it's 17 gallons, and I think uses 17.5 amps. Their previous dust extractors were 14 gallon and 9 gallon, and used the same 9.5 amp motor that produced 150 CFM. I want the 300 CFM, or as close as possible to it, without the big canister, and without the 20 amp circuit requirement... so I can more easily split circuits with the shop vac on one circuit and a corded tool on separate circuit.


2. What type of roll around mobile cart arrangements have you seen where the shop vac is positioned directly above the Dust Deputy... so that the dirt bucket is on the bottom, then the cyclone funnel is above that, and then the shop vac motor and filter are above that?


I've seen where people put the DD on top of the shop vac, presumably because the shop vac has the greater mass constant, and to reduce tip over, they want the mass on the bottom.

I've also seen side by side arrangements, including a very elegant rendition here on RouterForums... built by the secret heir to the Rockefeller fortune, because that poster went on to build a whole shop dust extraction system out of all metal ducting, 6" no less, with a cyclone funnel large enough to split the nucleii of the heaviest atomic particles yet to be discovered by mankind. I'm not on that kind of budget... but I want to execute that kind of quality with as much creativity as the pennies randomly found on the street will afford.

Any other photos or ideas regarding my planned wedding of Dust Deputy to a powerful suction, large surface area filter, low volume capactiy shop vac will be greatly appreciated.


.

 

[honesttjohn]

I have 1 each on my 2 CNC's. Love em.

And 1 on a "roving" rolling cart.

Got em at Menards when they were on sale for $74 and happened to do it when they had their 11% off week.

 

[DesertRatTom]

Going cheap on dust collection is a VERY BAD mistake. I have a different system, but am eyeing the 4 inch DD (about $180) to go with my HF DC units. Plenty of air flow. Like you, I've spent a ton of money on do-it-yourself fixes, more than the DD would have cost. Don't know if I can reuse my fiber drums with the DD unit on top, but surely I can use half inch ply to cover the two holes on my fiber drum lid. Will have to cut a new opening in the center, between the two holes that already exist. If I attach the ply with the cutout for the DD to the existing lid, and create a gasket with some sealing calk, plus pan head screws all round, it will work well. I can place a Lexan window in the existing hole so I can see when it's full.

I think you have come up with a good solution with the cart. Also given a good lesson in false economy. Anyone want a big box full of misc. DC attachments?

 

[woodknots]

Herbert - I've got my DD "married" to a Ridgid shop vac as in the following photos - built the stand as a roll-around.

 

[twmv86]

ive got a rockler separator that im going to mount on top of my shopvac. you put pvc pipe in the tool storage on top of the wheels and add a plywood shelf. no cart needed.

 

[DesertRatTom]

Dang Tim, that's clever. A vertical stack makes a lot of sense, especially in a small or crowded shop. And the Home Depot DC chip collector has gotten fair reviews so far.

 

[tulowd]

Picked up a DD at Busy Bee Tools sometime late last year - can't recall if it was before or after my router table acquisition. I too struggled with the cost for what it is, BUT I decided to grab it when it was on sale - I think it was $50 CAD, without a bucket, but did come with the screws. Went to Home Depot for the bucket and lid, and then made my own gaskets out of high end Dynaliner, cause I have bunch of it. Also repurposed a real heavy rolling cart I had been given by someone and found a spare shop vac hose I had. Ended up adding a $30 Hepa filter into my shop vac - this thing is over 20 yrs old and still works great.

Gotta say the suction is a little lower than when no deputy is attached, so for vacuuming out the car etc it is not as functional. It does seem to work pretty good with dust collection however. Almost finished piping all the work stations in the ghetto garage so I will report back once I'm actually using it a few times on the bandsaw, chop saw, drill press and router table.

 

[RTR]

I watched two different reviews comparing the DD to the more compact and lower profile orange colored Rockler / Home Depot bucket mounted separator, and both reviews demonstrated the superiority of the DD in collecting dust, by showing videos of the dust entering the vacuum cleaner canister after suctioning up the same quantity of dirt.

So despite being more awkward and ungainly, those reviews reaffirm my resolve to try to find a way to have a single column marriage of DD to shop vac, similar to Tim's, but with a DD instead of the more elegant appearing low profile unit.

 

[twmv86]

I watched two different reviews comparing the DD to the more compact and lower profile orange colored Rockler / Home Depot bucket mounted separator, and both reviews demonstrated the superiority of the DD in collecting dust, by showing videos of the dust entering the vacuum cleaner canister after suctioning up the same quantity of dirt.

So despite being more awkward and ungainly, those reviews reaffirm my resolve to try to find a way to have a single column marriage of DD to shop vac, similar to Tim's, but with a DD instead of the more elegant appearing low profile unit.

ive read some on the merits of the DD recently too. long term im planning on deconstructing a harbor freight collector, mounting on the wall then getting a super DD and wynn filter like this. i will limp a long with my dust right setup for now. it does a good job. almost nothing gets in the shopvac. it probably will be waaaay down the road before i can get a planer and need a better collector. i just got my mast r lift today:smile:

herbet you a bama fan? @RTR

 

[DesertRatTom]

The 4 inch Super Dust Deputy is the one that interests me. Remember that you can replace the Harbor Freight DC unit's plastic impeller with the much more effective, metal impeller from Rikon. I think I referenced the part number in a previous post on this string.

Tim: for your filter, consider one that has a "beater bar" installed with a crank so you can knock accumulated sawdust off without removing the filter. I know that Grizzly makes one that fits on the HF DC unit. I have the Wynn, but if I get a new one for my other DC, it will have to have the beater bar.

 

[twmv86]

The 4 inch Super Dust Deputy is the one that interests me. Remember that you can replace the Harbor Freight DC unit's plastic impeller with the much more effective, metal impeller from Rikon. I think I referenced the part number in a previous post on this string.

Tim: for your filter, consider one that has a "beater bar" installed with a crank so you can knock accumulated sawdust off without removing the filter. I know that Grizzly makes one that fits on the HF DC unit. I have the Wynn, but if I get a new one for my other DC, it will have to have the beater bar.

i looked at the grizzly. they have a store about 4 hours from me in springfield mo so i could avoid shipping. but i think their filter is about half as effective as the wynn. but like i said i doubt i can get anything for a long time. certain garages may be insulated by the time i need a better system.
i might get a squirrel cage fan from my a/c guy and make a mobile cart surrounded by filters. that and some box fans with filters strapped to them are probably more of a need until i get a planer and make bigger chunks

 

[DesertRatTom]

HF has the DC unit on sale for 72 hourse at $209. They also have their 20% off coupon. Which brings the brice down by 42 bucks. Coupon link: https://www.harborfreight.com/#