shop vac

[sunnybob]

Today i chewed up a lot walnut with some forstner bits, making an internal hole. Then I hacked out the little joined up bits so I could smooth the inside edge on the bobbin sander.
Thats a lot of chips, a lot of dust, and several pieces of walnut that would hurt a lot if they were flicked at you.

My system is on display at the front of this thread. All 63 mm pipe. I have 5 metres of 63 mm flex hose that I use to clean out the workshop and bench, just like a domestic vacuum cleaner. I collected ALL of the waste into the cyclone and sip, no problem

 

[Sawdust Sam]

Just bought a SIP too and spent this afternoon installing it. I choose to put in the rafters of workshop to keep it out of the way securing it too the rafters with bungee leads. I used the Axminster 63mm plastic duct kit to connect it all together and now just waiting on a couple of reducers to connect to the outlets of the machines.

Also waiting on some normally closed reed switches that I'll install on all the blast gates so the SIP fires up whenever a blast gate is opened

Knocked up a little controller for a few quid too:-

 

[sunnybob]

I take it you have a blast gate next to each item?
One thing that concerns me with your system is if you close the gate and the machine switches off as the gate is fully closed, theres a few seconds where all the gates are shut but the suction is still there.

I like gadgets, i've often thought of solenoid operated gates but cant justify the cost.

Some folk put the dust collector on a remote operated sockets and carry the remote with them.
i have all my gates next to each other, central to the run, but a wall switch either end of the machinery to operate the extractor, rigged up like an upstairs / downstairs light switch.

 

[Sawdust Sam]

Yes a blast gate at each item. If all gates are closed and the SIP is still running it just compresses the 100mm flexi hose at the SIP. At the moment I'm just shorting the bell wire at one of the gates to try it out until my reed switches arrive so I've had all gates closed with the SIP running for much longer than a few seconds with no adverse effects. This duration will be much shorter one the switches are fitted.

Actually the switches operated an inch or two apart so I might be able to get them to switch of the SIP before the gate is fully closed.

 

[sunnybob]

good stuff, keep us informed

 

[mock]

Anyone done this before if so what;s your thought on it ? It looks a lot of work to me but it could be ok for those hard to get at blast gates Alan :idea:
/www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIJ38ZUkil0

 

[sunnybob]

good fun, but a very expensive way of pushing a gate closed.
And of course I have to ask the question, why do you have a blast gate thats hard to get to?

Put the gate where you CAN reach and move the pipes around.

 

[mock]

No as you say expensive way to close a blast gate i haven;t done it i can access my blast gates o k but in a small work shop sometimes you have no other option
Alan

 

[Sawdust Sam]

So a little update, switches received and fitted

And a close up of switch and magnet

And with the gate not fully shut but the SIP switched off due to closeness of magnet

And here's the gate position for the above photo magnet position

 

[sunnybob]

A nice gadget, well executed.

 

[Dokkodo]

i might be a bit late to the party but your photos arent showing up sunnybob, id be very much interested to see them as im also hoping to achieve something to the same end!

 

[sunnybob]

dokkodo,
its early days yet in finding another way to store pics. I have found I can post pics direct to this site but its labour intensive at the moment as I have to resize and rename each one.
If you have a specific thing you want a pic of I can load that or (I havent tried this out yet), I might be able to put a few pics in a PM.
If all else fails you could PM me your email and I could then send pics direct to you.

I'm a bit loath to start reloading all my pics to another site just yet in case photobucket are just the first in a line of sites that are going to ask silly money.

 

[Chris152]

Odd - the SIP site advertises 'SIP 50 Litre Dust & Chip Collector' and then in the blurb goes on to say '**Please note this is only for collecting shavings (not dust).' How can they do that?

 

[sunnybob]

Chris, I've noted that.
Its obviously a CYA statement to get them out of some liability clause or other.

I've just 5 minutes ago used mine to vacuum up some sawdust from the bandsaw, and some over flow flocking. Now that stuff is so fine it cant even be seen at first. After applying it (inside a deep plastic box to contain it) I have to wait a few minutes and come back to the bench to find a light dusting (hah) of the stuff all over the place. I use a 63 mm flexible hose and it clears EVERYTHING up in one pass.

 

[Eric The Viking]

So a little update, switches received and fitted...

Are your reed switches operating a relay at the vacuum end? If so, are they running at 12V or something else?

 

[Chris152]

Its obviously a CYA statement to get them out of some liability clause or other.

I'm sure you're right - funny world where a company tells us its dust collector doesn't collect dust! ha But it collects to 0.5 microns. I'll get that or the Record dx1000 - unless anyone tells me the record's a bad idea...

 

[sunnybob]

No experience of any other machine, so youre on your own there.

 

[Sawdust Sam]

So a little update, switches received and fitted...

Are your reed switches operating a relay at the vacuum end? If so, are they running at 12V or something else?

Yes my reed switches are connected together in parallel so any one completes the circuit of a 12v neutral supply to the coil of a 12v AC relay. 240v to the SIP is supplied via normally open contacts of the relay.

 

[sunnybob]

Hang on, you have the switches on a 12v A/C relay? Do you have a good enough transformer top prevent accidental 240 volt on the circuit?
I think they were class A transformers?

 

[Sawdust Sam]

Hang on, you have the switches on a 12v A/C relay? Do you have a good enough transformer top prevent accidental 240 volt on the circuit?
I think they were class A transformers?

You mean in a similar way to a door bell pushbutton ?

My transformer has totally isolated primary and secondary windings and also integral short circuit protection.

I used to be a sparky, trust me it's fine. Any door bell tranny will provide adequate protection, however due to previous access to higher end electrical components I used one of these :-

https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/produ ... AqCQ8P8HAQ

You are right to raise the point though, it's important you know what you are doing when working with electricity, especially if your are making something from scratch.