If there are multiple lines on a dust collector, blast gates will allow you to shut off individual machines or an entire section of your system, isolating tools in use from those that aren’t.
Doing this helps to consolidate or maximise airflow by diverting the majority of the suction to the active line.
Note: Remember to always have at least one line open at all times, and where possible, position the blast gate so it sits slides sideways, rather than up and down.
Vibrations during use can cause old blast gates to slide closed during use. Consider upgrading worn or old blast gates to new lockable metal ones.
The diameter of the hose can directly influence the performance of your dust collection system.
Hoses that are too small in diameter, or too abruptly reduced from a large diameter, can result in poor air flow and potential blockages.
Flexible hoses that are run over long distances will also result in poor air flow and dust can build up in the hoses.
Changing hose sizes and lengths (increase or decrease) affects system air flow and static pressure in different ways. Consider one or all of these improvements:
Shortening and limiting the runs of flexible hose (in favour of rigid ducting) can reduce your loss in air flow.
Alter the layout of your workshop, so the heavy waste producers are closer to your collector.
Step down your hose diameters gradually, and further away from the collector. This keeps a good balance between air flow and pressure.
Avoid increasing hose diameters, as air flow, and pressure are both reduced.
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Is the collector undersized?The 1HP under bench unit dust collector was fine with your original mini lathe, but now you have a 380mm wide thicknesser, jointer, table saw and bandsaw.
As your collection of woodworking machinery grew and as your dust network changed, the performance of your collector was constantly being affected.
Before adding another machine to your workshop, consider whether an upgrade to your dust collector is necessary.
If you have multiple machines, or if you have a network of ductwork for your workshop, the very minimum of 1200CFM (roughly a 1500W or 2HP Dust Collector) would be recommended.
As you add more machines to your workshop, increase and possibly future-proof your system by selecting a higher performing collector.
Carbatec offers a wide range of dust extractors, cyclone extractors, cyclone separators, flexible PVC, rigid ducting, PVC and metal fittings to suit your every need.
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The last line of defense.
A simple room air filter in your workshop does an amazing job at changing the air over several times per hour.
Specifically designed to reduce those ultra-fine dust particles that seem to hang in the air for hours. These fine particles are the ones that wait patiently to drop on your fresh coat of pour on gloss, or laquer.
A room filter can effectively reduce these by drawing air in through a two-stage filter, providing filtration of up to 85% of 1-micron particles. Remote and timer control, quiet and hardworking.
A simple installation with immediate results.
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