Hot Rodding a HF Dust Collector

Vaughn McMillan

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As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I recently purchased the Harbor Freight 2HP dust collector. Based on what I’ve read on various forums, this is one of those HF tools that is worth owning, especially with a few modifications. The day after I got the DC, I ordered the filter cartridge kit from Wynn Environmental. I also knew from my research that a neutral vane was recommended, especially when using a filter cartridge, to keep the bigger particles out of the filter itself. I picked up a couple other modification tricks on the Internet as well. Kudos to Brad Olson, among others, for many of the ideas.

My filter cartridge arrived today, so tonight it was time to ‘hot rod’ the new DC. To do this, I removed the middle ring section of the DC. Here’s what it looked like at the start of the evening. Keep in mind the ring is upside down in these shots:

DC Ring - Pre-Mods 1 800.jpg DC Ring - Pre-Mods 2 800.jpg

First order of the evening was to build the neutral vane. This is intended to keep the circulating air from disrupting the incoming airstream. It’s essentially an extension of the inlet tube, with the bottom trimmed a bit to conform to the sloped inner ring of the DC. I played around with a piece of heavy paper stock, and came up with this as a pattern:

DC Neutral Vane - Pattern 1 800.jpg

Tweaked a little and transferred onto my brand-new piece of galvanized sheet steel from the ductwork aisle at Lowe’s, and ready to cut out with the jigsaw:

DC Neutral Vane - Pattern 2 800.jpg

After a bit of bending, trial, error, and pop rivets, it came out like this: (Unfortunately, I didn’t take any progress pics of this part):

DC Neutral Vane - Installed 1 800.jpg DC Neutral Vane - Installed 2 800.jpg DC Neutral Vane - Installed 4 800.jpg

As you can see, I’m not real skilled when it comes to sheet metal work, but it’s functional. The final fit was very tight, so the neutral vane is not physically attached to the DC. The friction fit will more than suffice.

Continued in the next post…
 

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Hot Rodding a HF Dust Collector Part II

Next up was an inner ‘collar’ (for lack of a better term) in an attempt to keep the big particles in the lower half of the DC. I don’t recall whose website I gleaned this idea from, but whoever he is, he deserves the credit for the basic idea. The collar is nothing more than a sheet metal tube that extends the ‘lip’ of the inner ring down 8” or so into the lower collection bag. Here again, it was a very tight finish, so friction is the only fastener used. The last of these pics shows one of the three holes I drilled into the collar to accept the turnbuckles supplied with the Wynn filter to attach it to the DC ring.

DC Collar - Installed 1 800.jpg DC Collar - Installed 2 800.jpg DC Collar - Installed 3 800.jpg

The filter cartridge itself attaches with three turnbuckle screws. These turnbuckles have a hook at each end…one to catch the inside lip of the filter, and the other to hook onto the DC ring (or in my case, through the holes I drilled into the collar, then hooked onto the DC ring). I had to hold the camera up inside the DC a bit to get this pic, but here’s a shot of one of the turnbuckles after installing it:

DC Filter - Installed 1 800.jpg

Last on my laundry list was to remove the ‘crosshairs’ that are built into the inlet of the DC. I’ve already learned that long wet curlies from the lathe will clog this inlet in a heartbeat. I’d read of other folks removing the crosshairs to handle this problem, so while it was all apart and the jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade was handy, I removed it. Here are the before and after shots. (The eagle-eye folks will see that I was almost done cutting it out when I remembered to shoot the ‘before’ pic.)

DC Inlet - Crosshair Removal - Before 800.jpg DC Inlet  Crosshair Removal - After 800.jpg

Finally, I added the lower bag and fired ‘er up. Here’s the finished product:

DC Filter - Installed 2 800.jpg

Although I didn’t do any real evaluative tests before or after, I can say the end result seems to have worked out very nicely. My only “testing” was to toss in a bunch of 1/4“ square pieces of paper, and the cyclonic action inside the lower bag definitely keeps all the paper bits swirling in the bottom of the collection bag.

I’ve still got to route the ductwork (I’m going with 4” flex for now), add a collection pan to my tablesaw, and add some 45° wyes and blast gates to the mix. I did hook up the Big Gulp scoop tonight and tried running the DC while sanding a bowl. All I can say is WOW! Even when using the 80 grit gouge heavily, it was nice to see the cloud of sawdust sucked away instantly. Much, much better than my poor overworked Shop Vac. I can honestly say it sucks. :thumb:

[Edited later to add...]

Testing has shown the collar hurts more than it helps. Don't bother adding one. See this thread for more info:

http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1782
 
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Silk purse maker you are! :thumb: :rofl:

Looks good, I guess it will keep your shop a bit cleaner than before...............now, does HF sell a shop auto organizer....... :rolleyes: :D
 
Silk purse maker you are! :thumb: :rofl:

Looks good, I guess it will keep your shop a bit cleaner than before...............now, does HF sell a shop auto organizer....... :rolleyes: :D
Based on the preliminary results, I suspect it'll be a lot cleaner, not just a bit. ;) You might not realize how bad the dust was in my shop before. :eek: This won't eliminate it completely, but it'll lessen it significantly. I must say though, that even using it to sweep the floor a few times before adding the filter cartridge, I did see the effects of the 30 micron "dust pump" bags. I suspect the .5 micron cartridge will solve that problem. Plus, I believe the airflow is now improved, but I have no way to measure it.

Last weekend I did get a fair amount of shop re-org done. I got all the major pieces of machinery and furniture moved into new locations. Now I have to straighten out the two built-in benchtops and the lumber/clamp pile, and it'll be about as organized as it's gonna get. Part of my problem is that I've got ten pounds of stuff in a five pound box. :p
 
great stuff Vaughn

Now, I'm thinking about something similar for my Delta 1 1/2hp DC.

Can you give links to the sites you reviewed to come up with this? BTW, I've already got a Wynn, and like it alot.

Ken
 
Nice updates Vaughn (and Brad is a pretty helpful guy) ......now to finish hot rodding it out, where you gonna stick this?
 

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Vaughn, a word of warning. I used a Jet 1100 CK (being replaced by a CV) to sweep the floor a few times, especially to clean up piles of shavings from the lathe. If you rough turn blanks with bark you will get some big pieces of bark that can bang around in the blower. I got some dents in the housing from doing that (although it could have been something else on the floor).
 
Vaughn,

Thanks for the tutorial - I need to add the neutral vane and the collar to mine, and this is just the instruction I need! Now to get off my butt and do it.:rolleyes:

Wes
 
Now, I'm thinking about something similar for my Delta 1 1/2hp DC.

Can you give links to the sites you reviewed to come up with this? BTW, I've already got a Wynn, and like it alot.

Ken
Ken, I didn't keep good track of all the places I looked, but BT3 Central had a lot of stuff regarding the HF DC. I did a search for 'neutral +vane' and got a lot of info there.

Nice updates Vaughn (and Brad is a pretty helpful guy) ......now to finish hot rodding it out, where you gonna stick this?
I was actually thinking of painting the ring something outlandish and putting flames on it. Ya know, I don't have any purple tools in the shop...especially purple tools with flames. :D

Vaughn,

Thanks for the tutorial - I need to add the neutral vane and the collar to mine, and this is just the instruction I need! Now to get off my butt and do it.:rolleyes:

Wes

If it's any motivation, the mods only took me all of about an hour. Real easy...even a blonde guy like me can do it.
 
.... Nice work Vaughn, I intend to build on it :thumb:.

Thanks

Boyd

.
Next up was an inner ‘collar’ (for lack of a better term) in an attempt to keep the big particles in the lower half of the DC. I don’t recall whose website I gleaned this idea from, but whoever he is, he deserves the credit for the basic idea. The collar is nothing more than a sheet metal tube that extends the ‘lip’ of the inner ring down 8” or so into the lower collection bag. Here again, it was a very tight finish, so friction is the only fastener used. The last of these pics shows one of the three holes I drilled into the collar to accept the turnbuckles supplied with the Wynn filter to attach it to the DC ring.

View attachment 3450 View attachment 3451 View attachment 3452

The filter cartridge itself attaches with three turnbuckle screws. These turnbuckles have a hook at each end…one to catch the inside lip of the filter, and the other to hook onto the DC ring (or in my case, through the holes I drilled into the collar, then hooked onto the DC ring). I had to hold the camera up inside the DC a bit to get this pic, but here’s a shot of one of the turnbuckles after installing it:

View attachment 3453

Last on my laundry list was to remove the ‘crosshairs’ that are built into the inlet of the DC. I’ve already learned that long wet curlies from the lathe will clog this inlet in a heartbeat. I’d read of other folks removing the crosshairs to handle this problem, so while it was all apart and the jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade was handy, I removed it. Here are the before and after shots. (The eagle-eye folks will see that I was almost done cutting it out when I remembered to shoot the ‘before’ pic.)

View attachment 3454 View attachment 3455

Finally, I added the lower bag and fired ‘er up. Here’s the finished product:

View attachment 3456

Although I didn’t do any real evaluative tests before or after, I can say the end result seems to have worked out very nicely. My only “testing” was to toss in a bunch of 1/4“ square pieces of paper, and the cyclonic action inside the lower bag definitely keeps all the paper bits swirling in the bottom of the collection bag.

I’ve still got to route the ductwork (I’m going with 4” flex for now), add a collection pan to my tablesaw, and add some 45° wyes and blast gates to the mix. I did hook up the Big Gulp scoop tonight and tried running the DC while sanding a bowl. All I can say is WOW! Even when using the 80 grit gouge heavily, it was nice to see the cloud of sawdust sucked away instantly. Much, much better than my poor overworked Shop Vac. I can honestly say it sucks. :thumb:
 
Vaughn: I did the same Rebuild a few years ago using the Wynn and a nuetral vane. Brad Olson was of great help. It has performed fine but as many predicted, a few months ago, the switch failed. I rewired into a wall mount and all is now well..Very powerful. Last week, while doing some routine cleanup w the flex hose, it sucked up my open container of dye. The cross block @ the inlet made it easy to retrieve the now empty and now dry container. Overall, for the $, its a good unit esp with thses changes..
 
...Last week, while doing some routine cleanup w the flex hose, it sucked up my open container of dye. The cross block @ the inlet made it easy to retrieve the now empty and now dry container. Overall, for the $, its a good unit esp with thses changes..
LOL...what color did the chips in the bag end up being?

In case you missed it Jerry, I did an update regarding the "collar" that I added when I put in the neutral vane. Bottom line is that it didn't help. Here's the thread:

http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1782
 
LOL...what color did the chips in the bag end up being?

In case you missed it Jerry, I did an update regarding the "collar" that I added when I put in the neutral vane. Bottom line is that it didn't help. Here's the thread:

http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1782

Vaughn: I never did the collar. Only the vane and Wynn cannister w good results. The dye sucked in was fortunately a small amount and a soft mixture (less dye/more H20). So I was lucky, It never reached the chips but did discolor a small portion of my transparent flex hose:D :) Another learning experience...
 
Hi Vaughn...just thought I would pick your brain about your HF DC now that you made mods and it's been in your shop for several (?) weeks.

Do you like the DC's performance as a 2HP unit? How about the 4" inlets...any comments versus other manufactutrers 6" inlets? Do you find collection adequate?

HF has the DC on sale for $179. Add a Wynn cartridge and it would seem like a good collector under three bills.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Matt
 
Matt,
I'm not Vaughn but I've have had the same DC in my shop for several months and I can tell you it honestly SUCKS, no I mean it really Sucks up a storm. It has a removable Wye adapter that takes the 6" inlet down to 2 4" inlets so if you want to run a 6" line all you have to do is remove the adapter. The only thing I don't like about it is I wanted to rewire it for 220V and it is not convert able so you do need a separate 110V circuit to run it. I was running mine on the same circuit as my TS and tripped the breaker. I solved the problem by 1 using a separate circuit and 2 re-wiring my TS for 220V..;)
 
Hi Don...thanks for chiming in! Interesting (maybe common sense to some?) info regarding the removable wye. That was really the only concern I had with the HF DC.

I see the DC is on sale for $169 as oppose to $179 mention in my earlier post. Now if I could get my hands on one of the 20% off coupons, that would make it a real steal!:D

Are you using the bags, or did you retro fit with a cartridge filter?

Thanks again!
Matt
 
20% coupon?

Presto Change-o!!

Allakazam!!


Or ... some such nonsense...

hfcoupon.jpg
 
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