6” PVC questions

Wes Billups

Member
Messages
72
Location
Central Ohio
Admin: Wasn't sure where to post this so if it's in the wrong place please feel free to move.

I have got a few questions for those of you who have used 6” PVC for dust collection. I’ve finished moving all of my equipment into my shop and need to get the piping installed along with a bunch of other final punch list items.

I’ve looked locally and it appears Lowe’s carries the 6” S&D pipe and fittings but it is very expensive, 6” wye is about $20. They also only carry the green version of the pipe. For appearance reasons I’d like to be able to use white pipe.

I’ve looked in McMaster-Carr and they carry white pipe as well as fittings, their prices don’t seem too bad either. A 6” wye is $12 and 6” pipe is $2.60/ft. I’m guessing shipping will be a killer with McMaster-Carr.

Before I check on shipping from McMaster-Carr, does anyone in central Ohio (Columbus vicinity) know of a place that sells 6” S&D? I plan on calling some plumbing supply houses over lunch. Though in the past they’ve not been much help.

Metal isn’t an option as I’m going to need at least 7-6” wyes and I’m hoping to keep my total cost under $300.

I’d also like some recommendations on sources for 6” flexible hose for connecting the PVC to each machine.

Thanks in advance,
Wes Billups

P.S. I’ve got an idea for using plastic bags in the bin under my cyclone that won’t require a system similar to the bag gripper. Once I get the bin modified I’ll post pictures as my idea should be very simple for most people to retrofit their own systems.
 
Wes,

From what I've read, mostly 6in is used for the main trunk. Then wye'ed off into 4in for the drops, and then 4in flex to the machines.

An alternative would be to run 6in for everything, but adapt to 4in flex right at the machines. If the run of 4in flex is short, you shouldn't loose too much there. In addition most machines have 4in ports.

If you were going to use 6in for everything, you might have to build your own blast gates. I haven't seen any in 6in.
 
Hey Wes

I use the 6" pipe right to all of my machines, no 4"drops, works very well.

Did you check out the guys that Marty mentions in his Birth of a shop thread?

Just wondering.

Look forward to you bag gripper idea! :wave:
 
Sean, I'd like to keep 6" all the way to my machines as I plan to modify any hood that isn't already 6" to make it 6".

Stu, I like the idea of PVC as I've worked with metal pipe and don't like it. Plus what Marty used would cost me quite a bit of time to assemble as my shop is only 35' x 16' and I plan on having alot of short lengths between fittings.

Thanks for everyone's input. I just talked to a local supply house and they quoted $36 for wye's so I guess McMaster-Carr is still leading. I'll report what they quote for shipping as they would be a great option for people no matter where they live.

Wes
 
I found a plumbing supply house here in Ft. Worth that has the pipe for 1.84/ft. They say they don't have fittings. For 6-6-4 wyes, Lowes is all I've been able to find so far, and most Lowes don't have them around here. McMaster-Carr for the fittings they have are the best I've found, and their shipping for the fittings is very reasonable. Don't know what the shipping on the pipe would be though. I'm sure a deal breaker. MC for the 45 els, and 6-6-6 wyes though. As you call around, tell them 6" gravity feed sewer and drain, but not the green stuff (SD-35) The local place with the pipe didn't know what SD-2729 was. :dunno: :huh: I went through about 8 or 9 places before I found someone that had it. I got recommendations from each that did not have it as to who might. Many I had to go physically to their store to verify what they had was NOT what I was looking for. Maybe someone that lives in your area will chime in here with a vendor local to you.
For the flex hose, I got mine from Woodworkers Supply. Best price, and I'm happy with the hose. I had trouble getting the flex that came on my Clear Vue (from Wynn Environmental) to stretch over the PVC pipe. I'm sure it would have fit inside a coupler, and I should have used a bell end of the pipe I had cut off, but didn't think about it. I got both the 6" and the 4" flex from them. It goes over the PVC with just a little heat from a hair dryer.
Hope this helps! Jim.
 
Hi Wes. One local source for PVC pipe might be a company that puts in lawn sprinkler systems. But usually a large plumbing supply company will stock the 6" thin-wall PVC. And yes, the fittings are higher than a cats back. Be careful, the fittings for schedule 40 pipe will NOT fit the thin-wall schedule 35. I found that out the hard way!

I ran 6" pipe to my table saw, jointer, and miter saw. At the band saw, I reduced down to 4" to get to the dust port on the MM-16. On the table saw, I bought a 6" starter collar from Air Handling Systems, and enlarged the dust port on the TS to 6". It is very easy with a jig saw and a fine tooth blade.

The transition from PVC to the collar is 6" flex pipe from Wynn Environmental. I only needed about a foot to reach from the collar to the PVC. You need to consider the air flow when installing the flex pipe. The flow of the air should always be from smaller to larger, I.E., the flex pipe goes OVER the collar, and the flex is pushed into the PVC. ( There is not need for caulking the PVC because the flex pipe will fit quite tightly.) The pipe upstream, the source of the dust, should fit into the fitting downstream, the collector.

Good Luck with your "plumbing."
 
menards

i got 6 inch foam core pipe for 19.00 a length and the fittings came from both lowes and menards..all scd 40.. the scd 30 fitting and pipe are hard to come up with all the pieces.. the fittings are pretty prevalent but that 6x6x4 wye is tough to find tried ordering them and my area distributor said no call for them so wouldnt order them,, i used 6x6x6 wyes and t's and switched right at he machine to 4 " some will be all 6" get lots of glue i had 140 ft of run and used two quarts,, those large firings use it fast wes:thumb:
 
Sean, I'd like to keep 6" all the way to my machines as I plan to modify any hood that isn't already 6" to make it 6".

Stu, I like the idea of PVC as I've worked with metal pipe and don't like it. Plus what Marty used would cost me quite a bit of time to assemble as my shop is only 35' x 16' and I plan on having alot of short lengths between fittings.

Thanks for everyone's input. I just talked to a local supply house and they quoted $36 for wye's so I guess McMaster-Carr is still leading. I'll report what they quote for shipping as they would be a great option for people no matter where they live.

Wes


Wes,

What I used is *way* more difficult to install than PVC, but the cost savings, and the excellent final product, were WELL worth it to me! I'm not sure you could pipe your entire shop in heavy spiral with your planned budget, but I haven't seen a diagram or anything to judge better.

Oh, and on the PVC fittings, be sure you price them WITH shipping before you make up your mind on material. Those fittings are big, and not exactly light. I suspect you're going to find shipping might be the deal breaker! :doh:

Good luck...
- Marty -
 
I ordered two 6-6-6 wyes, probably twelve 45 els and a box of large stainless pipe band clamps, and the shipping from mcmaster-Carr was $10.00. The second ordr with 6 more 45's and 4 4" 45s was about 7.00 IIRC. I was very pleased with the price of shipping. Jim.
 
I ordered two 6-6-6 wyes, probably twelve 45 els and a box of large stainless pipe band clamps, and the shipping from mcmaster-Carr was $10.00. The second ordr with 6 more 45's and 4 4" 45s was about 7.00 IIRC. I was very pleased with the price of shipping. Jim.

Wow Jim!!!!

That sounds like a smoking deal on shipping! Might be the way for Wes to go then! :dunno:

- Marty -
 
Cost comparisons

First I'd like to say thank you for everyone's input. I've got my layout all drawn out on paper and figure I'll need roughly 60' of pipe, 7-wye's, and 16-45° elbows. Here's how these quantities breakdown.

McMaster Carr
Pipe = $168.96
Wyes = $98.07
Elbows = 164.32
Total = $431.35 +shipping

United States Plastic Corp (Lima, OH)
Pipe = $144.60
Wyes = $154.21
Elbows = $170.56
Total = $469.37 +tax

Oneida
Pipe = $192.96
Wyes = $273.07
Elbows = $173.69
Total = $639.72 +shipping

I still have to call a couple of local places that I've confirmed have the thin wall PVC. I'm actually surprised the Oneida isn't that much higher than PVC. I do think they really gouge you on shipping so I just threw them in for comparison.

One thing that has surprised me is the variation in the fitting cost. Pipe seems to be consistent from $2.40/ft to $3.00/ft but the wyes are ranging from $14 to $30, for what I believe is an identical product. I may end up getting my fittings from McMaster-Carr and pipe locally. It looks like Lee Valley has the best prices on 6" flex tubing.

I'll post an update tomorrow if I get any drastically different prices with the two additional companies I need to call.

Thanks,
Wes Billups
 
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i get lots of glue i had 140 ft of run and used two quarts,, those large firings use it fast wes:thumb:

Larry, unless he's installing it permanently under a concrete floor like you are, he doesn't need to use any of the pvc glue. You just push the pipe all the way into the fitting, and then run a very thin bead of the flexible Tub & Tile caulk around the outside of the joint of the pipe and fitting, and it seals and holds it perfectly. The nice thing about doing it this way, is that should you need to change it later, you can just run a razor blade around the joint and then peel it off and pull the two apart and then reuse them as necessary. Wes, I have some of the green and some white, (all the same heavy stuff), but I don't like the white's color anyhow and there always seems to be some stains and discoloration on it somewhere, so both get painted with plain old white spray can paint, which the PVC takes really good and looks great. You will need to wipe the pipe down with Denatured Alcohol, (IIRC), to get rid of the black printing and any other crud that may be on it before you paint.
 
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