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TWP4: Dust Collection Talk & Smelly Oak

In the fourth episode of The Woodworking Podcast we’re talking about dust collection systems.

Episode notes:

  • Breaking News:
  • Episode Topic: Dust Collection & Practice, Practice, Practice
    • April worked with oak for the first time and didn’t much care for the scent.
    • The Sapele Jay and Nick used for the top on a cabinet messed with both of our sinuses.
    • We also talk tongue and groove panel doors which brought up a good topic of trying new techniques people haven’t tried before.
    • Practicing techniques and/or various joints again and again make for better results surprisingly.
    • April was having issues with her dust collector clogging from the planer which drove us into the ubiquitous conversation about dust collection systems.  If I had to bet, we will be talking about this again.
    • 26:12 thumbs up for a mutual ahh ha moment
    • Chisel steel quality can vary widely, even within one brand of chisels.  Nick’s Footprint chisels.
    • April took the leap onto Instagram so check out April, Nick and Jay on IG!  This took us into the deep thinking that is the #hashtag.
    • Jay has been on a therapeutic hand kick.  Let’s see where it takes him.
  • Questions From YouTube:
    • Hi guys! I listened to the podcasts today and wanted to share a little gem I stumbled upon. Jay mentioned using cardboard to keep glue off his bench during glue-ups and I think Nick mentioned stud finders at Costco. While at Costco I collect the pieces of cardboard that come between layers of products on the pallets. They let me have it for free, I think because they have to pay to get rid of it (hence them pushing boxes at the checkout). I’ve found two types there, thicker poster board (think cereal box weight) and a thinner brown type slightly heavier than paper grocery bags. Both are also great for templating. Hope you and the folks listening in find this useful. Cheers! Tracy.
    • And Nick kept referring to Tracy as “he”, and probably got that wrong, sorry Tracy!

11 Comments

  1. Page Bonifaci

    April, assuming your planer is similar to mine (a standard lunchbox DW734), I’ve found that while the chips go in every direction, they don’t actually travel very far. I’ve set the planer on a couple boards spanning a 32gal trashcan, and probably 95% of the chips go straight down into the trashcan.

    Jay, I’m considering the same Grizzly Dust Collector you have. Are you using yours on 110v power? I’m reading some reports of people tripping breakers with theirs… I’ve got a dedicated 20amp set aside for the DC, but the manual recommends a 30amp circuit apparently.

    Reply
  2. Joe White

    April,
    I flew from New York to Rome for work in the early 90’s the plane had 3 seats on either side by the windows, and then 5 seats across in the middle, seats arms flip up and I was able to stretch out and sleep.

    Reply
  3. Dave (KSFWG)

    Great show! I know this came out on Thursday evening, but I just got around to listening and finished at 12:04 am Saturday. #sorryiwaslate 😉

    When I find that a project is requiring a new technique or I’m not quite sure how a part of the project will work out I will grab some scrap plywood or common pine and practice. April wouldn’t like my next project — it’ll be in white oak.

    I have a Porter-Cable lunch box planer. It has 2 blades and they are reversible and disposable, and not a bad price. I read that using the dust hood from a Delta planer would give good dust collection for it. So I bought one on Amazon for $25.00. We’ll see how it does. I run a 14 gallon 5.5 hp Shop Vac and a small dust right cyclone from Rockler for my dust collection.

    Thanks April, Nick, and Jay! I appreciate all that you do for us.

    Reply
  4. Chris B

    I have a Dewalt 743 planer mated with the Harbor Freight dust collector and had problems at first but found the issue was the grate over the inlet to the impeller. The chips would get slowed down as they passed the grate and that would cause things to build up. I took a cutoff tool and removed the grate and the collector works like a champ!

    I’d love to upgrade to a Thien style collector using one of the many designs on the web using the HF dust collector as a starting point but have had good luck so far so the priority just hasn’t been there. I laughed when Nick mentioned that he didn’t want to be changing bags so often on the HF unit. Sheesh, how much lumber are you running though your shop? :-) The 35 gallon bags that fit on that machine will catch a lot of chips before you have to change them.

    I’ve been really happy with the system I have. The HF unit works well for the work I do. I have pig tail hoses off my table saw, joiner, planer and band saw so I just swing the collector around and hook up the machine I’m using. I’d like to move to more permanent connections but like the flexibility I have.

    Reply
    1. nickferry

      lol – when I plane rough stock for a bigger project I will fill that thing once if not twice – I more or less want something a lot more sturdy than a bag

      Reply
  5. Tracy Luegge

    “And Nick kept referring to Tracy as “he”, and probably got that wrong, sorry Tracy!”

    Nope! Nick is one of a very few to get it right! 100% “he”, “him”, “male” etc. 😉

    An interim solution for the dust collector on a planet is a “trash can” separator. I’ve run one for a while and while it’s no cyclone it does separate out most of the dust and chips. Also, the large can is easy to lift to empty. I can say for certain where I bought it but I’d say Woodcraft as they used to have a store about 45 minutes from me. There’re various models/manufacturers and looking through most any woodworking supply catalog one should be able to find one. I think less than $50? (Plus the can)

    Reply

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