Alright, enough talk, here is how I upgraded my Harbor Freight Dust Collector. I had to raise the filter/bag bracket to make all this work. Cut List: (2) 18"x19" blanks for the top and bottom. The swap was easy, remove 12 screws for the impeller cover, remove a reverse threaded hex bolt and washer. To do these modifications I will need / have the following materials. It's 1" wide and the face is flush with the slot. In lieu of the Wynn filter, the Donaldson P181038 filter is reported to be a direct equivalent to the Wynn 35a with a much lower price tag. I used the supplied HF pipe to connect the impeller to the collector bag in a straight run that is ~4" long, avoiding the longer curve of the out of the box setup. The 4" flex hose will not fit over 4" PVC pipe. Step 2 was to build a Thein Baffle in a 35 gallon Brute Trash can and invert the blower above the trash can with a direct connection to the filter collar. Had it hooked to a few tools with hoses & the stock bag, which is like a big pillow case. It's roughly at 42" above the floor. If you want a bunch of fine dust to suck up to try the new mod out, don't worry about it. I wasn't able to box out the scroll saw well, but suction was still impressive, eliminating some of the sawdust covering the top.
Before turning on the dust collector I taped all the joints with foil duct tape. I started with the 2 HP Harbor Freight dust collector. The nicer gates are $12 each so I'm going to make my own. Gates are made from 1/2" MDF for the body and 1/4" MDF for the blade as it's cheap and smooth. Started out with the infamous HF 2 hp dust collector, which isn't bad for the price.
Noise dropped by 3db to 93 db at 3 feet and 87 db at 6 feet. 75"x6" 1/2" MDF Gate Body - 4 3/16" hole for the pvc pipe or 4. The circle cutting jig made cutting the curves very easy while ensuring the top and bottom were exactly the same size. Also, the filter bag that came with the Harbor Freight dust collector didn't filter out the tiniest particles. I built a Thien baffle. Rikon Service #: 877-884-5167 M-F, 8-5 EST. The next step is to attach the cover to the housing. I just got mine in today, and I haven't done the swap myself yet, so YMMV, but for $50, I was willing to take a flyer on it. Modifying Cover for 6″ DC Hose. Both top and bottom have a 1/8" wide x 1/4" channel for the vinyl sides. You drill a hole for a screw and the bracket. My goal is always to reduce line length or effective line length when possible.
I didn't have a way to measure the airflow, but there is a nice improvement. I also made my own pipe wall brackets out of 2x4s. At a few machines, band saw, router, table saw, I wanted two pickups. For now I will use a 6x4x4 splitter, but long term idea is to rip out the dual 4" system, and run a single 6" main, and reduce to 4" or 2. As far as I know, the current Central Machinery 2 HP dust collector is more or less the same as the old one, but with a different base, and paint color. The Wynn filter is designed to retrofit to various dust collectors. Introduction: Adding a Dust Collection System. The standoffs the original poster used are a bit on the big side, but the idea is right there. I saw Harbor Freight has a 2hp one for about 200. I went with a Wynn Environmental 35a spun bond poly long ago, but there are newer less expensive options nowadays.
That's why I bought a Harbor Freight unit to begin with and I didn't pay much more than that for the whole dust collector. Coat the inside of the bore and keyway of the new impeller with a light oil. The gasket may stick to the flange, or the impeller housing. The longest run is 41', using a handheld anemometer, here are the results. 25" adapter caulked into the gate. After cleaning up my shop (and a lot of dust), I decided to add dust collection. Replace safety key and / or plug dust collector back in.
I glued the inlet together and to the bottom first. I used a small puller to start removing the old impeller and then pulled it off by hand. Using center punch, and supported on an anvil of some sort like a machinists vice, dimple each screw hole location in the new flange, This will keep your drill bit from walking off. Since the flex pipe is exactly 4" it won't fit over the 4" PVC. My 4" PVC pipe runs right into the Thien baffle, no turns. I'm cheap and don't want to pay that much.
I added weather stripping to the trash can. The new impeller is on the left and has the vanes in reverse direction. I did have to drill out for bolts and bracing on the existing platform. With the sides being in a channel, caulk fills any potential air gaps. The trash can sits on a plywood sheet bolted to a scissor jack. I located blast gates as close to the main run as possible. Keep it on either for now. In case anyone's been looking to upgrade their HF 2hp dust collector to a bigger impeller and having trouble finding the actual part, Wen's impeller is back in stock. I was finding it was inconvenient because I was constantly having to unhook it from my table saw and then wheel it across the room to hook it up to my miter saw and then unhook it from my miter saw and wheel it back across the garage to the table saw. 7 So if you do this realize that you are putting additional stress on the motor, which may end up in its premature death.. My unit is 8yrs old and I would be happy to replace it. Attaching this piece made the cover a little stiffer. After cutting the section off I was a little worried that the cover wasn't going to be stiff enough and the suction would pull the cover into the impeller. 5" flex pipe, not realizing the mismatch in size. You can get cheap blast gates, but they're not great.
I have a few tools that have 4" dust connectors and I don't think my shop vac is cutting it anymore. This actually filters the dangerous dust, AND provides superior airflow. I marked the diameter of the HVAC connection and drilled a hole with 5/16″ bit to start the jig saw blade. The opening at the bottom of the cyclone is roughly 6″, so I cut out another 6″ hole with a jigsaw in the top of the barrel lid. I put my dust collector in the garage, so I wasn't to worried about the fine particles, and I just put a big bag (6' long 24" diameter) on the system. Materials for Thien Baffle: Plywood top and bottom (roughly 18"x18"). Put the new impeller on and screw everything back together. So what's your thoughts? Once the gates are in place, caulk all the joints. If you use coarse screws for PVC connections, this also allows for tying in grounding. The blades are 1/4" with 1/2" MDF handle glued on one side and 1/2" MDF handle screwed on the other side. Using 4" PVC removes the coupler joint. The only thing I might do is to caulk a joint if it appears to not be sealed well.
I had to grind down the screws since they were too long and would hit the impeller. Can anyone recommend an alternative or potentially a source for this impeller on the used / part out market? At the belt sander I used a 45* elbow that directs right at the top. I went one piece at a time, figuring out the best place for the wye.
I added 2x6 blocks with a 1" deck board topper between the stock base and casters. In hindsight, I should have put some threadlock on there. Clark Filter P#1565938 (Similar – Cartridge Dust Collector Filter).