I finally bought a house in Cave Country! W00T!!!

[The Chairman]

Not much expense and it radically improved the lighting in the garage.

The lighting is good already with the 8 LED shop lights, but having white above them would make it even better.

 

[Johnoly]

The trim is mostly done and it looks great......

I agree the trim looks great against the white panels.

So I guess when you turn the lights out for the night,,,a Roomba robot vacuum and the cat might not see eye to eye on those clean floors ??

 

[mrfixitchapman]

DC

 

[The Chairman]

I don't think a Roomba could keep up with all the chips. I do need to install a central chip/dust collector. I have never dealt with one, and am leaning towards a 2 HP solution from Harbor Freight for $150 (on sale). I want to install it outside, in a shed on the side protected from the elements, so I won't have to listen to it! I'll be installing my 8hp shop compressor right beside but separated from it. I'm having a hard time finding 4 inch tubes at a reasonable price. I would like clear, but white would be OK too. I have four places where I want chip/dust pickups. I want a floor pickup, one for the machines on the port, one for the table saw in the center and another for the miter saw/router station on the starboard side. I think I'll need about 80 feet of tubing and I'm not willing to spend up to $39 for a 10-foot section. I did find some drainage tube from Home Depot for about $13.89/10ft. Any ideas? Any sources?

70 gal. 2 HP Industrial Dust Collector

JM eagle 4 in. x 10 ft. PVC D2729 Sewer and Drain Pipe-1610 - The Home Depot​

 

[ajtoady]

I don't think you will like the price of clear 4" pipe. I saw it at Graingers for $124 for 8'. When you run the plastic pipe make sure all metal items and saws, etc. are well grounded, static is a mean item that tends to build up!

 

[Akimbo]

I do need to install a central chip/dust collector.

I have installed and/or specified several of them and have a 5 HP fixed unit in my shop. Happy to assist where I can.

I want to install it outside, in a shed on the side protected from the elements, so I won't have to listen to it!

I concur, but you have to consider air handling issues. Will your shop be heated and/or cooled? If so you need to return the air flow back into the shop, which isn't always an easy plumbing trick unless your collector shed/closet is more or less airtight and insulated. You also want to consider how you will monitor how full the collector is without having to go outside to check. Also consider the body mechanics of emptying the collector... don't make the task harder than it has to be.

I'm having a hard time finding 4 inch tubes at a reasonable price.

I don't know how much you have researched this so I'll start with the basics (and for the thousands of others who could read this over time). Metal HVAC ductwork is pretty inexpensive but most are not thick enough to withstand the differential pressure. Heavier metal duct is a significant expense. Schedule 40 PVC is more expensive than what most would think but there are thin wall pipes for draining water.

There is some controversy over using plastic pipe. It is subject to static electricity issues because it is non-conductive so is harder to ground. There is some Internet hype around about static electricity discharges being an explosion or fire hazard but the consensus I have seen is it is unfounded except under some very unique conditions (mostly not wood dust/chip collection). Exploding PVC Dust Collection Ductwork? / Rockler How-to

The biggest concerns are

• Managing system pressure drop, which means a smooth interior and minimal leaks. It also means trying to minimize duct lengths.
• Proper sizing. This is much less of a concern when only one blast gate (more or less sliding valves) is open at a time.
• Collector control. Turning it on and off can be tedious in addition to operating blast gates. Remote control and possibly integrating switches with blast gates is worth thinking about
• Central dust collectors are subject to heating reliability problems when turned on and off too frequently. This argues against triggering it automatically when the woodworking machine is turned on and off, Some wireless and low voltage wired systems address the problem with delayed turn-off to limit how many times an hour the collector is cycled. You can imagine how often it would cycle if it were triggered directly by miter saw without a time-delayed turn-off function.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment. Rockler and Lee Valley are good sources for bits and pieces. Was any of this helpful?

 

[The Chairman]

I live in North Florida. I don't think the shop will ever get heat and I took the time to install a rather largish fan for cooling. I'm expecting to leave the big doors open most of the time while I'm in there unless there is rain or it's stupid cold. If I remember correctly, most of the winter up here is in the 50s and 60s, with lots of 70s and just a few 40s. I bought a flannel shirt to wear in the shop to keep any chill off. So far, I've worn it once.

have a 5 HP fixed unit in my shop.

That's huge! I'm jealous! I couldn't afford that. I think a 2 hp will be sufficient for my tiny shop.

 

[Akimbo]

I think a 2 hp will be sufficient for my tiny shop.

Agreed. You probably don't need a cyclone either, though there are some interesting DIY designs on the Web.

 

[jblack]

The basic interior of the workshop is almost done as I stained the trim by the large shop doors.

View attachment 435076​

The door still needs a pane of glass. I haven't gotten my head around that yet, but I will...

View attachment 435077​

I still have the cabinets to build, but I'm waiting on some tools to arrive, that will help with that.

In the interim, my eyes are on the shed/pole barn that sits to the port side of the workshop. They added some 4x4s in odd places where it doesn't look like they needed more support. I think these were used as supports for dividers, so they will come down. I'm going to open up the pen, shovel out the horse manure (volunteers???), put in some plastic shelves (already in the shop), and add a bench to work on the chainsaws and other lawn equipment.

View attachment 435078

View attachment 435079View attachment 435080​

WOW making progress!!! looks better by the day....
HI Favorite Mod.

 

[The Chairman]

Weekly update... I'm really loving the weather up here and so are the hooligans, Ma~ and Silt. Thanksgiving was a cool distraction and I've been hitting the springs a bit. Swimming is good.

Things are getting close to being done in the shop, and I'm liking it. This week I finally finished ALL the trim for the shop by adding headers above the doors. I also installed my new Bosch 12" miter saw. She's a beaut. Here are the pics... \

Door headers and the clock. I'm going to skin the inside of the doors like I did the rest of the shop.

Basic frame for the miter saw

The struts and strut block stained and ready to install. I measured the angle using a speed square. I had never done that before and it worked quite well.

The frame is done and the saw is installed. I put in extra long carriage bolts so I can adjust the height of the saw. If I figured this right, the tool cabinets I have ordered will be the same height.

My figuring and measurements are dead on so far. I am using the window sill to my benefit here to keep the saw as close to the wall as possible. That's why I want the Bosch with the articulated arms rather than the slides in the first place. The bracket is steady as a rock.

The two cabinets have been rolled into place. While the height is simply perfect, I will be permanently mounting these on the wall with double french cleats. Home Depot has them on sale for $200/each. I was going to build cabinets, but after all is said and done, this is just as cost effective and they look great. I'll be putting another two on the other side later in the week. BTW, I love how I guessed right on the power outlets.

Another fence line down.​