My New Dust Extraction System - Installation & Demonstration

Welcome to part 2 of 2 videos about upgrading my workshop dust extraction system.
In part 1 I talked about my reasons for making the changes, and in this is part 2 I'll show you what I did and how I did it.
 
Here are links to all the products mentioned in the video.  As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases:
Numatic NVD750 (Axminster) - https://bit.ly/NVD750
Numatic HEPA Filter (Axminster) - https://bit.ly/HEPAfilter
 
Dust Extractor
 
So I'll start with the dust extractor itself - this is the Numatic NVD750 from Axminster Tools.  Axminster are not a sponsor, and I paid for this with my own money. I paid £570 for this (about 770 dollars).  This is the model with 2x 1200w motors, Axminster do sell a cheaper model which is the NV750 which has a single 1200w motor, but I wanted the extra suction that the more expensive model should provide.
This is an L class extractor, and in order to upgrade it to M class extractor which is capable of dealing with the smallest micron particless of dust like those from sanding and working with MDF I also bought the additional HEPA module for this machine.  This was an additional £334 (about 450 dollars).  This module fits directly on to the extractor with some mounting clips.  
 
So in total this machine was just over £900 (1200 dollars) which is much more than I had planned to spend - but I did a lot of research before choosing this model, and this one was the best option for a few reasons: firstly it's M class like I already mentioned. Secondly it's size - it's relatively compact and will fit nicely in my recently build workshop extension.  And thirdly it's very quiet.  The best way I can demonstrate how quiet it is is to show you some footage of my cat, who is terrified of any vacuum I've ever used.  This is the first time I turned it on, and my cat just happened to come in to the room to see what was going on.  So I decided to turn it on again while he was there to see how he responded.  
 
The extractor also comes with a wheel base but I don't need that part for now, so I unclipped it and I'll pop it in my loft for storage.
I'm really impressed with this machine, the build quality is excellent, the suction is really powerful, it's incredibly quiet, it's M class, and it's so much better than any other vacuum I've ever used - but then it ought to be because it's 6 times more expensive than my old Fox F50 and 18 times more expensive than my Titan 30l.
 
Cyclone Seperator
 
The next part is this, my new home made cyclone seperator.  I won't go in to too much detail about what this does as there is plenty of information out there and I'm not an expert, but just in case you're not aware of what this is for the cyclone sits between the dust extractor and the air that's being sucked in, it creates a vortex which seperates most of the dust and chips before they reach the extractor itself.  This is good for a few reasons, but mostly for keeping the filters or collection bags in the extractor cleaner for longer, which means less hassle and maintenance, and it also makes for a more convenient way of disposing of the dust
This part is the cyclone itself which I bought from Amazon this was £22. Link in the description box below if you're interested in it.
And below that, this is a 70l airtight plastic container also bought on Amazon, and again link in the description box below - it was quite expensive at £32 but it's the only airtight plastic container I could find that would had a big enough capacity that would fit within the space I had available.  A great alternative to this would be this 60l airtight container which is also from Amazon - I'll add a link for this one too.  This is actually the one I ordered and intended to use originally, however after measuring up, I found that with the cyclone on top, it would be slightly too high to fit in my extension, so I had to send that one back for a refund.
Here's what I did to fit the cyclone to the lid of the box.  The cyclone came with a cutting template sticker.  So I put that on the lid.  The main hole requires a 75mm holesaw, and I didn't   have one that size, so I first drilled a clearance hole, and then we used a hacksaw blade to cut the hole.  This worked surprisingly well.  Then I drilled the holes for the screws and removed the template.  I added some sealant to the bottom of the cyclone, and then from the underside of the lid we added the screws and washers.  I then made sure it was well sealed as it was important to keep the box airtight.
 
Air Flow 
 
 So while we're at the extension, there's just one more thing to explain and that is these fans which are on each side of the new extension.  
One of them sucks fresh air in to the extension and the reason for that is firstly so the dust extractor doesn't overheat, but also because I'm also storing my air compressor in here which obviously needs a supply of air, and this intake valve here is positioned facing towards the fan. This compressor is new to me too so I got rid of my oild compressor and got this one instead because it's extremely quiet.  But as this video is about dust collection I'll probably upload a separate short video covering that.
On the otherside there's a fan that blows air out of the extension and that's just to ensure good airflow throughout the extension to replace the air that gets exhausted from the dust extractor.  Now this may or may not be necessary - to be honest I don't really know about this sort of stuff, but I as I was adding one intake fan I figured it would be worth adding an outtake fan too just as a precaution.  Hopefully someone in the comments sections will point out what I've done right or wrong here.
These are the fans and grilles which I bought from Maplins in the UK but you can get these cheaper on Amazon, links in the description box below.
To fit the fans I first traced around the grills, drilled a clearance hole and then cut out the circle with my jigsaw.  
The grill could then be fitted with bolts through the wood cladding and the fan secured with bolts from the inside
 
Ducting
 
The first job was to link up the extractor to the cyclone, and I bought a new vacuum hose on Amazon for this which came with two free size adaptors which helped to connect the hose to the cyclone.  Link in the description for that too.
This hose is the threaded type, so I could cut it to the length I wanted, screw the cuff that came with the adaptors on to the pipe, and then push on the screw on adaptor that fitted to the machine.
I could then screw on one of the adaptor that came with the hose I bought separately, and this pushed snugly on to the top of the cyclone fitting which was an unusual size, as they all seem to be.
I didn't have a good fitting for the other cyclone port so I used the closest one I had and used gaffer tape to fit it.  I'm still looking for an adaptor that's the right size for this so I'm hoping to  replace it for a proper one some day. 
So I wanted to connect all my machines in the workshop up to this one dust extraction system.
And I wanted to keep the pipe runs to the machines as short as possible as I didn't want to lose too much suction and the most direct route was to mount to the ceiling.  Running the pipes under the floor or through the roof would have been better for neatness, but unfortunately wasn't an option due to the roof rafters and floor bearers of my workshop being in the way, and drilling through those for the pipe would certainly compromise their strength. THose options would also mean longer pipe runs, and a loss of some suction.
Next I needed to get the hose connected to the ducting in the workshop, and for that I'd use 40mm PVC waste pipe and push fit fittings which I got from ScrewFix. I got the idea for this from Matt at the Happy Wife Happy Life YouTube channel, and I really liked the idea because the pipe is relatively small  and unobstructive.  
I used a long drill bit to drill a pilot hole all the way through the wall in to the workshop, and then came back with a 40mm holesaw. Then I realised I was trying to drill through the workshop frame which you can see here, so I abandoned that and drilled another hole below it.  I could then drill through from the inside of the workshop out and insert the PVC pipe through the wall. 
I had another fitting which seemed to connect nicely to one of these 90 degree fittings, and I tested that  by blowing through it blocking the air with my hand and it seemed really good, so I threaded that on to the hose and connected the 90 degree angle up to the pipe through the wall.
Then I could attach more of the push fit fittings and pipe leading to each of my machines using clips to secure everything.
Because the pipes were offset from one of my walls due to one of the T fittings, I made a simple storage box thing out of some scrap OSB mounted to the wall just so that I had something to secure the pipe too.  And I gave that a coat of paint just so it would blend in better with the wall.
The most difficult machine to get the ducting to was the mitre saw - it was a tight space and I needed to ensure the pipes wouldn't get in the way of the saw movement as it rotates and pivots. I drilled a pilot hole from the top down, using a right angle chuck attachment in my drill, and then drilled up from the bottom with a 40mm holesaw, and then I could add the pipe and blast gate which I'll talk about next.
 
Blast Gates
 
I needed the ability to isolate the suction to each machine in order to get the most possible suction to whichever machine I needed to use, so I decided to make a blast gate for each machine.
I used some offcuts of 6mm plywood to make them, I first cut some pieces about 11cm square on the tablesaw. 
Then I ripped some thing strips about 15mm. I offered them up to opposing edges of the 11cm squares and measured the distance between them which was around 71mm so I cut some more strips at 71mm.
I glued and clamped the thin strips on each side sandwiched in the middle of another of the square pieces,and then inserted one of the 71mm strips making sure it was a snug fit between them and then I removed it and I could leave that to dry.  I later added some small screws just for extra re-enforcement.
And this is what I had.
And then I added some more thin strips to each side of the 71mm strip to act as stops for the gate. 
When I ran out of spring clamps I used bulldog clips instead.
A couple of the gates came out really tight so I added some candle wax to the inside and that helped them to open and close more easily.
I cleaned up the edges of the gates with a block plane.
Then I found the centre of the square and drilled through all three layers of the ply at the drill press. 
And that made the gates open and close.
Next with the gate in the closed position I could add the pipe to one side of the gate, this was quite a tight fit so I used a hammer to persuade them in 
And then I used sealant to ensure they were air tight.
I could then do the same to the other side of the gate, and that was those done and ready to fit to main pipework.
 
Connecting each machine
 
Next I needed to attach more hose to the pipes with the blast gates installed.
And the best solution I found for this was to use these adaptors which I found on Amazon - link in the description box below for these too.  These come in three pieces, the first part pushes on over the threads. The second piece screws on to the threads, and the third piece slips over the cuff and clicks in to the first piece. And this nozzle fits really nicely in to the 40mm pipe
 get the pipes attached to the blast gates attached to each machine, and all of my machines seem to have different sized dust ports, there doesn't seem to be any consistency which makes doing this sort of thing much harder than it should be.
 

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