Dust Collection

How to run, aim, and empty dust collection in the wood shop.

Contact: woodshop@rocmakers.org · #wood-shop

Manual: Harvey GyroAir G-700

The main dust collector sits at the rear of the shop.

It collects dust from:

• the large Rikon bandsaw
• the jointer
• the thickness planer
• the table saw

Turn it on before you use any of those tools, and turn it off when you are finished. The collector can start itself when a tool turns on. We do not use that auto mode. It has caused problems.

1. Push the green RUN button.
2. Wait about 15 seconds for the system to start.
3. Leave the speed knob where it is. You should not have to move it.

If nothing happens when you push RUN, the collector may be set to auto. Push the black M/R button to switch back to manual, then push RUN again.

1. Push the red STOP button.

A 6-inch line runs to each of the four tools. A blast gate on that line opens and closes with the tool.

Each gate shows its state with a colored circle:

• red: closed
• green: open

These photos are the table saw gate. The switch on the yellow box sets the automatic open and closed behavior.

When every tool is off, the Rikon bandsaw gate stays open and the jointer, planer, and table saw gates stay closed.

When you turn one of the four tools on, a detector on its power cord opens that tool's gate and closes the gates for tools that are off. If more than one tool is on, the matching gates open. A couple of seconds after the tools are turned off, the gates return to the default: Rikon open, the other three closed.

1. Confirm the gate is open while the tool is on. If it does not open:
   • Set both the blast gate and the current detector (the small yellow box on the power cord) to automatic.
   • Confirm the switch on the blast gate is set to auto.
   • Confirm the circuit that powers the blast gates has not tripped. Most of the tools are on a different circuit from the gates.
2. Check the hoses for chips. Clogs are common where the hose meets the machine.
3. On the table saw: turn the saw off at the wall, remove the throat plate, and make sure the door around the blade is closed. Open the lower panel on the right side of the saw base and make sure the dust hose is attached both to the chute from the saw carriage and to the back of the saw case. If it has come off, clean out the sawdust and reattach the hose. Step-by-step photos and the power-off check are on the table saw page.

Make sure the dust collector is off.

1. Open the front panel. Turn the upper left knob clockwise and the upper right knob counterclockwise. Pivot the door out and down. The dust bins are behind it.

1. Pull the latch up, unhook it, and pull the bins out.

When the collector is working properly, the large bin holds the coarse dust and the small bin holds the finer dust. Do not let either bin fill past halfway.

An alarm is supposed to sound when the bins are full. It does not always go off. Check the bins often, and do not rely on the alarm.

1. Remove the dust either way:
   • Pull out the bag and throw it away. You may have to take the seal off. Put in a clean bag and make sure the seal is set and intact.
   • Or scoop the dust out and leave the bag in place.
2. Slide the bins back in, reattach the latch, and raise the bins so they seal.

The HEPA filters catch the finest dust. That dust is the most dangerous, because it can travel deeper into the lungs than heavier chips. The filters are expensive and clog easily.

Overflow from full bins can reach the filters and clog or damage them. That is one reason to empty the bins before they are half full.

1. Often, turn the red knobs at the top of each filter back and forth. That knocks dust out of the filter.
2. Unscrew the caps on the bottom ports and carefully remove the dust. This dust is light and becomes airborne easily. Keep that to a minimum.

1. Put the collection-port covers back on before you turn the dust collector on.

Tools that are not on the main collector use a shop vac with a vortex separator. The vac pulls air through the vortex, and chips drop into the bucket instead of into the vac. That makes the vac filter last much longer.

Empty the vortex bucket before it is about two-thirds full. Once the bucket fills, dust goes into the shop vac and the filter needs extra maintenance.

1. Unsnap the lid.
2. Lift out the inner bucket. It sometimes sticks. Dump it in the appropriate disposal bin.
3. Put the bucket back and snap the lid down.
4. Check that the hoses are still attached as shown above.

Connect the shop-vac hose to the dust port while the tool is in use.

The Delta bandsaw dust port comes off so you can tilt the table and adjust the lower guide and thrust bearings. A magnet holds it in place. Put it back on if you remove it or if it gets knocked off.