Lumber Rack

Once my tools were pretty much in place, I turned my attention to the lumber rack. Being made from 2x4s and ply, it was a project that really wouldn’t require much from the big tools, which still didn’t have proper dust collection set up. Just about everything was done with a circular saw and a drill. The lumber rack project was filmed and will be released as a video this month.

The inspiration for this project came from a couple different sources. In fact, when Googling for ideas, it was our own forum that proved to yield the most useful information. Go figure! Chet’s rack in this thread was very helpful for the initial concept of a wall rack with a plywood cart nested underneath. The plywood cart itself was inspired by Aaron’s design here. In both cases, I simply adapted the designs to my own needs and preferences.

Here are a few details for you. The vertical uprights are bolted into the 2×4 studs inside the wall using Spax screws and lag bolts. The bracket supports are then screwed to the vertical uprights and are considered semi-permanent. I can move them, but not without removing a bunch of screws. The plywood cart is capable of handling numerous full-size sheets as well as small cutoffs. There are two large casters on the left side and the right side is hinged. This allows me to swing the cart out into the room for easy access. The remaining space is occupied by a metal shelf which will hold random solid wood scraps. Of course, the entire unit is positioned right by the front door of the shop, exactly where you’d want it for good material workflow.

Dust Collection

The dust collection was quite an undertaking due to the 16′ ceiling. I still have painful memories of installing 6″ sewer and drain pipe years ago. Fortunately, metal pipe makes this process quite a bit easier. I have to confess that what you see here is actually my second attempt. Initially, I had the dust collection going across the center of the power tool nook. My initial thoughts were to take the shortest route possible. This required me to send out two branches just a few feet from the inlet. The problem with that is the fact that the junction of these branches is now only about 8 feet above the ground. This looked like doodie on a stick. So I decided to take the longer route along the wall, giving the pipe plenty of time to incline before it branches out into the open space. This gives me a lot more head room and looks so much better than before. And you see that big old blast gate up there? That closes off a whole branch of the system and will eventually have a nifty stick hanging from it so I can easily open and close it without a ladder. FYI, all parts and fittings were purchased from Penn State Industries.

As you can see, the ClearVue is back once again, with the fine dust exhausting outside. I LOVE not having filters on the system. I also love not having neighbors. You might also notice that the dust collector is no longer installed at the front of the shop. I just couldn’t justify running a bunch of extra pipe for no reason. So now the cyclone is located much closer to the power tools nook.

Cabinets

And finally, the new cabinets are being installed. As of now, I have absolutely no storage in the shop. So there is STUFF just laying around everywhere. Amazing how messy things can be without proper storage. So these are the carcasses for my new lower cabinets. This new wall will eventually have four 36″ cabinets (lower and upper) with a little desk area for the computer. My buddy Ron cut the parts with his CNC, but there was still quite a bit of work to do: edge-banding, drawer construction, base assembly, case assembly, and construction of the top.

I’m having fun, but its a fairly hectic pace. I want to be up and running by mid-April. So lots to do between now and then. Wish me luck!

The link below is for large, but you can select a different size here: Small, Medium, Large. And don’t forget the upgraded pink filters and the special adapter.

And here was my response:

Hey Douglas. Unfortunately, a big dust collector is not the ideal tool for the job of collecting dust from portable tools. Although the suction seems pretty good in a 4″ tube, performance take a huge dive when the pipe is reduced to the size of the tool’s opening. Think of it this way, the big dust collector is meant to move huge volumes of air at a relatively low velocity. A portable dust extractor, or a shop vac, moves small volumes of air at a higher velocity. And with the vac, you won’t need to reduce the hose very much in order for it to fit. The key to getting the shop vac to work better for you is to find some filter bags for it. The bags will catch most of the fine dust and prevent the filter from clogging so quickly. It’s also safer for you. I did that a few years back with my Shop Vac and I couldn’t believe the performance boost I got from it. Most manufacturers make a filter bag for their vac so I would start looking on their website or giving them a call. Hope that helps.

Firstly, thank you for all the time and effort you put into producing such a wonderful Website. My question is this: In one of your video segments you mentioned that increasing the dust collection port diameter of the table saw to 6 inches probably decreased dust collection efficiency. I would like to know more about your experience in that area. I am in the process of redesigning my own dust collection system and, after reading about the hazards of wood dust, really want to do it right this time. What would you do differently if you had to design your dust collection system over again? What specifically is unsatisfactory about the 6 inch port on the table saw and do you also use an overhead saw guard with integral dust collection? Once again, many thanks for your time and contributions to the woodworking community. Keep up the good work. Live long and prosper!

And here was my reply:
Hey Rich. Thanks for checking out the podcast. The dust collection port on my tablesaw was originally 5″. In an attempt to increase airflow, I modified the port to make it 6″, so that it would match the size of the main trunk of my dust collection system. Afterward, I added the overhead guard with dust collection, which has a 3″ port. So between the overhead port and the cabinet port, its actually way too much surface area. In general, when you split off the main line, its a good rule of thumb to keep the sum of the two new lines no greater than the main line itself (within reason, of course). So I would have been better off leaving the saw alone at 5″. I still would have exceeded the total of 6″ when I added the dust collection from above the blade, but I wouldn’t have had to modify my saw’s port and the dust collection most likely would have been better. Lesson learned, I suppose.

I have some new equipment in the shop now and I am having a hard time deciding how to modify and lay out the new lines. As it exists, I feel like I have a big collection of branches as opposed to one main line. And I think my dust collection is suffering as a result. So I might do a little modification soon, but I’m not sure what the plan is just yet. The best advice I can give you is to put it all on paper first. Make sure it makes sense and let a few friends look at it. Peer review is a good thing! Then once you are comfortable with the layout, go for it. Good luck with your woodworking Rich. And a heartfelt “live long and prosper” to you too!

***Special Correction*** From Tom Cissell- “The area of a circle is PI times the radius squared with PI being = to approximately 3.14. So, you would have been fine with a 5 inch main port on your TS and a supplemental guard port of 3 inch because the sum of both those areas would be less then the 6 inch main.”
See Tom’s full post in the comments section. And get your calculators out if you want to get the exact figures!