All right! Well a few notes before we get started. We're going to be install a PVC
grounded dust collection system here in The Geek Pub shop and originally I was going to
use these aluminum blast gates and I was going to use an Arduino and some servo motors and
automate them similar to what Bob Clagget did over at I Like to Make Stuff. And that's
when Rockler called me and said "Hey, we already sell a complete automated dust collection
system that include blast gates, it has switches, they offer remote controls, and all kinds
of little components that you can get for it." And so that's what were going to be installing
today in The Geek Pub. And we'll go through all of the individual pieces as we go through
it, but the first we're going to do is install the switch on the dust collector. So lets
get started!
So all you have to do to install it is simply plug it into the outlet and then plug the
dust collector into the iSwitch. And then you can test it by flipping the switch.
So you could stop here and you would have already made a massive upgrade to your shop.
Just being able to carry around this remote control anywhere in the shop and turn the
dust collector on and off remotely is a massive upgrade for most people. But we're not going
to stop here! So lets keep going!
In order to hang the PVC pipe on the wall I am going to use these hose clamps and I've
drilled a small in the back of the clamp that will accept this screw and behind the clamp
I'm going to use these washers, and that is because the PVC fittings have an overlap and
I need to compensate for that on the pipe. And then I'll just screw this to the wall.
I'm using silicon caulk to put these together rather than PVC cement and the reason why
is that gives me the ability in the future to take it apart. You just have to use a
little bit of heat from a heat gun and you can knock it back apart with a 2x4. These
adapters from Rockler allow you to adapt the PVC pipe over to standard dust collection
fittings.
To install the blast gates I'm going to use both adhesive and I am going to put a screw
in from the side because I am not going to use pipe clamps.
So it is very important that you ground PVC dust collection and that is because it is
very prone to building up static electricity and that could result in a dust fire. And
because of that Rockler makes this really cool grounding kit and it's basically a braided
wire that you wrap around the outside of the PVC. And I'm going to drill holes every
few feet and insert the screws. That way I will make contact with both the air on the
outside and on the inside.
So one of the things I wanted in the shop was a floor sweep and this just allows you
to sweep the floor directly into the dust collector without having to get out a broom
and a dustpan and do it the old fashioned way. And this isn't something that will
get used constantly so I'm just going to connect it with a manual blast gate so that I can
open and close it as needed. And then from there I will just use a piece of flexible
hose to connect the floor sweep. I'm going to use a hose clamp to connect this because
after I use it a few times I may change my mind on how I want it laid out. So that
last thing we want to do is ground the blast gate to the grounding system. So we'll do
that by removing a screw and then putting it back in with a ground wire in place.
OK. So before we move on I wanted to take just a minute to talk about this system and
how it works. And the system is wireless and it is programmable. There are little
DIP switches on each component and that allows you to program them. It lets you set the
tool number and the frequency in case you want to have two shops next door to each other
or something like that. Or if you had multiple dust collectors, you could set different tools
and different blast gates to operate on different dust collectors as well as you can set different
tools to open different blast gates and that's all programable through these little DIP switches.
The system itself is wireless so you don't have to run any wires for it, although you
do have to plug it into power to operate the gate itself which can be controlled manually
with a little switch here.
So every tool needs to have one of these little iVac Tool modules installed and these basically
connect over the outside of the power cord and they sense the magnetic induction in the
wire which operates the tool. Now again these have DIP switches so you can program
them to a specific tool. This one would be connected for example to the table saw
and that would operate the table saws blast gate along with turning on the vacuum. Now
you can also at any time operate the vacuum with a remote control and you can have multiple
of these if you would like. And they can be programmed also to operate a blast gate,
or just turn the dust collector on and off. So lets go ahead and finish up!
OK. So to program the remote for the table saw I simply need to change it to ON ON and
that will set it to my system address and then for the tool address it is ON, ON, and
OFF. And that's it. It's programmed for this tool. And then installing the tool
is as simple as clamping the remote around the tool that you want to control the dust
collector.
Rockler also sent me this really cool quick disconnect system for tools that you might
move around the shop. I love this thing!
OK. So now when I turn on the tool it opens the blast gate and then turns on the dust
collector. And I have the system programmed so that when I turn the tool off it immediately
closes the blast gate, but it runs the dust collector for another 5 seconds and then turns
it off. And I have to tell you. Having an automated dust collection in the shop is
a dream. I can't tell you how many times I would go over to a tool and make a couple
of cuts and never turn the dust collection system on because it was too much of a pain
to go over and drag the hose across the room, connect it to that tool and then go back and
turn the dust collector on and then turn the tool on. And then to go back to the tool
I was using previously I had to repeat all of that agin. So the greatest thing about
having an automated dust collection system? I'm actually going to use it. All of the
time!
Well hey guys! I hope you enjoyed seeing how a system like this works in my shop and
maybe will work in your shop! And I'd like to send a special shout out to Rockler for
sending me the components for this video! Thanks guys! Well you can help me out
if you'll hit that like button and then subscribe to my channel on YouTube. Well hey thanks
for watching and I'll see you in the next video!