First off, I’m a rank beginner when it comes to CNC. I ordered an AltMill a few weeks ago and while I wait for it, I want to get the shop ready. In particular, I want to get a good dust collection system for it. I have my eyes on a couple from Oneida but I’m not sure which one makes the most sense. I don’t want to spend $2k on the Mini-Gorilla and then wish I’d bought the $3k SuperCell model. Same goes in the other direction. I don’t want to spend $3k on the SuperCell system if it’s going to be overkill. If someone here with experience can help me make the proper choice, it would be greatly appreciated.
I can’t answer your question but in your research, you will find that some users prefer dust extractors while some prefer dust collectors. Those terms are not very descriptive but dust extractors are usually low volume high pressure (LVHP) whereas dust collectors are high volume low pressure (HVLP). Shop vacs are LVHP. Collectors with a big fan and dust bag are usually HVLP.
Efficiency of HVLP systems drops significantly as the filters become clogged. So you need to make sure to keep them clean. They also move a large amount of air, so they are probably better than a shop vac to filter the air in your shop. On the other hand, a LVHP with a good dust shoe will likely capture most dust and chips, but anything that escapes the shoe will end up on your shop floor.
LVHP systems can have filters below 1 micron. HVLP are usually over 1 micron.
LVHP systems are typically louder than HVLP but that is not always the case. A good LVHP system from Mirka or Festool can have low dB levels.
When I was researching dust extraction for my Altmill, I wanted to find information on which system (LVHP or HVLP) is better for the type of chips a CNC will produce. Could not find a definitive answer.
I finally settled on a LVHP extractor from Record Power and a cyclone separator. And I already had a air cleaner for any errant dust. The Record Power extractor is not too loud, has two motors, and a large drum. But it does need 230V.
Generally speaking, the more hp the more air is being moved and the more dust/chips are being removed. What is incredibly important is the ducting system.
As an example, my dust collector sits outside of my shop and depending on the tool, there is up to 75ft or so of ducting. This is an incredible drain on suction power. If, on the other hand, the chip collector is dedicated to the mill and sits close to the mill, the mini gorilla is going to be just fine (use a 4" hose).
My first chip collector was a 3hp unit and used 4" ducting. As it turned out, that was functional but by no means optimal. I now run a 5hp chip collector and a 6" duct system that only reduces to 4" close to the tool and it sucks big time!
Also of note - if you install any fixed ducting, do not do like I did in my first setup and install hvac sheet metal ducting. It is very lossy with leaks and flow restrictions and if you happen to use the commonly used thin material and if your dust collector is reasonably powerful, it can collapse the ducting if the air flow is accidentally stopped with an obstruction of some kind (ie hose taken off the dust shoe, collecting errant dust and the hose suddenly tries to suck up your spoil board because you were too close to it).
So to sum it all up - There are a lot of variables to consider but bigger is always better for future needs but the mini gorilla is adequate if it sits next to the mill.
Admittedly not on the inexpensive end, but our 20x18’ home shop has a Harvey Gyro 700 dust cyclone that (with 4" ducting and at its quietest / lowest CFM setting) easily handles the AltMill milling pockets; at a mid setting, it does so with the table saw and a floor sweep both open as well.
Pretty much any dedicated dust collector out there will handle the AltMill’s chip production - unless you are cutting foam, at which point the static cling will bollux up pretty much any system
The joy of a quiet spindle paired with a quiet DC can’t be overemphasized, especially since my previous CNC was a Shapeoko3 with a Makita router and a shop vac. If you will be running the AltMill for long jobs, that means you will be continuously bombarded by both the mill and Dust Collector noise, and even with hearing protection (and probably because of it, but don’t take that as an excuse to not use it) you will tend to get mentally exhausted faster.
I like the look and price of that Harvey G 700 system. I also like the fact that it’s quiet. I may end up with one of those instead of the Oneida systems I mentioned above.
I recently went through this exact same process, and looked at the same set of collectors mentioned in the thread so far (various models from Oneida, Record Power, and Harvey). It is very easy to upsell yourself on capacity for dust collection, especially if you read the Bill Pentz site. I’m also a newbie at CNC, so don’t take this as authoritative advice. What it really comes down to is: what tools do you have or reasonably plan to get in the future and how well-set-up for dust collection are they?
As @Chucky_ott mentioned, the key difference here is LVHP and HVLP. Take a look at the smoke demos in this video as a model: https://youtu.be/RNdyW9CycqI?t=86
The HVLP sucks up more smoke from further away. The LVHP does well up close, and the HVLP does a poor job when restricted down to a smaller size (which you might encounter when hooking your dust collector up to a sander or similar).
As best I can tell, the general recommendation to go with a powerful HVLP unit for a wood shop is for a few reasons:
Many tools don’t accommodate dust collection very well. In the video linked above he shows a table saw where the dust collection port is just a hole in the side of the unsealed table. You would need a moderately powerful HVLP system to collect any dust out of that because you have to suck it in from far away in an unsealed environment. Table Saw Dust Collection - SHOP HACKS explores this as well
Some tools produce a tremendous quantity of chips and dust and you need capacity to pick them all up without clogging (think like a jointer or planer). A shop vac won’t keep up with these.
People with larger shops/lots of tools tend to run pipes from a large stationary dust collector all around the shop for convenience. The longer the line is, the more performance you lose, so the bigger the system you’ll want.
Right now I’m running a DeWalt Stealthsonic shop vacuum with a cyclone attached. It’s been able to keep up with the AltMill with no problem so far, and I’ll be able to connect it to the tools I have or plan to get in the near future. You probably need a shop vac anyway, so it makes sense to start there and upgrade when you have a specific need.
