New Shop Building

[keithrhyde]

Jim, I have looked at the Harvey DC as well so I would be interested in your opinion after you have used it for awhile. I am sure you will post pics when you get it all done. It is a big project with a lot of decisions to be made and I think you have done very well.

[Jim Becker]

The G700 is excellent and I only have two small complaints...the grid in the inlet tends to catch "fluffy" shavings from thicknessing material and the master power switch is on the back of the machine. The latter isn't an issue when using it mobile, but when placing it to a wall and under a surface like I will be doing once I move on to duct work requires I provide an alternative master power solution which I will be doing. OTOH, the unit's sound level is remarkable, even when fully cranked and the air flow is consistently good. And catching a sale, you can buy two of these things for the cost of one 5 hp cyclone.

[keithrhyde]

May I suggest automatic blast gates to each machine which will auto turn on your DC and eliminates the master switch issue. I installed mine a few years ago and it is one of the best improvement in my shop. I bought the plastic ones to save a bit of coin and just jumpered around for static mitigation and they have a connector just for that on them. I have never had one fail or jam. The customer support from Ivac is outstanding. FWIW

[Jim Becker]

I've never felt the need for auto blast gates and I also leave the DC running as I move between machines. It's not something I can justify the expense for and with my machine grouping, gates I'd be using the most are within a step or three of each other. There is also the extra expense of putting together current sensing because all my large machines are 240v 30 amp which cannot plug directly into typical auto-gate devices. The singular piece of plastic "duct" in my shop is that last foot on the CNC. All my duct work is quick connect metal including the gates.

Auto DC start cannot be used with the Harvey G700. Why? It's controlled by a VFD (variable speed) so "on/off" relative to collection or not is handled by the remote or the front panel of the machine. Ramp up and ramp down are also much longer than a traditional DC as that puts less strain on the motor for spinning the blower up and down with a gradual ramping in both directions. The accommodation I need to make is for the "mains" on/off switch which is physically in the back of the device and will not be accessible once my duct is installed and connected to the G700. The solution is an inline box that has a duplicate rotary mains switch that will be mounted on the front of the platform over the DC. The switch on the Harvey machine will be left in the "on" position full time and actual on/off disconnection will be on the outboard rotary switch.

[keithrhyde]

Jim, Ivac auto gates have their own individual current sensing connectors which attach to the power cord of the machine it closes the gate and turns on the DC. You should look at their website. My machines are also 220V and the IVAC remote for the DC is AC not DC. The blast gate senses amps from the machine power cord and sends a signal to the DC remote to turn on and close the blast gate as the same time. I would not want my DC to run all the time regardless of variable speed. There is always more than one way to skin a cat. Ivac is pricy and for my ten machines it was about $1k for the equipment. There is no wrong way as long as you keep the dust out of your lungs. Which is a good segue into getting a Dylos air quality meter if you don't already have one or something similar. I have many woodworking friends who tell me the can see the dust and then turn on the DCs which is too bad for them. The dust that will eventually kill you is the dust you cannot see. I don't care how good your DC at the machines are they cannot stop it all. A quality air meter will definitely prove that to you. IMHO. Happy New Year and many following my friend.

[Jim Becker]

I do have a dust sensor in the shop. And an air cleaner. I started my woodworking journey in about 1997 and have always strived to do things well. It's good to know that iVac has a current sensing solution. I'm still not going that way, but for folks that want auto gates, that's a great solution. But again, you can't use the DC on/off feature with the Harvey because it's VFD controlled...or at least not without a very creative hack into the remote control system. My comment about running the DC for longer periods of time is because it's literally machine killing to be turning it on and off more than a few times an hour. Oneida, for example, even tells customer that in specifications.

[Jim Becker]

Circling back...material is all loaded in and essentially, the new shop is complete other than a few small things. I'll be creating some kind of "tour" presentation at some point and will share it here in addition to at SMC.

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This is an older photo, but you can see the general arrangement including where the Stinger II SR-44 lives

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[Jim Becker]

Better view of the CNC as it is now...and yea, I was using it as an extra workbench "in the moment" 'cause I had something with wet finish on the main bench.

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And I'm really pleased with the tool wall so far...some little things to change, adjust and reconsider, but all in all, it's working out much nicer than I expected it to.

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[keithrhyde]

Jim, your shop looks great. It is always a work in progress which never ends. I turn my Oneida off and on many times during the day as I use my machines and if something wears out or break then it is just the cost of doing business or in my case "hobby". I tried doing it at first by moving my DC around to the machines which was a PITA so metal ducts then auto blast gates. I also made up 20A 220V SOI extension cords so I could move my machines to where I needed them but after awhile I knew where I wanted them so permanence prevailed. Everyone has their own ideas of what works for them and that is the way it should be. My shop my rules as you stated. Cheers mate.

[jalcathie]

Jim,

shop looks great, i think i spy a harvey gyro air dust collector under your compressor.... That unit is on my short list of upgrades to my dust collection, what are your thoughts? Have it narrowed down to that unit or a grizzly 3hp with cyclone seperator.

[Jim Becker]

Joe, I did buy a G700 late last summer when I caught a good sale. It's worked out well for the new shop. I'm a long time Oneida cyclone user but I sold that when we moved as I didn't want to have to pay to store it for a year or more until I had a real shop building. (same thing happened to the slider I had owned since 2005) The Harvey was intriguing and the reviews were decent, even though most were clearly with influencers. A few of those, however, were clear that they were providing the warts as well as the candy which I appreciated. There are only two things that I found lower in my liking with the G700. The first one is obvious and that's the fixed intake location means it can be difficult to use in some folks' shops. With my new building, I had essentially two locations I could have put it in...back left facing forward like it is for real and back right facing left. But it's also a good mobile solution and at the price, someone with a larger shop that wants to minimize ductwork can put in multiples, place them literally in the tool islands they will service and be happy with the collection. I actually used it in portable mode through the interior fit-out once the new slider arrived and it worked great that way with just a hose and a very long 240v extension cord. :) The second thing I'm not enamored with is that the unit has a protective grid inside the inlet. The engineered that puts it there is very sound because that inlet is directly connected to the blower fan and any larger debris could cause damage. This is, in effect, a single stage dust collection system as the separation is post-blower. Most of the time, the grid is inconsequential, but I can "clog" it when flattening and thicknessing wide boards if I don't pay attention. So when using a ductwork system like I have, it's necessary that things be setup to be able to easily disconnect at the inlet so you can clean it out if it gets a little constrained. I have quick connect ductwork (like Nordfab, but less expensive from Blastgate Company) so that access is simply opening two clamps and pulling out a short section of duct to do the deed. The noise levels are very reasonable, especially when you crank it back a little for less demanding collection. Top speed is 7200 on the dial. I'm running it at about 5800 most of the time. It's not "quiet" but it does not scream or roar like a big cyclone does. I literally had to have the cyclone in a separate sound-abated closet at the old shop. I'm not finding the Harvey to be discomforting in the new shop which is a larger and more open space.

[rcrawford]

Love the new shop! I'm in the process of designing a new shop at our new house, but I'm thinking I'll have a basement for my wood storage and put the compressor and dust collector down there as well.

Last month I got tired of my compressor and bought a 7.5hp Chicago Pneumatic rotary screw compressor with a dryer. I had a 5HP DV rotary screw in my large shop, but this new one is crazy quiet. The cooling fan is louder than the compressor on this thing - can't even hear it when the spindle is running. Don't think I could go back to a piston compressor.


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[Jim Becker]

Russell, a friend of mine named Brian Holcomb bought a used medical compressor which is equally quiet to what you acquired...it may be a similar mechanism. Since his shop is essentially in his house...most in the basement with the big machines in a tiny one-vehicle (if it's a Smart Car) garage, quiet is essential! My traditional compressor can be loud, but unless I'm spraying finish, it only runs about once a day, when I first hit the switch for the contactor to turn on the live power and it recharges back up to full pressure. (It loses pressure overnight both because of the auto-drain and probably a few leaks in the air network)