Grounding Ringneck Blues Collector

[lynchburgbull]

I just installed the DC. I have it grounded by a 14gauge copper wire with a spade connector on each end. One end attached to the bolt that connects the DC to the CW and the other end to the screw in the face plate of the same outlet the Cw is plugged into. There is a surge protector ( 3ft) in between the Cw and outlet.

Will this work ?

Thanks
Greg

Thanks to all the veterans that have served and are serving for our country. I appreciate you !

[DickB]

How is your vacuum or dust collector and hose grounded?

[lynchburgbull]

well the vac is a 12 gal Rigid not grounded except for the plug itself. DC i would assume its grounded by the way I have it hooked up now. hose for vac is plastic

[DickB]

I'd be comfortable with that setup. If you had a dust collector and a grounded hose, I would suggest grounding your DC to the hose and dust collector, but with a vacuum it's not so easy to ground the hose.

[200k]

I don't recommend the practice for anyone else for legal reasons but, I have been using my dust collector for 30+ years in two different houses/shop setups without ANY static electricity grounding. I have never had a spark (that's a real good thing), nor have I even noticed any static charge (collecting particles on the outside, raising the hair on your arm, etc.) anywhere in my system. Since I am cheap, I use the thinwall 4" PVC sewer pipe for straight runs and flex hose for the connection to the machines. As I said, I don't recommend not using static control methods, but I will say that pretty much anything you use that makes a connection to a ground will be quite sufficient and certainly more effective than what I have. No worries.

Let the flame wars begin!

200k

[200k]

Oh, I forgot to add. I have fire extinguishers at both ends of my shop. BIG fire extinguishers. I check them January 1st every year. And my shop is in my basement, connected to the rest of the house HVAC, and I don't want to spread fine dust everywhere in the house, so I also am incredibly fastidious about dust control. In addition to my sawdust collector I also have an air scrubber that can filter the entire volume of the shop every three minutes, plus I use my shop vac for point dust control in addition to my sawdust collector. You won't get any fiber in your diet eating off my floor. So I may be insane, but I'm not stupid. ;-)

200k

[fwharris]

Greg,

As you probably know the shop vac is not the best choice for dust collection as the higher air volume/flow will increase the possibility of static. That being said, make sure your grounding wire is coiled around your hose between the DC-INSERT and the shop vac. This will increase the possibility of dissipating and static. You can test how well it is working by dropping some saw dust on the out side of the hose with the system running. If the dust clings to the hose you have static, if it fall off you have not static. Another option is to replace the plastic shop vac hose with a small diameter metal hose to the insert.

[seathis]

[QUOTE=fwharris;189756]Greg,

As you probably know the shop vac is not the best choice for dust collection as the higher air volume/flow will increase the possibility of static.

I must have missed the whole chapter in Dust Collection 101. If I don't use the shop vac what should I be using? I was thinking about one of the dust separators Rockler has? Then, from the separator to the shop vac? Will that work?

[DickB]

I must have missed the whole chapter in Dust Collection 101. If I don't use the shop vac what should I be using? I was thinking about one of the dust separators Rockler has? Then, from the separator to the shop vac? Will that work?

In my case "dust collector" refers to a powered machine. Rockler has a wall mount dust collector: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30676&site=ROCKLER
Harbor Freight also carries similar floor-mounted types. I have a similar one with a dust separator in front. More CFM is better, but my 650 CFM works well.
These dust collectors are higher volume lower speed than a shop vac and better suited for the CarveWright.

[Digitalwoodshop]

For a education on Static and Dust Control a search of Wood Web would be a good start and Sawmill Creek Woodworking and CNC and Shopbot Forums. Lots of good advice and stories of waking up on the floor after being taken down by a PVC Pipe.

As for the first poster, you are off to a good start at the CW End.... And going to the Outlet Ground is good too... NEVER to a separate ground like a new ground rod as this can cause a condition of Ground Loop something else to read about on Wood Web.

Most Shop Vacs use a Brush Type Motor and like our Cut Motor makes little sparks... That is the reason I have chosen to go to a Dust Collector with a induction motor, no brushes. The Cheapest Harbor Freight Dust Collectors have Brushes. They may save you money now but in the end.... I would go with a Delta Induction Motor Version... Just my 2 cents...

I also agree that the hose should be grounded.

I have told this story before... I have a collector made from copper Circuit Board Material and it is painted black and nailed to little blocks of wood with Air Staples shorting both sides of the copper together. One time I was doing a Cut Path at night and walked into the shop and heard a Snap, Snap, Snap.... I look inside the machine then turn off the lights.... I see as the Cut Path is cutting a 1 inch long spark from the 1/8 inch bit to the copper hood..... About every 5 seconds.... I look and the Ground Wire Clip is off the actual collector.... The one on the Machine in feed frame and the one on the Foil hose are there.... I re connect the one to the copper collector and the sparks stop.... THAT is my only experience with Static and the machine.... A VIDEO would have been nice to ADD....

Good Luck,

AL

[fwharris]

For better performance an actual dust collector not a shop vac is the best choice. A shop vac moves the air at a higher velocity vs a dust collector. The higher velocity will lend itself to generate static. I do know several who do use a shop vac system and if you have the separator in between that will help a lot with your filter life/plugging in the shop vac. Others with a dust collector also use the separator for the same reason...

[seathis]

For better performance an actual dust collector not a shop vac is the best choice. A shop vac moves the air at a higher velocity vs a dust collector. The higher velocity will lend itself to generate static. I do know several who do use a shop vac system and if you have the separator in between that will help a lot with your filter life/plugging in the shop vac. Others with a dust collector also use the separator for the same reason...

Ahhhhh. Okay. Thanks everyone. And thanks for the link DickB.