My current dust collector has has worked pretty well at collecting chips and some fine dust.  Although, I have always felt it was a bit lacking and could be improved.  After some time investigating solutions online, I settled on the Oneida V-System 3000.  It is 3HP motor with 15″ impeller.  I also ordered the Dust Sentry and the Bag Liner thingy.  It is something that can accommodate growth of my shop over time and I only have one set of lungs.  So, what the heck.  One of the first things I did was update my electrical to 220V (20 amp) from 110V (20 Amp).  It was pretty straightforward.  New receptacle, new breaker, and a ground wire added to the receptacle box.

Deconstruction

The first step was to start tearing down my current dust collection setup.  I didn’t realize how much crap I had stored around the collector, nor  how many screws I used to hold this thing together.

Below are  the existing dust collector components, (HF dust collector, Super Dust Deputy, Wynn Filter, 15 gallon fiber drum).  I sold it on craigslist in a few days.

Unpacking Boxes

The dust collector components shipped very fast and were at my place within 5 business days of when I ordered it.  The system showed up in 7 or 8 boxes.

Overall, the instructions are well written, there were only a couple spots where I had to take a pause and figure it out.

Dust Sentry Installation

One of the first things I did was to install the Dust Sentry sensor.  Oneida gives two options to install it and I chose the removable option, primarily due to my drill bit size or 7/8″

Dust Sentry Box

After the hole was drilled, I had to file down the burrs I left from drilling.   The instructions pointed out the way to install the sensor and it worked well.  I also took the time to set the proper depth at this time.

Disaster Strikes

The motor box is the only heavy one and it needs to be treated with care.  The motor is encased in foam/plastic and is tough to know where the packaging stops and the motor starts.

I couldn’t get all the foam away from the motor, so I lifted it up a bit so could pull the foam off.  Well the motor and impeller assembly flipped 180 and landed on the ground.  I had many four letter words and a small tear.

If I had to do it all over again, this is what I would do:

• Cut all corners of the box, so you I wouldn’t have to lift it out
  • The box would just fold flat
• Remove all foam pieces around motor before lifting it off the ground
• Leave the motor/impeller on the ground until I had help to lift  it

I called Oneida the next day and got a hold of their customer support.  They took great care of me and I had another impeller on its way as well as assembly instructions.  Super customer service!

Freestanding Stand Assembly

After my heartbreak, I forged ahead by putting the stand together.  I built it mostly upside down.  A couple of clamps really help when working by yourself.  I left all the bolts somewhat loose at this time until I had the “funnel” portion installed.

Cyclone Install

Following along with the instructions, I installed the panel nut things on the impeller housing.  Make sure you install them on the “UP” side.

Then I set the “Funnel” section onto the stand and also started to tighten up the stand bolts.

The gasket material was installed between all components from here on out.  Just make sure that there aren’t any gaps between the two ends.  The intake section went on next.  I used the bolts, two washer and nylon lock nuts.

The most confusing part about the build is the amount of torque to apply to the bolts.  It is a soft joint with a gasket and plastic.  The instructions have a pretty high torque, but I didn’t go that high since the plastic started to deform and I was concerned about breaking something else.  The next item up was the impeller housing/exhaust housing.   I pointed mine opposite of the intake since that worked for my shop.  I had a little corner that worked well for the filter to go into.

Plenum and Filter

I applied some weatherstripping/gasket to the outlet and I followed the contour as best as I could.   I probably should have gotten closer to the corner holes.

Next step was to attach the outlet plenum to the impeller housing.  This is a good view of the plastic deformation and why I didn’t crank these down super tight.

I had to remove one of the bolts on the “funnel” section to install the plenum support bracket.

The next item was to attache the filter plate.  I applied the weatherstripping to the motor plate as the instructions laid out.

The next items were the plate installation and filter installation.

Finally, install the filter “bucket”.

Duct Work Update

I had to move my existing duct work up the wall a few feet to meet with the new suction inlet.  I also had to move my blast gate based on the new height.  For the time being, I am keeping my 4″ duct work.  I will be upgrading it to 6″ when my wallet has some money left in it.  I should have also mentioned that I bought the 7″ to 4″ reducer from Oneida and a rubber boot connector to mate up with the piping from HD.

Dust Bin and Bag Liner

I cut the flex hose to the proper length and placed the fiber drum underneath the cyclone to confirm the proper length.  Then I installed a garbage bag and bag liner.  I will say that the bag liner wasn’t quite as tight as I expected.  I am still deciding if I like this thing or not.  It collapsed on me today and I am not sure of the root cause.  I need to buy some thicker bags for sure.  Maybe it got ripped and started the vacuum process.

New Impeller Installation

The new impeller arrived and I followed Oneida’s instructions (torque, sequence, and loctite).

After running down the bolts, I torqued them down in a circular pattern in 5 passes with successive torque values.   Luckily I had a small torque wrench.

Wrapping up the Install

My dad was visiting and he helped me lift the motor/impeller onto the cyclone.  Definitely need a step ladder or two.  We torqued down the bolts for the motor housing and mounted the magnetic switch to the wall.  I fired it up and searched for air leaks.   We found a few between the motor plate and impeller housing.  Also, found a couple on the filter plate and filter “bucket”.  I tightened them down a bit to help with sealing.

I had to move the ground wire connection a bit for the filter to a different screw hole and then hooked up the ground wires all around.

Operating Dust Collector

The remote works great and responds instantly.  After opening all the blast gates, one by one, I collected a lot of dust from my current ductwork.  Also note, the poor fit of the drum liner.  I may have to customize the hole locations so it fits tighter.

Adding Storage

Since I lost so much storage when I removed the last dust collection framework, I had to build something to suit the new space.  Some simple 2x4s and plywood did the trick.  It is placed in between the collector and my bandsaw.  I also built a clamp rack, coming up next.