For those that have this do you leave the grid inside the collector or do you remove it? I don't loose a lot of sandpaper down the black hole but it sure seems to catch curls that clog the system. Think I'll cut mine out. Your thoughts?
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Black Hole Dust Collection System
- Thread starter Dave Fritz
- Start date
Been pondering the same question.
Same here...pondering what to do. My grid is still in which I like when I'm sanding since it catches sandpaper. But I'd also like to use the hood when doing 2nd turning on twice turned bowls, but it plugs from the small shavings. I'll probably cut mine out and find some kind of screen to add when sanding.
I don't have the "Black Hole" brand. I have a similar hood that is wider and a bit taller. It tapers down to a 6" port and I only use it for sanding, so getting cutting shavings caught is not a concern. What is a concern is the accidental slips of hand held sandpaper and velcro discs that sometimes get sucked in. That is why I added a wire grid to mine.
A wire grid on hinges with a magnet to hold it open and one to hold it shut would be a good project.
I don't use the Black Hole, but this is how I prevent mine from eating sandpaper.
Not familiar with the Black Hole, but the picture shows the wire that I put over the 6" port on my setup. I'm not really concerned about losing sandpaper, but my DC really sucks, so other small items could get sucked up if I mishandle them in front of the port.
Not too worried about sandpaper getting sucked up. I will find it when the dust goes in the beds in the yard and if not it is not like gold.
Tom Gall
TOTW Team
Many, many years ago my DC sucked up a large cloth (1/2 T-shirt through my 6" duct work) and made it all the way to the impeller (about 30' away). Set up an imbalance and vibration at the DC. PITA to remove! I then installed a piece of 1/2" hardware cloth over the opening at the front of the collector (12" x 7"). I installed 1/4" aluminum channel to the two sides and bottom (w/ hot melt glue (?) I think - long time ago!) to form a 3-sided slide-in frame to hold the hardware cloth. Easy to pull out - shake - drop back in. It sucks in the dust but catches sandpaper and larger shavings.....saving a lot of emptying my DC bag. 
.....which is really a PITA.
.....which is really a PITA. 
I have a Laguna P-Flux dust collector with two 4-inch hoses collecting sanding dust. It too has small bars where the 4 inch hoses merge into a 6 inch adapter at the cyclone. Yes, they also tend to grab and collect curly shavings which need to be removed occasionally, not a big issue as the hoses use quick release fittings. My fear is that the day I remove the little bars, that will be the day a pair of pliers or some other impeller-damaging tool will get sucked up the hose. So I put up with the curlies.
Tom - any chance you can find a name on that? I would really like to have 6" suction at my lathe vs 4"......
I searched around on-line and couldn't find it. Then I realized that I bought this from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Woodtek-Coll...1589670309&s=power-hand-tools&sr=1-10-catcorr
Then I modified it by cutting off the 4" port and adding my own 6". It ain't pretty, but it sure works great.
Attachments
I don't know what type of duct work Laguna has, but you can find anything for dust collection systems at Oneida. Best way to keep things from clogging the impeller blades is to have a 2 stage system.
robo hippy
robo hippy
I used a 5 gallon plastic paint container cut in half with a 6 inch duct coming in the back.
I just cut a small plastic paint roller grid in half and used a wire tie to hold it in place. With the wire tie pulled tight it will stay open if I want it to.
Thanks for posting those pictures Tom. Just now found that the forum was up. and running again.
T
T