Page 5 of 5 FirstFirst ... 345
Results 41 to 45 of 45

Thread: static causing communication problems...again

  1. #41
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Glendale, WI
    Posts
    107

    Default

    Update...ShopBot tech support had the clever idea to run a job with the DC running but with the flex hose removed from the dust shoe (I simply draped it over the ductwork near the ceiling). Two jobs cut without incident like that. So the issue appears to be static in the flex hose itself, which obviously isn't draining sufficiently despite the bare copper wire running through the hose and attaching to the metal ductwork at the top.

    Then an experienced electrician came to the shop and looked at my setup. He immediately said that it's not sufficient to run a bare copper wire through the hose and then attach it to the ductwork, and then let the ductwork be the "raceway" for the static until it reaches the DC. Instead, he said the bare copper wire and the flex hose wire, which are bonded at the top of the flex hose, should connect at the top of the flex hose to regular #10 insulated wire, which is then tacked to the ductwork with circle terminals at the beginning and end of each section of ductwork. That way, the ductwork and the ground wire become one and run all the way to the DC itself without any opportunity for interference. And finally the #10 wire continues directly from the DC to an open terminal on the ground bus of the electrical panel. All together, he said that will create a tighter pathway to drain static without relying on metal ductwork and electrical conduit.

    So that's tomorrow's plan...

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Glendale, WI
    Posts
    107

    Default

    Well I am at a loss. I beefed up the grounding per the electrician's recommendations, and the continuity readings actually improved significantly -- reading continuity and essentially no resistance in the line almost immediately, whereas before it sometimes took a few seconds for the beep and the resistance reading often jumped around a lot. The ground also terminates in the ground bus directly on the panel. But I am still experiencing the same stuttering and then position loss/failure of the job. I even opened all 3 blast gates to reduce the flow/static production a bit, and it didn't matter.

    So I removed the flex hose again and rigged up my Fein Turbo vac to a different 4" flex hose and attached it to the dust shoe. Then I ran a job without problems. (The Fein actually did a decent job except for through cutting, where it left most of the chips in the channel).

    Could the problem be the flex hose itself? I will switch it out with a different brand and see if anything changes. Any experience with the Rockler antistatic 4" flex hose?

    If changing the hose doesn't solve the problem, unfortunately I will have to transition to a shop vac workaround rather than keep trying to solve the problem. I have to get back to my jobs for paying customers...

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    New Auburn, WI
    Posts
    332

    Default

    Call Dick Wynn. He's very knowledgeable when it comes to dust collection hose.
    https://wynnenv.com/static-control-hose/
    Eric Erickson
    Shopbot BT48 Buddy

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    2,383

    Default

    I use this from home depot and have not had any problems since. It has been going on 6 years now. I cut mostly PVC so there is a lot of static

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...0HD/203626495n

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Glendale, WI
    Posts
    107

    Default

    Update: I added an additional flex hose standoff and rigged up a bungee cord to even further separate the flex hose from the machine (the taller standoff is the addition). Even though the hose NEVER touched the machine before, now there's even more distance between the hose and gantry.

    56278453719__A32838C9-EFE3-4879-A5AF-9A724A627304.jpg

    So far, no problems! But it has also been a bit warmer with more humidity, so I am not declaring victory...yet.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •