I read how someone had found this $25 remote control on Amazon to control their dust collector, but the thought of driving 240V at 23A startup through that tiny relay didn’t seem like a safe or a reliable, long-term solution. It did provide some inspiration, however, and the result is documented here.

Requirements

• Allow starting the Dust Collector via a radio remote control.
• Allow starting the Dust Collector via a remote switch on the blast gate.
• Support 110 or 220 VAC blowers up to 5 HP in size (via Contactor).
• Be easy to build with commonly available parts, requiring minimal skill to assemble.
• Permit substitution of parts – no specific part is critical.

Parts

I was able to source all parts from Amazon, and had them in my hands within 24-hours. I could have saved a few dollars by using alternate parts that took a week to be delivered, but opted to have everything for a weekend build.

Parts List

None of the parts listed here are critical and can be substituted with any equivalent component.

*Only 24VAC is required for this project. This model was selected for faster delivery time.
**I opted for an alternate remote switch that provided one transmitter with 2 buttons and 2 receivers so I could control an air-filter as well from a single transmitter. The 2-channel device cost an additional $4.00.

I did not provide links for the terminal block and receptacle as they are easily obtained from any local hardware store. Miscellaneous parts such as terminal lugs and cable clamps are not listed and are easily obtained from local sources.

“Poor Man’s Alternative”

Before we get into the construction details, there’s a simple alternative to this if you already have a 120V remote switch but now have a 240V dust collector. It simply requires a 2-pole contactor with a 120V coil, a small project box, and a set of 120V and 240V extension cords. The 240V cord should be made from #12 wire for a 20A circuit.

• Mount the contactor in the project box.
• Cut both of the extension cords; discard the 120V socket end.
  • Cut the 120V cord close to the socket end.
  • Cut the 240V cord so that the plug can reach the 240V outlet and the socket can reach the dust collector cord. These cords should be just long enough to reach the 240V outlet and the dust collector cord – 12-18” max!
• Wire the plug end of the 120V extension cord directly to the contactor coil.
• Wire the plug end of the 240V extension cord to the L1/L2 side of the contactor.
• Wire the socket end of the 240V extension cord to the T1/T2 side of the contactor.
• Connect the neutral / ground wire ends of the 240V extension cord together with a wire nut.

Plug the 120V cord into your existing 120V remote switch, then plug the 240V cord into the 240V outlet. Plug the dust collector into the 240V socket end of the extension cord. Your 120V remote switch will drive the contactor coil and complete the 240V circuit.

Construction

Construction started by cutting a piece of Masonite to fit inside the project box. The box I used required a panel 5-7/8 by 7-7/8”. I then started laying out the position of the various components, making sure I had room to route wires and kept the high and low voltage connections separated. Once I was happy with the positions, I drilled mounting holes and secured the components to the panel, making sure that nothing exceeded the height of the enclosure.

The radio switch came with a small plastic enclosure, so I drilled and countersunk holes in the enclosure. I drilled matching holes in the Masonite and used a pair of 6-32 flat-head machine screws to secure it. I covered the screw heads with electrical tape. The electronic module was a somewhat loose fit in the enclosure, so I put a small bit of self-adhesive weatherstrip on top of the relay, which helped to secure the module. A dab of silicone caulk on the back would accomplish the same thing, although this probably wasn’t necessary.

I drilled a 1.375” hole in the bottom of the enclosure to mount the receptacle. Holding a cover plate against the outside of the enclosure, I marked the location for the two mounting holes. The two holes that usually attach the cover plate will secure the receptacle to the enclosure.

Low Voltage Wiring

There are two sets of low-voltage wiring – 24V AC and 12V DC. The transformer provides the 24V AC power to the contactor and the Voltage Converter. The Voltage Converter is a simple rectifier / regulator circuit that converts the AC input to DC and delivers filtered 12V DC at a max of 1A. This drives the radio receiver, which has a current draw of just a few milli-amps. Note – since the transformer had a 16VAC option, I used that to drive the Voltage Converter so it would run a bit cooler. The illustrations assume a single-output 24VAC transformer. If you decide to follow this method, the connection to the Voltage Converter will connect to the center terminal, while the NO terminal connects to the outer terminal.

Low Voltage DC Wiring

Start by connecting the output of the Voltage Converter to the Radio Switch, using red and black wires. Be mindful to connect plus to plus and minus to minus! The polarity on the parts you select and receive may not match this illustration, so check your actual parts carefully. I used #18 wire for this connection, which I pulled from some thermostat control wire I had handy.

Low Voltage AC Wiring

Using the same #18 thermostat wire, I chose the yellow and blue wires for low-voltage AC connections. The colors don’t matter for low volt AC, but I selected Blue for the common / non-switched side of the circuit and yellow for the control side.

Start by connecting one piece of blue wire from the transformer to one side of the Voltage Converter, then continue to the coil on the contactor. I used a spade connector on the transformer side and a push-on connector on the contactor. I did not cut this wire, but simply stripped extra length from one end, carefully cut the insulation and slid it toward the end. I folded the wire and inserted it into the terminal of the Voltage Converter.

I did the same with a yellow wire, with a spade lug on the transformer end. The other end was simply twisted and secured to the Normally open (NO) connection on the Radio Switch. A second yellow wire used a push-on connector to connect to the other side of the Contactor coil.

Since I wanted to be able to place an activation switch directly onto the Blast Gates in the future, I added two yellow wires between the NO and COM connections to a 2-pole terminal block. Shorting this connection is the same as activating the Radio Switch and will turn on the Contactor. This wire and terminal block are optional. Again, the actual positions of the connections on your devices may vary, so consult the documents and markings on your devices.

High Voltage Wiring

WARNING – The 120/240 voltages can cause injury or death. Use caution when wiring these components, and seek assistance if you are unsure or unfamiliar with this task!

Depending on the dust collector you are using, you will need to use #12 (20A)  or #10 (30A) wiring for this task. Also – the color of your wires may vary. If you use a 240V Extension Cord on the input side, it will likely use Black, White, and Green wires. If you are wiring this directly to the 240V service, you may have Black, Red, White, and bare copper wires.

3-Wire 220V Source

Black – hot L1
White – hot L2
Green – Neutral / Ground

4-Wire 220V Source

Black – hot L1
Red    – hot L2
White – Neutral
Green – Ground

Terminal Strip

The terminal strip (barrier strip) provides connection points for the high-voltage input.

Position 1 and 2 are bonded together with a jumper.

All wires that connect to the Terminal Strip use spade lugs. The wires that connect to the contactor use the screw compression connector. I removed the push-on adapters from the contactor to minimize exposure to high voltage inside the enclosure. I used a scrap of plexiglass secured to the top of the contactor with double-sided foam tape to cover the high-voltage area once all the connections were made.

Adapting to 110V Control

The same design and components can be used to switch a 110V dust collector. The only parts change will be to use the appropriate receptacle. The only wiring change would be to eliminate the L2 switch path through the contactor and move the neutral wire of the transformer to the neutral input.

For 110V wiring, you should not open the neutral. Only one pole of the contactor will be used. DO NOT connect the white wire to the contactor! This violates most electrical codes and will present a safety hazard that could cause injury or death.

To wire this for 110V:

1. The Red input wire shown in the diagram will be white.
2. Eliminate the red wire that connects from Terminal Strip position 3 to the contactor.
3. Replace the Red L2 wire from the receptacle to the contactor with a White wire that connects the receptacle to the Terminal Strip position
4. Move the White wire of the 24VAC Transformer from Terminal Strip Position 1 to Position 3.

Assembly Notes & Testing

Once everything was physically assembled to the backer board, I wired the connections, trimming everything to length. I left the input and output of the Voltage Converter disconnected, which prevented it from receiving power or providing power to the radio receiver.

I started by mounting the unit on the wall and connecting the 220VAC source. This ran from a Gem box in the wall, through a 2” piece of ¾” conduit into the box. Leaving the box open so I could watch for anything “unusual”, I turned on the circuit breaker. Seeing no smoke or flames, I carefully measured the voltage on the input terminal strip – verifying 110V between each leg and neutral, and 220V between the 2 legs using the 600V range on my multimeter. Switching to the 200V range, I measured the output of the transformer, verifying 8, 16, and 24VAC were present on the terminals.

I turned off the breaker and connected the output of the transformer to the input of the Voltage Converter. Again, watching for anything unusual, I turned on the circuit breaker. Switching the multimeter to 20V range DC, I confirmed that the output of the Voltage Converter was 12V.

At this time, the power switch on the dust collector motor was off, so I tested the contactor by shorting the contacts on the upper terminal block (shown by dotted yellow lines). The contactor made a solid “CLICK” when I shorted the connection, and another audible click when I removed the short. Any N/O switch can be connected in parallel across these terminals. I will add wire to small micro-switches on the blast gates, so simply opening a gate will turn on the DC.

I turned off the circuit breaker, then connected the output of the Voltage Converter to the Radio Receiver. After turning on the circuit breaker, I pressed the transmitter button and heard the contactor CLICK. Releasing the transmitter button removed power to the contactor, so the receiver needed to be programmed. I used a small stick to press the program button three times, as per the instructions. I then pressed the “A” button on the transmitter. After a few seconds, the program LED turned off. Pressing the “A” button once closed the contactor, and pressing it a second time opened the contactor. I could now test the blower!

I plugged the Dust Collector motor into my remote switch and turned the switch on the motor to the “on” position. After pressing the “A” button on the transmitter, the blower roared to life!

The last step was to turn the circuit breaker off, place a small piece of double-sided foam tape onto the transformer, and then stick the Plexiglas panel onto the tape to prevent exposure to the high-voltage terminals. I closed and latched the box and turned the circuit breaker on.

The Final Result

The picture shown here is the final result (without the Plexiglas shield) showing the wiring. Due to space constraints and the location of the 220V wiring box, this is rotated 180 degrees from the diagrams in this document. Actual orientation is not important.

The small green jumper wire in the lower-right was used to test the remote switch activation and is not part of the final project.

To wire remote-start switches to the blast gates, all that is needed is to run a 2-conductor low-voltage wire from this control box to the blast gates you want to control. A micro-switch should be mounted on the blast gate such as the switch lever is actuated when the gate is closed. Attach the low-volt wire to the Common and N/C pins. This connection will be open when the gate is closed. Opening the gate releases the switch actuator arm and returns the switch contacts to the Normally Closed connection. This passes the low-voltage to the contactor and starts the blower. Note that the switches are wired in parallel, and that will allow any gate to be opened and start the blower. All gates must be closed to stop the blower.

I recently relocated and now have a full 2-car garage available for my workshop. There’s room for more machinery, so I needed something a bit larger to handle the additional machines. Also, being attached to the house, I wanted the best dust control that I could afford.

Requirements

• Within budget - $1750 including remote control
• Cyclone separator with 30-Gallon drum. Large enough for my hobby work yet manageable for me to empty.
• MERV-15 or better filters
• Support for 6-inch main ducts

Parts

I will list each major part and supplier separately. I imagine that these parts could be substituted with equivalent items to obtain similar results.

Blower

I purchased a Grizzly G1030Z2P dust collector directly from Grizzly (https://www.grizzly.com). The delivered cost was about $920, including residential lift-gate service. Since I was going to use high-quality filters, I selected this model as it was the least expensive and would not require me to adapt the wider/shorter Grizzly filters to my design. I was unable to find a 3 HP blower with similar specifications elsewhere at a lower cost.

Cyclone

I purchased the Super Dust Deputy XL directly from Oneida Air Systems (https://www.oneida-air.com/). I also purchased the 7-6 inch reducer pre-crimped to fit the SDD-XL and a roll of foil tape. With tax and shipping, this totaled $320.

Filters

I had very good success with Tenkay/Farr style filters in my last design, so I looked for a supplier. These filters have flame-retardant nano-fiber material with 0.5 micron capability. They are available in 22, 26, and 34-inch lengths, and the square feet of filter material grows significantly with the added length. Since I would hang these from a plenum box above my air compressor to maximize floor space, I selected the 34-inch model, which allowed about 3-inches of clearance between the compressor and the filter. These filters have a 14.25 by 16-inch flange on the open side, a 12-inch round gasket, and 12.75-inch outside / 8.5-inch inside diameters. These provide 295 square feet of filter material each.

I selected model number 125154-008 and specified the Nano-Fiber material option. These were $147 each, and with $25 shipping, they totaled $319. I purchased them from Cardinal Filters (https://cardinalfilters.com). They were about $7 more expensive than the lowest-cost source, but $25 in shipping compared to $99, the choice was easy to make.

Miscellaneous Materials

• 2 – ¾ by 12 by 48-inch Bullnose MDF Shelf boards - $4.63 each               $9.26
  One would be cut to form the sides and ends of the plenum box, the
  other formed the top.
• 1 – ¾ by 16 by 36-inch Bullnose MDF Shelf boards - $10.14 each           $10.14
  This became the bottom of the plenum box.
• 5/4 by 4 by 36-inch Pine (scrap box, 6-foot length price shown)               $14.25
  This was used to make the French Cleat to hang the plenum box.
• Screws, Paint (on-hand)

All told, these parts and materials cost me $1603. I built my own 220V radio remote power switch for about $85 in parts, which left $62 in my original budget for items I didn’t have on-hand or in my scrap box. All in all, it created an effective system within budget, for about 15-hours of labor over a few days. (It probably can be done much more quickly, but I took my time and enjoyed the process!)

Planning

I use the Inkscape drawing program to lay out the design and create cut-lists. Any other drawing or CAD program would work equally as well.

Since I had used the Farr-style filters and hung my old blower on the wall previously, I thought about what could be done better in this design. The old blower was bolted to a plate that was screwed directly to the wall studs. Easy and effective, but difficult to wrestle the blower into position and tighten the bolts. The new design would have a panel on the wall that supported the blower mount and the outlet duct, and would hang on the wall from a French Cleat. Simply* lift and hang. This was important as the new 3-HP blower was considerably heavier than the old 2-HP blower!

*"Simply" – a poor choice of words, as the size and weight made this difficult for 64-year-old me alone to lift. My (half my age) neighbor lent a hand, and with one of us on each side, it was easy to lift into position on the cleat.

My old filter housing was made from plywood, had a 5-inch inlet on the top and “L” shaped wood brackets that the filter flange slid in to. I used hold-down clamps in each corner to compress the gasket. The rear clamps were difficult to reach, and with the new design having twin filters, it would be nearly impossible to reach the two in the center-rear position. By making the new housing from MDF, the gasket could easily compress on the smooth surface, so I created an “L” bracket on the back of the filter such that it would be about 1/8 inch undersized to provide a snug fit with a single front latch.

The image here – looking up from below – shows how the bottom plate has exhaust holes, and the filters slide between the guides. The guides are 1” by 1.5”, cut from a piece of 5/4 Pine. The small extensions at the top (rear) provide a positive stop, centering the hole in the filter flange over the exhaust hole in the plenum box. 

This photo shows the filters partially inserted and show the “flange” and filter outer diameter. Not shown here, but across the back of the 3 guides would have a 1x2” piece that compressed the flange against the bottom plate. The filter flange will slide under this rear guide and when clamped at the front, would suitably compress the gasket to provide a tight seal, with easy attachment or removal.

The sketches in Inkscape to work out the design and are not to actual scale. The exact measurements of the plenum box were determined by the actual installation requirements. Now that I had the minimum dimensions of the plenum box, I could lay out the rest of the components.

Layout & Preparation

I began by creating the mount for the blower. This was made from 2 sheets of 3/4 plywood that was glued and screwed together. A piece of 5/4x4" board cut lengthwise at 45-degrees was screwed to the top edge to form a French Cleat - the other part was screwed to the wall with 4" #14 screws. The wall cleat stretched between 3 studs, while the part on the mounting plate was trimmed to the same width as the plate.  A piece of scrap 5/4 was glued/screwed to the bottom of the backer plate to keep it parallel to the wall.

More doubled-up plywood was attached 90-degrees to the back plate and used to mount the blower. A second piece was cut diagonally to help support the output-side of the blower. The plywood was painted (Grizzly Green) and the blower was mounted. With some help, it was lifted into position on the wall.

With the blower mounted, I could begin making measurements to hang a small shelf to hold the Super Dust-Deputy Cyclone. The shelf was another 2 rectangles of 3/4 plywood. I used 2 screws to hold these together, then cut the 6" hole centered left/right along the narrow width and close to one edge on the long side. I confirmed that the hole would pass the 6" starter collar, then separated the two pieces. Inserting the collar into the bottom piece of plywood, I traced the diameter of the flange. I routed the inside of the lower plywood so that the flange was recessed about 1/16", or about 1/8" deep rebate. I squirted some silicone around the collar ring, inserted it into the lower panel and secured it with some 1/2" flat-head screws.

I positioned the SDD cyclone on the upper plywood panel and marked the mounting hole positions. After drilling a 1/16" hole through the plywood, I used a Fostner bit to recess the mounting bolt holes, then drilled the clearance hole. The bolts were secured into the recessed holes with epoxy, the SDD cyclone was mounted and the bolts snugged. This was set aside until the epoxy cured. Once cured, I used some saw horses to hold the SDD and mounting board level with the back of the board against the wall. I measured the distance from the blower backer board to the edge of the inlet, adding the thickness of the backer board and mounting cleat. I could then determine the position of the SDD inlet. I needed to trim the mounting shelf about 1.75" to gain alignment. 

I screwed the upper and lower panels together and then trimmed them to the correct length. Some plywood triangles were secured with pocket holes, a brace added across the back, and a 1x3 cut to form another French Cleat. Again, the wall cleat spanned 3 studs, while the shelf was trimmed to fit. I temporarily assembled everything to determine the best position for the wall cleat. I drilled holes for 2 screws and loosely inserted one so the wall cleat could swivel. I next applied the gasket material, and re-attached the SDD and secured the bolts.

The Cyclone assembly was attached to the blower inlet and the shelf squared to the wall. I swiveled the wall cleat into position and drove the second screw home, then tightened the first. The assembly was completed by using some clear 6" duct to connect the collar on the bottom of the cyclone shelf to the matching collar I installed into the top of the 30-gallon barrel.

The barrel simply had a hole cut to clear the starting collar and the 6 mounting screws. A bead of silicone caulk was applied and the collar inserted from the underside of the barrel lid. 

Finding the best method to attach the plenum box to the blower came next. I first considered a direct attachment, but found it difficult to secure the box to the blower outlet once the blower was on the wall. Pre-attaching the plenum box to the blower would result in an awkward system to mount and this idea was dismissed. I then looked at the parts I had available. The original duct that connected the blower to the two bag pans had a sweeping “S” curve. I found that the point in the middle of the “S” would allow me to make a straight cut and mount the plenum box close to the wall while allowing the air to flow down the center of the box. An angle grinder with a diamond cutting wheel made quick work of the original duct.

Next was to create a backer-board from ¾” plywood large enough to mount the plenum box. This used a 5/4” French Cleat – same thickness as the blower backer board – to mount to the wall next to and just below the blower. Mounting this on the wall and attaching the cut piece of duct allowed me to mark the points where the duct was in relation to the backer board. This gave me the location for the bottom and right-edge of the plenum box. Note in the photo there is a piece of 1/4" plywood cut to represent the flange, which aided in matching the position to cut the hole in the plenum box.

With the locations identified, I removed the backer board from the wall and started preparing the plenum box. This was made from 3/4" MDF shelving boards. These were 4' long and allowed me to use two un-modified for the top and bottom, and a third cut roughly in half to form the sides and ends. I worked first from the bottom, laying out the two filter positions, attaching the 5/4" strips to position the filter bases. the filter sat about 1/8" proud of these, so when I added the cross-piece at the rear and clamped the front, the gasket was sufficiently compressed. I used a router circle cutting jig to cut the holes in the bottom, then went about assembling the sides and ends

I decided to make the top of the plenum box removable so during construction I added three cross-braces with Tee nuts that allowed me to secure the top with 1/4-20 bolts. This also allowed me to mount the duct to the blower with one bolt, hang the plenum box and slide it on the cleat to meet the duct. I marked the position, took everything down to the workbench and drilled holes around the edge of the duct to secure it to the plenum box. I pre-drilled the holes in the MDF and squirted some CA into the holes before assembly to prevent splitting. (Install the screws after the CA cures.) After applying a bead of silicone caulk to the bottom and two sides and some weatherstrip to the top, I returned the plenum to its mounting cleat and slid it into position. The gasket was inserted, the gap closed, and the bolts installed. 

The Result

Here is the finished dust collector. This photo was taken prior to the plenum box being painted, but aside from it now being green, it's been working in this configuration since the spring. You can see how hanging it on the wall keeps the blower, cyclone, and collection drum in a relatively narrow footprint. The oversize filters - 490 square feet of filter area - hang high and provide clearance for a 22-gallon compressor and the rack with the RV fridge, stereo/amp, and a media PC. 

The entire shop uses thin wall 6" PVC pipe for the main runs, which then drop to 4" to the machines. On the right you can see the floor-sweep and the hard piping to the table saw and the router table. The machine connections employ a 6" length of flex-hose to minimize the introduction of any vibration into the ducts, but otherwise all connections are hard pipe.

The blast gate is mounted at the machine port, and since the table saw port is behind and near the bottom of the saw, it is controlled with a choke cable. The control knob is conveniently mounted next to the saw power switch.

Controlling the Dust Collector

I built my own remote control for the dust collector that allows me to use either a remote-control or blast-gate mounted switches. I currently use the remote but will probably add some gate-activated switches in the future. I'll document that in a separate blog article.