Grounding a dust collector

Q: How should I ground the dust collection system in my home workshop? Should the grounding wire be connected to each machine or just the collector itself? .

A: A: The idea behind grounding a dust collector is to provide a low-resistance path for static electricity to travel to the earth. The motion of dust and air through the pipes can cause substantial electric charges to build up, especially if you’re using plastic pipe. Depending on the situation, grounding the dust collector itself may be enough. But it may not. Let the presence or absence of static build up on pipes and machines be your guide. The safest approach is to provide bare-wire grounding from all woodworking machines, through the inside of the dust pipe and to the grounded chassis of the dust collector. The circuit is completed through the ground pin of the outlet powering the system. This provides a path for the static electricity to travel safely and harmlessly to the earth.