This way Ihave a starting point, and can adjust the alignment in either direction to get maximum perfomance. All seems well. Ihighly reccomend this approach if you're able to. The other advantage this has is that it allows me to use the full capacity of my trash barrel.My idea was to create a disc that would fit on top of the trash barrel, and that the center ring would then fit on top of. 
UPDATE: I've switched out my giant machine for a smaller wall mount dust collector to save space in my tiny workshop! Actually, I didn't even think about trying to do that. I chose a large 60 gal size so that I wouldn't need to empty it as often. Vineta. The scraps I had were just barely large enough to cover the ring, and as you can see in the pic, it barely had room for the groove. Poke a hole in it, and you've created a release valve for all that dust to come flying out! Thanks for your input , I have done what you plan. This instructable will show how I created a chip separator formy dust collector. They are easily found for little or no money, lightweight, durable, and come in a variety of sizes. I like your project and want to build one. ItsOverflowing.com | Itsoverflowing.com is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It separates larger chips from the finer dust so the filter AND your lungs stay clean! Grizzly has a plastic garbage can lid that has 2 ~ 4"inch openings on top of the lid. I put the inlet of the ring in placeabove the solid portion, emmulating the Thien design. The lid creates a cyclone effect, causing the heavier pieces fall into the trash can. I'm just passing on what I found. I plan to test HVAC pipe soon.BTW, Highland Hardware (Atlanta) has a cyclone kit for about $80 which, I believe, includes a barrel. If your lower collection bag, or bags are material, you can cut costs by replacing them with [a] clear plastic one(s). I built a simple cyclone in front of the DC. It has hose, adapters, & blast gates.) Also, the dust in the can is stirred quite a lot by the turbulence. Ever suck up a stray screw with your shop vac? Copyright (2022), The Handyman's Daughter. The standard collection bag will be full in no time, and replacing it isn't exactly fun. I haven't tested for that as I have a very old Craftsman shop vacuum which is used for floor sweeping. 8 years ago That can save your collector from having to lift shavings another four feet or so thus costing you vacuum pressure at the nozzle.Good collecting!Cadiddlehopper. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Editor's Letter: Technology and the future of woodworking. I am new to dust collection. We have experience of over 25 years in this line. We are counted amongst the noteworthy manufacturers and distributors of wide range of Workshop machinery, Sheet metal machinery, Wood working machinery & Automobiles construction manufacturing & special purpose machinery with CNC base product machines like CNC Milling, CNC Lathe, CNC Drill, etc. I then routed another groove in the top pieceto accept the bottom of the center ring. It's generally agood ideatomake sure the drum didn't contain anything toxic before you start cutting into it. Interesting that this project is being shown now as if it were a new instructable, but some of the comments are 6 years old. Sucking up a large pile of dust, or taking heavy passes with the jointer or router table will create enough fines that the exhaust is visible, but just barely. I simply removed the switch box, and rotated it 180 degrees, so that it's now right side up and facing the right direction. I hope I helped you and if you have any further questions please feel free to ask away.. About sawdust explosions: Many years ago there was a plywood shortage because one of the few major plywood plants in the US was almost completely destroyed by a sawdust explosion. The rest falls into the collector bag. Ok, made some progress. The other thing is the fact that some impellers are made out of aluminum and not steel thus negating the spark likelyhood. You can get plans for the miter saw station, router table, planer stand, table saw stand and t track table so you can build your own. The blue bracket just holds the end of the expandable hose so it's easier to grab. A ground wire runs through the piping on the inside. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. A forum community dedicated to router and woodworking professionals and enthusiasts. You can install a magnite inside the first stage under the lid by the incoming side to catch any metal that might pass through the first stage. Iplan on using a dryer vent forthe final permanent installation. Purchases made through these links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. I worried about performance loss, but I noticed no performance hit at all, in fact I think it is actually better because the large planer chips are not clogging the DC at the gate or the impeller. It works just as well as the version I talk about above, but in a much smaller footprint.
I had a 30 gal trash can seperator before and it worked but dust still got in the jet bag. Other smaller units are screamers and who needs that? There needs to be plenty of room for air to circulate inside the can. Again take it for what it's worth. It's musical chairs over here! I have a jet dc1100 and no dust gets into the jet bag. 
UNLIMITED membership - Get access to it all. Get instant access to over 100 digital plans available only to UNLIMITED members.
Icould have use my circle cutting jig again to make a perfect arc, but I would have had to make several passesto cutthe full 1" depth, and the jigsaw just seemed quicker and easier at the time. 
Surely, a 2-hp collector can handle two 4-inch pipe runs. This design has been used and modified by many people with great results, so I figured it would beagoodplace to start. Anyhow, I spent a couple of days on this and found, to my frustration that the airflow was EXTREMELY reduced by the addition of a barrel, so much so that the bag on the collector would not even inflate, and I'm using the same model Harbor Freight Collector. I hope this helps and if you have any further questions (how many machines, dust gates etc. Good choice. What is your recommendation?
Commenting has been disabled. My collector is 3-hp. I do know that it is extremely inexpensive compared to what woodwork supply houses offer as metal dust ducting. When using a larger/deepercan (seperating the distance between the 4" hoses and bottom of can)that there was more 'heavier' dust/shavings in the can vs the other way. I reused the two hole top that formerly had the Rockler setup, so the ply was a must. Reply By having it set up in this fashion it causes a swirling/vortex affect and thus seperating the heavier shavings from sawdustif you get my drift. The center ring has6 holes in it where the supports bolt on. One way to reduce this is to create a chip separating baffle, which collects most of the debris in a trash can before it reaches the filter. It is funny to take off the lid and see the chips all lying down in neat cyclonic rows like a fresh alien crop circle. I found it on sale recently for $159, at Woodcraft, but not sure it's still available. Never saw anything like this before and I love it! Ithen used a round nose router bit to route a groove in the bottom piece that would accept the top of the barrel. You need a way to sort out the shrapnel from the fluff! Uline online has fiber drums of various sizes. I have noticed that the metal garbage can almost collapses especially if I forget to open a blast gate when I start it - without any gasket!
So, how did it work? Having a dust collector will be really useful for everyone because it can protect our health! I could have had three cans & branches as it has three 4-inch stubs & it really sucks! One of the reasons I didn't attatch the center ring to the base disc is that I want to get the alignment right first. If you want to vacuum with your dust collector, why not put the cyclonette on one branch & have another without a cyclonette to which you may attach a floor vacuuming line? Also, we ensure their complete compliance with the defined industry and international standards of quality.
The up-side is of course safety since chances of a metal screw hitting the impeller and causing a spark, and you know the rest, is greatly reduced, and there is the convenience of fewer bag changes but is that upside worth the lost performance? Please visit my disclosures page for more information. He has a great website showing his final design, along with other great information-www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htmHis designputs the baffle under thelid, and it fitsdown into the recepticle. That quick unlocking band makes it easy to empty the drum. Iwaited until it was on sale, and then used a 20% off coupon making the total price around $165 with tax. Just like the bottom disc, Iused a roundnose router bit to form a groovethat wouldfit ontop of the center ring. Iwasn't surehow the lower static lift and higher airflow of a dust collector would effect the design. I hooked up a length of hose and ran a few tests with some of the machines in my shop. All of the chips, and the vast majority of dust were collected in the barrel.After a minor adjustment to the inlet alignment, and enlarging the slot to 1 1/4", Iwas able to improve the performance even more. This makes it practical to install the dust collector near the outfeed table, and just use one 10' flex hose for everything. Hope I never have to have a colostomy. also, how long was vent to outside? Mine blows a lot of dust out of the top filter bag. The lighter stuff moves on to the dust collector, where the finest particles are trapped in the filter. No matter which way you go to make it 2 stage ( Dust Separator) you'll spend more than you have in the used 1hp DC. This forum post is now archived. Yes, yes and more yes! While I do lose some suction with this set up, it's been a total game changer in my small workshop! Become an UNLIMITED member and get it all: searchable online archive of every issue, how-to videos, Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking digital series, print magazine, e-newsletter, and more. Rabbeting a shelf; Strength vs. appearance, Editor's Letter: A new tool with every project.
Our offered assortment is highly appreciated among our clients and the industry for their salient features like high performance, sturdy construction, easy operations and low maintenance. But I may be able to shift a few things around! ?. Pull it tight inside tube and wedge it in the drilled holes to keep it taut.
Iwasn't comfortable installing it permanently just yet,so I just ran the vent hose out the nearby window for now. Here is how I would do it: After getting all pipes sized & cut, drill two small holes on the same side & near the end of each straight run yet clear of fitting verlap. 45, 000/-. Have you noticed how much sawdust your table saw generates? Idrilled 1 1/8" holes at each end of the channel, and then used a jigsaw to cut the rest out. I removed the can from the other branch which collects only sawdust. It can happen. The Thien design uses a 1 1/8" wide slot that runs 2/3 of the way around, but it is designed for use with a shop vac, and a smaller diameter trash can. Miter saw dust collection is particularly tricky, but a dust hood can help contain the mess. Is it OK to copy projects from the magazine? Keep in mind that this will reduce suction, so keep the larger size whenever possible.
After building the storage for our shed, I moved some things around to make room for the dust collector.
Iused the short length of flexible hose that came with the dust collector as a vent. Just curious what others have done. very good idea first off! A dust collector should be one of the first major purchases for any woodworking shop. 10 years ago Search the archives because I'm not feeling too well and not willing to type this tale yet again. This procedure would have been much easier than what I actually did.Another grounding method is metal plumbing. A shop vac only moves the big wood chips out of the way, but doesn't do much to control the finer particles you really need to be worried about. A second disc would then be fitted on top of the center ring, and the blower could then be mounted on top. :D. Wow, what a great idea! Most of the excess parts went into the scrap pile, but the casters were actually pretty nice quality, so Ithink they will go under a new rolling tool cart I plan to make in the near future. These products are efficiently working in private and public sectors, Engineering College, Polytechnic & I.T.I. Ok, then I take it you did not find a problematic drop in performance. You might get lucky and find one of the removeable top varieties. The only machine the hose doesn't reach is my bandsaw, but it doesn't create much dust, and Ithink the higher static lift of my shop vac works better for mybandsaws dust hood set-up.Imade a few modifications to my contractor style tablesaw in order to get more efficient dust collection with the new set-up. I like your idea and thanks so much for sharing this helpful workshop experiences. I just built a version of this, but decided to do the chip separator without the ring on it ( I needed the ring to put a bag on because I don't have the option of venting outside.)
A couple of days and about 30 bucks in materials later, I would caution persons against this project. unless you are prepared to lose about 1/3 to 1/2 of your collectors power. Did you find a need to add any pipe extension to the blower inlet so it sticks down closer to the baffle top? I need this in my life!! Most of these drums have a solid top with two 2" bungs, so you'll have to cut the top off with a jigsaw or reciprocating saw. Ialso used some magnetic sheet material (old car magnets) to reduce the gaps between the frame and the table top, as well as the slot on the front of the saw. 1 year ago. I doubt that your vacuum will pick up a screw unless your nozzle has a very small opening. Please comment as I'm ready to make a change to my DC now! Planer shavings tended to stay in the garbage can. My goal is to teach people how to fix up their homes and decorate them with DIY projects that are perfect for their space. Plus tips, advice, and special offers from Fine Woodworking. But that ultra-thin filter is ultra-delicate. Roll it outside when you are working. Being on a tight budget, I chose the 2hp model from Harbor Freight. something i can use my tractor to move and dump. Nice job. The airflow and collection seem to be as good if not better than the stock set-up. I simply used the bolts to plug these holes. I think most people don't realize the danger of the stuff they can't see. Otherwise, the wire would have reached the turbine.With all my suction my pipes are overhead with no problem. The filter that comes with it only filters down to 5 microns, which means it won't collect the dust that is most harmful to your lungs. Each hose has a blast gate at this 3 way Y junction, so the suction only goes to the tool that's currently in use. on Step 7. This sawdust roller coaster keeps the filter flowing longer and prevents damage to the fine mesh. In the spots where you run the wire internally, make sure that your wire is laid next to the wall of the pipe and not looped or dangled into the line and then back out. The Wynn filter comes with these little clips to attach it to the dust collector. on Introduction. Only the lightest material and fine dust move on to the second stage. Cheers, http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html. If the wire holes bother you, plug them with RTV. 4 years ago. I want to vent outside via laundry vent but am stuck on the make up air part. Have a metal top and a latch to hold it tight onto the barrel. If you have most all of the tools you need then go 2 stage if not get that needed tool but still have DC on your list. After looking around my shop for a suitable material, Ifound some scraps of 1/2" MDF.