J. Phil Thien's Projects

Thanks Phil, Bernard

That approach will likely work since my planar and jointer stations are not fixed and need to be moved into place for use.  A small (storable) separator may help with large chip removal in this case and reduce DC chip bag exchanges.

Phil,  do you have a link to the Fine Woodworking article?  I don't think I have seen that one.

Kindest regards
Aldo

Not at all!

I may very well go the separator route if I can determine that it will give me a longer canister life. 

Thanks again
Aldo

Thank you Phil.

Any idea on whether the canister will be "substantially" or "marginally" cleaner with the Top Hat version over the Internal Baffle (i.e., for comparable periods of use)?  The answer to this question will likely dictate which way I go.

Kindest regards
Aldo

Thank you.

Can you tell me what the purpose of the bell mouth is? 
Does any one have any idea of the efficiency loss of a top hat design versus an internal baffle?  Also, are there any numbers on how much cleaner the canister filter will be with a top hat separator versus the internal baffle (i.e., are we talking about a relatively minor improvement)/

Cheers
Aldo

 Hello all,

I was reviewing this blog and I was wondering if any of you could give me your personal opinion on whether I should go the route of an internal Thein baffle or put the extra effort in to build a Thein top hat separator.

I have a small personal woodworking shop, and space is a premium.  I have an old 2Hp import dust collector that I just purchased an new canister for.  Ideally I would prefer to use the internal baffle to minimize the overall size of the system.  I can live with having to deal with the hassles of dealing with the DC chip bag and dealing with the chips flowing through the impeller.  What I am concerned about is the efficiency of the internal baffle as compared to the top hat separator.  I read that the internal baffle would be more efficient than the top hat separator because of the static pressure drop associated with the additional separator canister.  Which in your opinion is the more efficient system, and why?  Which in your opinion would be best in terms of minimizing debris deposit in the canister and why (is there a noticeable difference)?  Can you recommend a good set of plans or other setup information for the internal baffle?  Again, from your personal experience which of the two would you go with in a small shop.

Thank you in advance for any help.  I am new to dust collection and could use all the help I can get.