J. Phil Thien's Projects

I am in the same boat as you.  Many years ago I built a cyclone system and used a 1 HP blower.  I think I really chintzed on the blower and while it does work, it seems to lack sufficient suction for some of my machines.  I believe the cyclone I built is a good design and ideally I would use the HF blower to upgrade this system but it doesn't appear to be easily adapted to this cyclone.  I'm struggling with modifying the cyclone to fit this new blower or maybe just making a separator based on the Thien design.  My system has a "Baghouse" type filter which is a wood frame that is 6' tall and about 2-1/2' wide and deep.  The frame is covered in cloth that air can move through.  I have no idea how many micron it filters to but with a good separator that may not be much of a factor.  I'd appreciate any input anyone could offer.

I am a passionate woodworker but never had a shop class in school or any other training.  My skills, such as they are, were gained through much trial and error with some ideas from some good woodworking magazines, WOOD and WOOD SMITH.  I have a mechanical background and desire and that's about it, and I've been at this for over 25 years.  I have a 26 x 30 shop that I never dreamed I'd have and it is filled with all the machinery to make mountains of sawdust so a means of collecting is a necessity.  Years ago I built a cyclone collector from a plan in WOOD or maybe SHOP NOTES.  It has served me well but I chintzed on the blower and bought something that is really too small to serve more than one tool, not something you could run ducting to and service multiple machines.  Recently I upgraded to a Harbor Freight dust collector but I don't want to give up my separator.  I'm going to explore using the larger blower on the current cyclone but if I can't find a way to make it work, will build another but use the ideas Phil presents on this forum.