J. Phil Thien's Projects

Wow, it's like you guys read my mind (TX_Lenador and dabullseye). ......... or I read yours because you both beat me to it.

Funny, I've been trolling the site for a while now and I was thinking about how I would design a system to raise and lower the can up to the tophat for easy emptying. I was on a path to something similar to what you designed TX, but yours is a lot simpler. I was thinking of using two screws (one on each side) connected by chains, and I got to a point where I stopped and thought Naaaaa, this is getting way out of hand.

Then, I happened to be down my basement doing something else, totally different, and there it was, a brandy-spankin new, never been used, scissor jack from a car I used to have. I thought, well, if it can lift a car, it can certainly handle raising and lowering a garbage pail! My mind went to work thinking about how I would execute my new, much simpler lift design.

I had some other domestic tasks to get done, and finally decided to take a brake and hop back on this forum to continue my research. The very first thread I looked at was this one and  ............... BANG! Here it is! You guys are awesome!

I originally built my Thien baffle for my HF DC about 10 years ago, give or take, and this is where I came at that time to learn about it. I ditched the bag filter, added a Wynn filter and a Thien baffle to the underside of the sheet metal housing. It turned out great, but I knew that eventually what I wanted was a 2-stage system!

Well, after having gone through some job layoffs and having to relocate to another state for work, I got my DC set-up going again so I could do some pen making to relieve the stress. After a while, I came back here because I realized I needed to plan out my two-stage system using a Thien Tophat separator. With pen making, especially because you are working with small parts, more than once the dust collector has gobbled up something I didn't intend for it to ingest. Unfortunately, because I don't have a 2-stage set-up yet, the impeller destroyed the item making me angry!

After having spent many hours going through various threads here (and I'm still at it) , I have once again found that the brain trust that lies within this forum has answered just about every question I have come up with. You guys, retired2, and a few others have shared an awful lot of valuable data, insights and your own builds, and this has been extremely informing and valuable to me.  THANK YOU ALL!

While it will be quite some time before I embark on my 2-stage project, due to time constraints, physical space, and the fact that it will just be another item I will have to move, when I move AGAIN, I promise to share my experiences and my final interpretation of how I go about building such a system.

This, a Gatton CNC, and a 30s Vintage Hot Rod build are definitely in my future, I just have to be patient, and wait until I relocate down south and get my shop set up.

Thanks Again, I appreciate it VERY much!

GT   

marks1,

I did exactly what you stated, about 10 years ago with my HF 2hp DC (added a Thien baffle and a Wynn Pleated filter in place of the filter bag). I have no problems with it at all, other than in hindsight, I would have, (and plan to do so in the future), reconfigured my system to add a "TopHat" Thien Chamber on top of a garbage can (either a plastic Brute or a 32 gallon galvanized garbage pail), to the inlet side of the dust collector, in effect making it a 2-stage system.

As you can see online many have done this already with great results. With the Thien baffle under the original HF mid-section, it still is a single-stage process, albeit improved from the standpoint of better separation, so less filter loading.

The reason I responded is because the most compelling reason, IMHO, for going to a 2-stage system, aside from less frequent filter loading is this: I have had small pen pieces, sanding pads, etc., get sucked up into the vac. Unfortunately, they fall prey to the impeller, and typically the impeller wins!

So, by going to a 2-Stage system, anything that mistakenly gets sucked up into the system will hopefully find it's way into the bottom of the waste collection barrel, and thereby be easily retrievable, without being damaged! Something to consider if you work on a lathe with small items like pens. The other benefit, as you mentioned is less chance if damaging the impeller itself.

I mention the TopHat style, as opposed to one that hangs inside the barrel, because it makes emptying out the waste easier, and allows filling the waste pail more (when the baffle is inside, versus on top of the pail you lose waste space, so that equates to the need for more frequent emptying). One design I saw, had a simple connection with two pieces of plywood at the top (outlet) of the TopHat screwed together with four handwheels (bolts with attached wooden knobs). Remove the handwheels the the barrel slides right out, as the flexible hose connection from this top piece of plywood to the blower motor allows enough room to slide the pail out with the TopHat in place. Yes, you then need to remove the TopHat from the pail and set it aside to empty the pail, but it's simple and effective.

Additionally, I've seen other designs where the TopHat is hard mounted to the frame just like the blower motor, but in these cases some sort of mechanism to lower the pail for disconnection is required. I may go that route, but it's a bit more challenging to make some sort of a pail lift. I've seen some use wooden wedges under a bottom plate that the pail sits on, but I don't care for that method. Maybe a plate with a hinge at the back that would allow it to swing down, but that may not allow a properly sealed pail to drop away properly. Ah yes, the options are almost endless!

Don't mean to ramble, but you get the idea.

Enjoy, and good luck with your design, ........ if you haven't already got it done!

GT

JC,

I had to do a double-take on your setup, but when I thought about it for a minute ........... you are a genius! So the way it works is that you block the normal Shop Vac intake port when you use it this way, and then open it when you detach it for wet use, correct?

By doing this, the hole you've made in the bottom of the ShopVac barrel becomes the new inlet, going through the ShopVac filter as usual, to the discharge port. Very smart, and something I never would have even considered thinking about! Very smart!

I have a smaller model ShopVac that, set up with your innovative design, will be great for smaller general household use. I'm excited to set it up like this.

Years ago I built and installed a Thien baffle in my H.F. 2hp Dust collector (used for woodworking and pen making), and in the future will be building another stand-alone unit to add to it to make it a 2-Stage, but that will come later. For now I'm intrigued with your very smart application of the Thien-baffle design. Just when you think you've seen it all, Bang! Bravo, my friend!