J. Phil Thien's Projects

I used the 4" dust separator fittings that Rockler recently developed, item #34367.  I like them because they present a smooth pathway for airflow when threaded together from either side of a mounting panel. The kit includes two pairs of fittings, but that worked for me, since I was building two complete DC's.

If you do, I'll be glad to hear your report.  I have avoided what seems to me to be unnecessary complexity.  Dick Wynn assures me that the nano cartridge can be kept in good working order by occasionally back-flushing with @80 psi of compressed air.  In the meantime, the system is working just as I'd hoped, and I don't see any need to tweak it.

Hi Steve

I have no way of measuring the efficiency of the Thien baffle I built for each unit, but they seem to be completely effective.  No detectable fine dust is getting past the cannisters and, by volume, virtually all the material is dropping nicely past the single baffle into the cans.  I can mill all day without depositing a handful of dust into the plastic bags.  What would be the advantage of adding a second baffle?

The impetus for this project came when I moved to an older home with a long, narrow, low-ceilinged basement.  My Delta 50-760 dust collector was now too tall, and I could no longer use it as the octopus at the center of a cluster of power tools.  After reading a good bit about central dust collection systems with fixed metal ductwork, I decided instead upon the following priorities for my situation: use the existing 120 volt electrical circuits in my new basement work space; retain the stock 4? dust ports on all of  my stationary power tools; achieve adequate efficiency by connecting the shortest possible run of flexible 4? hose to one machine at a time; use high quality filtering; use two stage collection, separated by Thien baffles; have a collector at each end of my work space.  As you can see in the photos, I got a pair 2hp collectors on sale at Harbor Freight.  I purchased .5 micron Nanofiber cartridge filters from Winn Environmental.  I replaced the cheap, flimsy HF collector chassis with my own design, which permits me to position the motor above the collector can and connect it directly to the impellor.    I am very pleased with the result: no trace of dust in the air from connected tools, changeover to a different tool in about five seconds, quick, efficient dumping of the collector can, and never any need to tend the clear plastic bags, except after occasionally back-flushing the canisters with compressed air to restore their high efficiency.  I don?t think there is any system on the market for less than about double the investment I?ve made in these rigs that can equal their performance.  If anyone would like to make their own, let me know and I?ll be glad to answer any questions you may have.
Thanks, Phil!
Howard Skillington

Thanks for the tip - I'll give that a try.

Has anyone found a reasonable source for thirty gallon fiberboard drums?  In terms of weight and convenience fiberboard seems like the way to go, but not at over a hundred bucks. 
I've found a source for 30 gallon plastic beverage barrels for about fifty bucks, including shipping.  They appear to be strong enough to withstand collapsing from vacuum pressure, and would be lightweight and easy to work with.  Does anyone see a serious downside here? 
I expect some will express concern about static electricity build-up, but I've seen that claim debunked, and the barrel could always be fitted with a ground wire, anyway.

I don't know if Phil has time to look at all these posts, but welcome any informed opinions. 
Rockler has a new item, #34367, which appears to be made for our purpose.  It's a 4" straight DC fitting that threads directly into a 90 degree elbow, with a flange on each side.  All we have to do is saw a hole through our barrel and screw the two parts together and we have the cyclonic part of our Thien separator ready to feed into the space between lid and baffle. 
But the straight component enters the lid perpendicular, rather than at the oblique angle Phil has worked out.  The elbow will obviously send the flow in the desired cyclonic direction, but at a slight loss in efficiency.  Does anyone see a major problem with this solution, or has life just become a little simpler for us?

I went with the Winn for my HF conversion and am very pleased with it.  Winn also provided superb service.  Their technician was generous with advice, the filter was well-packed, and I received it two days after I made the order.