J. Phil Thien's Projects

Quote from: Chunky C on September 27, 2009, 06:13:42 PM
I found that the angle to be 31.6 Degrees

This is a continuation of my HF DC Mods post.

I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods.  Thanks to DBHost for the help!!!  I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.



I got a blue barrel from work but it's the kind that you have to cut the lid off. :'(  So that caused me all sorts of "issues."  The biggest problem was how to cut lid off and keep the top flat.  I never solved this problem so I worked around it.  


(This picture doesn't do the problem justice.  It is 1,000x worse than the picture shows.)

So I cut the top off and then used a router, file, rasp, sand paper, et al to clean the edge the best that I could.  It got better but it still leaked like a sieve.

So I glued up a piece of 3/4 MDF and 3/4 ply and use the router with a trammel to make a big "gasket."





I can't say enough about how well this works.  I expected an improvement but I didn't expect it to completely seal the edge.  But I got a tube a silicone today anyway at the hardware store that I'll use to seal the gasket to the top of the barrel permanently.

For the top and baffle, I used 3/4" ply and 1/4 hardboard.  The fittings are a 'universal 4" adapter' and a normal 4" DC hose 90 that are held in place with silicone.  I used these because it solves the problem of trying to adapt to PVC to hose.  And there's a tool store here in the small (tiny) town that I live in that carries a very wide assortment of fittings. YEAH ME!  ;D



So for the eagle eyes among us, you may notice a blast gate on the suction side of the barrel.  This is by design because I have a 'Y' at the DC that I use as a bypass of sorts.  Also, it's the only way that I have found to go from 4" sewer PVC pipe to 4" hose.  

The 4" PVC to DC Hose fittings are for schedule 40 DWV NOT sewer pipe!  If you know how to transition from sewer pipe to hose, I'd love to hear from you!!

I got my Wynn today.  Man is this thing easy to install. :-[  Took me longer to unbox it and carry it to the shop than it did to install it.

And I'll be darned if I didn't manage to crack my "Y" inlet adapter.  >:(  I checked Harbor Freight online and of course they don't have a replacement. grrr.  Anyone know where I might find a suitable replacement?  (Remember it's a 5"x4" double Y adapter thingy)

I did remove one of the 5" hose clamps from the outlet of the blower and use that to get it up and going again.  I'll have to stop by the hardware store when I go into town or go to work Monday.

Menards has 5 in fittings, no flex though.  But if I can get the blower discharge (rotated 90 deg.) at the same height as the dust separator, then all I'll need is a little tin to make a short straight piece from the blower to the separator.  But I haven't made it that far yet.


Chunk

I took a couple of days of vacation to get the fall gardening in but it's rain the entire time.  Not that I'm complaining, much, because we really need the rain.

I've been waiting for the final assembly of HF DC until the Wynn filter gets here.  I got a tracking number from them yesterday and it's not going to arrive until tomorrow, Saturday.  Saturday?  That's what the tracking says...

So can work outside, must work inside.  I assembled the rest of the DC and I've got to say that being a HF tool, I had fairly low expectations but I'm impressed with the operation.  It's a lot quieter than I had expected and it does a real nice job of sucking up the debris.

I've got a couple other mods in mind.  One is to build a better handle that allows you to move it without pulling on the bag assembly.  Who ever thought this up must NOT be an engineer. lol  I also want to remount the blower / motor assembly higher and so that the discharge is horizontal, directly inline with Thien's cyclone discharge assembly.  Thus eliminating the 5" flexible duct.   I think I can gain a few extra points of efficiency if I ditch the 5" flex hose and get a straight shot into the discharge.

Chunk

Thanks for the advice Phil and all of your hard work making the baffle and supporting the site! 

Sometimes I have a tendency to "over think" situations, beings that I'm an engineer.  I'll give it go once I get my new filter.  I don't know how long it will take to get a filter from Philly to out here in BFE but I'm guessing that it will be next weekend at the earliest.



FWIW:  I took what Vaughn did (here) and did very similar, minus the purple paint but I did find PINK lol.  I happened to have a length have 1" dowel from a project that happened years ago.  I found that the angle to be 31.6 Degrees and my miter saw just so happens to have a 31.6 degree stop.  Bully for me!

I've been reading a lot of stories about the HF DC.  The short of it sounds like a Thien's Baffle and a Wynn filter MODs are the way to go.  So ...  I read a review (lumberjocks I think) from dbhost (thanks for info) and he mentions that there is a coupon in this months, OCT-09, issue of WOOD Magazine for $139. A trip to HellMart for a copy of WOOD, about $7 and a savings of $110! So I now have a HF DC with a Thien's Baffle ready to go.  I'll order the Wynn filter tomorrow and then we'll be ready to let the chips fall as the may.


Some Assembly Required

I've got two q's:

1) The paint on the inside of the collector is rougher than 180 grit SP.  Should I hit it with steel wool and shoot some Rustolium on it?

2) There's a bit of gap around the outer edge of the baffle and the inside edge of the collector, maybe 1/8" at the widest.  Should I be concerned?  Caulking the gap is the easy answer but that will make getting the Wynn off that much more work (unless I come up with an external method of mounting the Wynn.)  I thought about filling the gap with weather striping or that sticky back foam that you put between the bed of a truck and a camper, topper, et. al.  Is this a mountain or a mole hill?


I don't know how well this shows, I couldn't get the light, cammera and my fat #$% all in the right alignment.